*if you are interested in seeing video clips and photos from my Fashion Week experience, head to my Instagram! There is a saved category on my profile for “NYFW” and I have photos posted from throughout the week.
So in terms of Fashion Week – EVERYONE has had a ton of questions for me. So here’s a little recap to address a lot of the common questions I’ve been asked.
Seats at Fashion Week are coveted, this you already know. You don’t just end up there by accident. A TON of prep going in on the part of the brand and those sitting for the show.
Was it stressful? Yes.
Was I nervous? Yes.
Was it worth it? Again, yes.
Did I sit front row? At every single show.
It might sound obvious, but Fashion Week was hands down the most glamorous experience of my life. I saw a handful of celebs – Anne Hathaway, Jeff Bridges, Amber Rose, two members of the Hilton fam, and the queen herself, Anna Wintour. As well as some insta-celebs—Nikita Dragun, Arielle Charnas of Something Navy, and Madeline Stuart of Madeline’s Modeling. The Paparazzi were legit EVERYWHERE and even snapped a few pics of me throughout the week.
And yes, something magical happened. As I was heading to Fashion Week, a Chinese brand called Naersiling reached out to ask if I would be in their shoot at The New York Public Library (yes, where Carrie Bradshaw planned her wedding to Big…) for Vogue China/ Harpers Bazaar. THIS WAS A “PINCH ME” MOMENT.
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for them to tell me, NOPE you’ve had a few too many pizzas for this! So due to my disbelief, I showed up to everything like 30 minutes early and paced around beforehand. We had an initial fitting where I got to pick out what I wanted to wear, then the shoot the next day at the library, and then the show at the library that night where all of the influencers wearing Naersiling had to come “meet the press” early and walk the red carpet. This was the last show I attended and I couldn’t have been more intimidated OR excited! It was pure adrenaline.
Deven rode in the cab with me for my FIRST show and “dropped me off.” He said I looked like a kid going into their first day of Kindergarten and that’s TOTALLY how I felt!!! I kept looking back at him and thinking, “do I HAVE to go?!” I was terrified.
But I did SO much work to get there so I took a deep breath and got in line to go in. Immediately I met other influencers and made friends. It’s not hard… It kind of reminds me of the first week of college. Since you cannot reserve seats as a group or “bring a +1,” everyone is heading in alone. So you end up making friends in line because, hey, we’re all self-conscious and alone! I took pictures with the new friends I made and obviously followed on Insta so I could keep up with them later on!
One of the biggest treats was getting to meet a mentor of mine who I had ONLY ever talked to on the internet! We chat almost daily on Instagram/ email and I have worked with her marketing firm countless times but never met in real life. I was nervous for this too but she ended up being even more fantastic in person and I got to ask her a bunch of questions I had been dying to ask her. She also snuggled me into the front row on more than one occasion and served as a “big sister” guide through the entire experience.
Another happy coincidence was that my photographer from here in OKC has a boyfriend up in NYC! So she was able to come and shoot with me every day I was at Fashion Week.
PROCESS
So the process of getting into Fashion Week is pretty simple. You need to write to PR firms and brands tell them why you should be there, what you have to offer them. In my case, it was obviously my social media/ blog presence. Why put someone random in a seat at your show when you could put someone who will help mass-promote your brand?
So all my reach out emails pretty much included just a quick snippet of what my blog is about, ALL of my blog & social media stats/ demographics, and a mini sales pitch on how I would promote their brand.
From there, brands will either accept you, send a maybe, or say no. Don’t get me wrong, I got a ton of no’s! But I got into upwards of 40 shows, most of which I was not able to attend because they were happening before I got to NY or because I didn’t want to over-pack my schedule (as you all know, my tummy issues make it hard for me to keep my energy up!). There is even an app that exclusively for FW where you can keep track of your events, show tickets, calendar, RSVP to invites, etc!
TWO FAVORITE SHOWS
Obviously Naersiling was one of my favorite shows because of the whole EXERIENCE of it… Meeting the press on the red carpet, shooting with Vogue, wearing the clothes? It was all a dream! Plus the location was possibly the most insane part because the New York Public Library is so historic and ornate. The ceiling was truly something to see!
But my favorite show, in terms of the COLLECTION, was definitely, hands down, Marcel Ostertag. It was all DEEP purples, violet, blush pinks, and bold yellows. Cherry blossoms were also a theme of his. Asia-inspired clips for hair. Lots of layered fringe. Sequins. And my favorite part was the Iris prints – incorporating deep violet, pastel purple, AND the yellow. Also Marcel himself was the CUTEST human. He had the coolest tattoos and even cried at the end of the show.
You can watch it all right below and watch for me! You can see me in the front row on the right side of the screen towards the entrance to the runway.
So that’s a wrap! If you babes have any other questions, Let me know – Happy to tell you ALL about any aspect of NYFW you might be curious about x