My First NYFW Experience

I started writing this from the plane but since then had to sleep for a week and unwillingly integrate myself back into SF living. I got home exactly a week a go from my first trip to NYFW and ohhhhh myyyyyy goddddddd it was everything I dreamt of and MORE! But in an also very realistic honest way, it chewed me up and spit me out hahaha. Safe to say it was a sea of highs and lows, but mostly highs… 😉

…Like the first show I arrived to, Colovos, at 10am on Thursday after sleeping a mere 3 hours on a red eye. Woof. But all of that rushed away as I got my first street style photoshoot allllll up in my face as I approached Spring Studios (the hub where many shows were). It was crazy walking up to those doors, the sound of a bunch of camera clicks in my face, people yelling “miss miss,” & “stand here please!” It was the closest to being a celebrity I’ve ever felt lol, and a feeling I will never forgot. 💯

A definite high and an indication I’d truly entered my first NYFW. (Honestly though, cause by day 3 I didn’t even care about the photogs and was like “back off, I’m late to this show!!! 🤚😝🤚hahaha).

[In this post you’ll find NYFW highlights, trends spotted, and top 3 lessons learned. It’s a long one so skip ahead to the bit that interests you most!]

Check out my Day 1 looks! 👇👇👇

THE WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

I’m not going to recap everyday and every show I attended, but figure I’ll continue on this “highs” path and start with a couple highlights of the week!

1) First of which, described above in my internal celebrity moment, and resulting in the fact that those 🔝photos ended up on Elle & Harpers Bazaar street style round-ups. 🙀🙀🙀 Woooohoo!!! Packing for a whole week paid off! LOL. 🤭😂👏

2) The Jeremy Scott show because duh. How could I manage to score a ticket to his show and it not make it into my top experiences at NYFW?!?!?! 🤩🤩🤩 It was a neon, rave, club kid, over the top, mixed materials, more is more, fashion show — typical Jeremy. What’s not typical is my attendance nor the fact that I cut off Kehlani when exiting the elevator in a frenzy to get to my seat on time. 😂😂#IG (meaning ignorant, me 🙄🤦‍♀️).

3) Going backstage. If I’m being completely honest, it wasn’t as cool as I pictured in my head haha.😯 Nevertheless, I WAS BACKSTAGE at Tanya Taylor!!! An unorganized swarm of models in hair and makeup (me being mistaken for one several times), people hustlin’ around,  photographers and videographers capturing BTS content but my favorite part?The room holding the next show’s worth of clothes and peeping where the models walk out into the crowd. 😍🙌

Just being at shows was a highlight. I hadn’t been to a runway show before. Sitting in the audience, captivated by the glorious, and often unexpected, models strutting down the catwalk. That’s a pretty magical moment. Hard to describe the flutter in my heart each time the lights dimmed and for that first model out….. 💃When’s the next one?!?!

TRENDS SPOTTED:

1. Polka Dots. It was literally the 101 Dalmatians up in NYFW. For me, polka dots are going to take some getting used to (they just carry so much societal meaning no?  🤔😛) but I’m sure I’ll jump on it eventually… just like I did with Kitten heels 😆
2. Shades of Purple. With ultra violet taking Pantone’s color of the year, I saw purple hues across most runways. From more dusty shades of mauve to brighter light lavenders it was a pervasive color for sure and I’m ALL about it. Bye bye millennial pink!
3. Plaid and more plaid. A “carry over” trend we started to see blossom last year with the rise of the 80s powersuit and plaid “workwear.” It was no stranger to this years F/W 2018 season and I’m so glad. One of the many trends that’s easy to pull off and instantly gives me the blend of sophisticated and cool I tend to desire.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Traffic is the WORST. I thought LA was the city known for traffic but it took ages to get anywhere in NYC. Yes yes, I could’ve taken the subway but with all the other things on my plate it just seemed so much less stressful to cab around than find the right line to ride…. however, NOPE. Because when I was sitting in a traffic jam praying I don’t miss a show, tensions were running high.
2. Taking time for myself was super important, and needed more of it! For me that meant grabbing a drink at a near by bar after the show, momentarily ditching my obligations with friends. It’s my quickest and easiest way to relax. Plus I can be on my phone in public, while drinking, and it be excused because “she’s alone” hahaha. (Best believe I was catching up on uploading all the stories 🤫). No but really, I found it so important to take personal time and process the shows, the entire day in fact, because the hamster wheel never stops.
3. Don’t beat myself up for the small mistakes, celebrate the wins!! I missed a few shows, didn’t get enough sleep, got behind on my work — the list goes on! That’s NYFW for ya! A constant catch-up game of stress but I realized halfway through, it doesn’t have to be. There was tons to celebrate (even the fact that I was there at all)! I learned to be proud of my NYFW accomplishments, all my hard work leading up to the week was paying off and so I had the wrong address and missed a show? I’ll live. But I’m a better person for these “low” experiences.

All in all – I HAD SUCH A GREAT NYFW!!!! I wouldn’t go back in time and change a thing. Every moment, every unexpected experience and every connection made with a stranger, was meant to happen. I’m going to def crush it even harder next time around. 😎👊

I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about New York and fashion week if you comment below!!