I was very thankful to be able to attend a few shows with my work again, and after being here for eight years, I'm actually kicking myself that I never asked sooner about going. Fashion week brings out some of the most interesting people, and if nothing else, it sure makes for some great people watching.
Before I attended a show, I had a very different idea of how it all happened and what it would be like. What I didn't realize is how short most of the shows are. I'm talking some of them are only 15-20 minutes long, if that. It really depends on how large the designer's collection is.
After realizing how quickly a show goes, I started thinking about all of the people that fly in or travel from all over the place to be there. If you aren't staying and seeing multiple shows, you might be let down. Of course, everyone is different, but if you've never been and were thinking about making a trip, I would suggest to have several shows lined up. It's also good to keep in mind that some shows take place at the same time or back to back. If they aren't in the same area, it could make attending them very difficult and you have to pick and choose which ones you can realistically go to.
I've had a few people reach out to me and ask about how you can get invited or how you go about getting tickets. Since I've never been invited as a blogger (that would be completely awesome if it happens one day) I actually don't know how it works from a blogger perspective. Like most things in life, it really comes down to who you know or the connections you have. I saw a lot of the "bigger" bloggers there that got treated very well (or so it appeared), they got to go backstage for special interviews, had the press taking their pictures, and got to walk away with those coveted swag bags.
I did have a chance to go backstage at Bibhu Mohapatra's show and got the chance to meet him. He was really down to earth and a great guy. His show was at Spring Studios where majority of the events were taking place, so it was a really fun experience to be where all of the action was. I was a little surprised by the backstage area which was so much smaller than I would have ever imagined, and not necessarily glamorous. I'm sure it depends on the location or the team of people they bring in, but I guess I had a different idea in my mind.
I was really missing my sister who was with me the last time we went. I can hold my own, but there is
nothing like having a wingman when you go to these events. I hung around for a little while after and checked out some of the vendors in the lobby. TRESemme had a station set up where you could get your picture taken (they had me stand like this by the way with wind blowing in my hair) and other vendors had some fun things going on. It was really crowded down there because a lot of people hang out while waiting in between shows.
Since the studios weren't really around public transportation, I decided to take an Uber back to where I needed to go. I have never driven in the city and it's not something I intend on doing anytime soon. When I looked at what the price was for an Uber to pick me up, I might as well have booked a flight somewhere. Ok maybe it wasn't that drastic, but it was a lot of money. I had a genius idea to walk several blocks to see if it would bring the price down considering the studios were probably at a premium pickup rate.
When I was leaving, there were paparazzi everywhere. I guess that's how it usually is but that was my first real encounter with being around so many cameras, and you all know how I love to jump in the frame when I can. As I was walking down the street I heard all of the camera shutters going off and paparazzi standing right in front of me snapping away. I smiled for a minute and then thought, no don't smile, you look too posed, just walk normal, take out your phone, do something. Then I thought no, no, you'll hate that pic because your serious face is more comical than anything and what if you get a double chin from looking down. Then reality hit, why in the world would they be taking a picture of me? Then I thought, well who knows maybe they just take pictures of whoever walks this way. Then I finally realized what was happening. I caught one of the paparazzi going up on his tippy toes and arching to shoot over me. I found that kind of odd so I turned around to see what was going on behind me. Sure enough, I see three beautiful girls walking (I still don't know who they were), but that's who everyone was trying to get pictures of. Here I was strutting my best walk right in front of them probably blocking that perfect shot (completely unintentional, of course). I just started laughing and politely moved out of the way.
Another fun observation when you get to go to these shows is seeing what all of the guests are wearing. I saw a lot of great outfits that I was having all the heart eyes for, and then there were those that looked like they purposely decided not to match, and others that looked like they rolled right out of bed. To each their own. Basically, whatever you decide to wear is acceptable. I also learned that no one buttons up their coat for these things. You guys, it was freezing out. I had on my fancy heavy coat and everyone else had theirs swinging wide open. I know, I get it, it's so you can see the outfit. I guess that was an amateur move on my part.
If you aren't staying in the city you also need to work out your commute and the logistics of things. For the most part, I can be in the city in under an hour. I went back into the city on another day for a show and boy was that a debacle for me to get there. I took the train in but when I got to the parking lot there were absolutely no more spots left. I circled three times, frantically went down side streets, but nothing. The train was coming in two minutes so I had to think fast. I resorted to making my own parking spot and prayed to the good Lord above there would be no ticket when I got back. I ran for the train, and as my ticket was printing out, the train pulled up. I jumped on the train and was on my way, or so I thought. Once I got to Penn Station I got another Uber to take me over to Park Street since Dennis Basso's show was at Saint Bartholomew's Church. Sure enough, the streets of NYC decided it was a good idea to do some road construction and there I was stuck in traffic with time ticking away. That's another thing, very rarely do these shows start right on time. In my case, it worked out in my favor. After moving at a snails pace, when we finally got closer, I told the Uber driver I would jump out and run the next two blocks. I made it with 5 minutes to spare before it was showtime. The concept of being in a church was cool but it was a bit dark in there which made it hard to really see some of the outfits and not the best lighting to get pictures. I don't think it would have been my first choice, but hey, I'm no designer.
Overall NYFW is a really fun experience. When I walk into the shows I can't help but have a smile on my face and feel like a kid at Christmas. Fashion week can be exciting, exhausting, intimidating, and spectacular all at the same time.
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