Fall Fashion Week, the most incredible yet exhausting week of the year! It’s a week filled of jumping around NYC from show to show, event to event and party to party. I like to think of NYFW as the equivalent to the Grand Prix for fashionistas; you’re racing through the streets of NYC, fighting traffic while trying to find your Uber amongst a sea cars, in order to make it to your next show on time.
Also, Fall fashion week tends to start on the first day of school, so needless to say, it’s complete mayhem (there are a lot of mommy’s dressed to the nines at the first day of school drop-off). Oh, did I mention it’s typically between 80 to 100 degrees outside during September in NYC? Thankfully, this year, it was a comfortable 75 degrees and sunny. The weather was ideal for wearing all of the upcoming seasons latest trends.
This is my sixth season attending fashion week as a blogger and I’ve learned quite a few tips and tricks over the years. It’s all about planning, scheduling and thinking ahead of time. First things first, take care of your beauty regime the week before fashion week (hair cut/color, mani/pedi and facial should all be done before NYFW begins). There is absolutely NO time to do so during fashion week. I also book a daily at home blowout through a beauty app in order to assure quick and flawless hair everyday. I also like to pre-plan my hairstyles based on the outfit I will be wearing. This takes the pressure off deciding last minute hairdos. I can sit in the chair and check my emails while getting my hair done; it’s all about multitasking. Planning my outfits in advance is a MUST! I personally like to lay out my looks, take photographs and try to match each outfit to the designers aesthetic (if it’s an edgier designer I would be more inclined to wear leather versus a formal dress). The above tactics are the best way to make a fashionable entrance at NYFW as seamless as possible.
Over the years, I have learned to really pick my battles during fashion week. I wish I could see and do everything but there is just not enough time in the day. Once I receive all my invitations, I prioritize based on my relationship to the designer and logistics. I am more inclined to attend shows such as Carmen Marc Valvo or John Paul Ataker compared to newer designers as I already have an established relationship with them. I have attended their shows year after year so I enjoy seeing the evolution of fashion from these particular designers, season after season.
NYFW used to be conveniently located at Lincoln Center but the shows are now spread out throughout the city. The majority of shows now take place at Skylight Clarkson in downtown Manhattan (which is fabulous for me because I just so happen to live around the corner). However, for the fashionable out-of-towners, it is an odd location. Skylight Clarkson is located on Houston and Greenwich street, on the outskirts of Soho, sandwiched between the UPS parking garage and the West Side Highway. Despite its unfashionable warehouse location, fashion bloggers and influencers make the best of this backdrop and somehow manage to shoot some of the most fashion-worthy pictures in front of the brown UPS trucks, gas pumps and huge warehouse doors that say “no parking”. Although I’m definitely a downtown girl, the warehouse vibes definitely make me miss the days of the elegant aesthetic of Lincoln Center. However, Skylight Clarkson makes up for it by offering various entertaining pop-ups. This season, E! had a fun lounge and interactive video booth that kept many entertained between shows. If your blowout isn’t holding up, don’t fret; Tresemme had a popup salon inside Skylight (just make sure to book ahead of time). Thirsty? No worries, there was a free bar stocked with chic bottles of Life WTR and Illy coffee.
If you are in a rush and need to make it to a certain show, the subway is the best-kept secret. It’s far from luxurious but it’s by far the quickest way to get from one venue to the next. When you exit a show at Skylight Clarkson, you definitely see two different types of fashionistas: the ones who are on their phones looking for their Uber OR the ones changing out of their stilettos and into their foldable flats as they migrate to the subway. Which out of the two groups do you think are the real New Yorkers? The ones that know NYC traffic is insane!
Another hack? I like to carry a slightly larger satchel in order to fit all my necessities. I truly don’t understand how anybody could carry a purse the size of a pea (even if it is Chanel). A pair of foldable flats is the secret to success and happy feet. Make sure to also carry a portable phone charger, snacks and the necessities to freshen up throughout the day. Think desk to dinner/coffee to cocktails! Plan on being out and about all day. After all, this is Manhattan and you never know what may be in store for you. Make sure to print out your invitation just in case your phone dies… a lot of the venues don’t have service and technology is not always the most reliable.
It’s interesting to see how NYFW has evolved over the last few years. It used to be more celebrity based but in recent years bloggers and socialites have become the main focus. People often wonder how to get invited to fashion week shows. NYFW is really geared to influencers or people who work in the fashion industry; buyers, magazine editors, and publicists. With that being said, there are two types of NYFW shows: industry shows and open-to-the-public shows. In order to attend an industry show, you must be invited by the design house or you can register with NYFW producers directly but this doesn’t always guarantee admission.
Although NYFW is exhausting, it is honestly an incredible experience. I love seeing the latest fashion trends and the overall street style. ANYTHING goes, leather to pleather, pants to pleats or sneaker to stilettos! The overall hustle and bustle of the city during NYFW is one of a kind! As long as you stick to some of my suggested fashion week hacks, it should make things go much smoother (sore feet aside).
