How to Prepare for NYFW
The preparation to attend NYFW S/S 2020 required a lot of effort. I can only imagine what the process must be like for actual street style stars, celebrities, and those working in the fashion industry. I’ve summarized how I prepped to attend New York Fashion Week, including some tips for attending the shows. As a newbie blogger whose blog had not yet even launched, I thanked my lucky stars that I was even able to attend. When the invites started rolling in last minute, I knew I had a lot of work to do.
How to Prepare for NYFW: Essential Tips
First, How Can I Add Value?
Fortunately I had experienced various fashion weeks in other cities before as a model. I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. My background in the fashion industry and my MBA narrowed my perspective. I knew that everything I was about to see boiled down to one thing, and one thing only. These circuses called runway shows are marketing materials like any other, and the purpose is to make money.
With that in mind, I considered how I could be of value to the PR companies that had invited me to their client’s shows. I’m not an established street style star or blogger, and I’m definitely not a celebrity. All I could do was show up in a style that was authentic to who I am and represent myself. Armed with my iPhone and a portable charger, a fashion week must, I set out to document the shows. I figured inspiration about what to post would strike me when I saw the clothing. After all, that’s what I was being invited to do, create content about the shows and post it on social media.
Second, What to Wear?
My primary role as a suburban mom has me in uniform most days of the week, jeans, leggings, cozy sweatshirts. Fashion and style expression is one of my reasons for living, so I always have my eye on the current trends. I also tend to buy things when I like them because I know they will eventually come in handy. Who knows when a leopard print gown might be useful? Fortunately I had a couple items at the ready that I knew I could rework with new pieces. I had limited time to shop, so I placed orders at Nordstrom and Zara for some updated clothing. My schedule was also reworked so I could go into NYC a few hours earlier than necessary to do some last minute shopping.
Putting it All Together
I had a black leather miniskirt that would be current with the dark lace fall vibe that was on several runways, and ended up finding an amazing beaded top (see below) from Zara. One of the dresses I ordered, also from Zara, turned out to be a winner, a bright orange, on trend, midi length pleated dress. I’ll just put the disclaimer out now that I love to shop at Zara, and currently they do not have an affiliate program. That does not mean I won’t link products when I can. Will never hold out on you guys, and will do my best to share. Be warned though, items at Zara sell out fast. Some of their most popular pieces achieve cult status. They can occasionally can be found on preloved sites for three times the original price, they are so in demand!
Outfits should always be photographed in advance to see how they transfer to image. When planning fashion shoots and when styling outfits, the entire look is photographed as a document of all accessories and how clothing items are worn. This serves as a record of what shoes, belts, earrings etc. go with each look, and I did refer to it when I was getting ready for each show in NYC. It can be a lot to remember when there are so many outfits, and was an important step when I was prepping. This is a tip that can help if you’re traveling for work or formal affairs.
These earrings I picked up from Zara became cult favorites, and actually inspired a similar style on Amazon. You can’t buy the originals from Zara anymore, though here they are on Amazon. From what I read from the reviews, they seem like good quality. If I become aware they are available at Zara once again, I will let you know.
Pass and Fail
When I got to NYC, I did a quick shopping trip in Soho, where I was staying in Manhattan. Found a sexy, yet stylish, short faux leather dress in oxblood. I felt totally comfortable in it, and was a big hit on the day I wore it to the shows.
Also ordered some paperbag waist pants,and though I loved them, they did not fit me properly. I didn’t have time to try another size, so they went in the return pile. Glad I didn’t end up wearing them anyways because they were not special enough for NYFW. Super cute for other days though!
Balancing Family and Fashion
Last, though certainly not least, I had to make all the logistical arrangements to be in NYC as part of my prep to attend NYFW. My husband is amazing and supportive, so I knew he would pick up the slack where needed when I was away. We let our babysitter know we would need her. She was able to put in a few extra hours each day watching our two girls. I selected a hotel near Spring Studios, which is where many of the shows are held, and called to get a media rate.
It’s ALL About the Photos
Here’s a question for you, if it doesn’t get photographed, did it really even happen? For fashion week, the answer is no! I knew I needed to set up a street style photo shoot in order to document my looks, and also to get future content for my blog and Instagram. Fortunately, a girl I met on the ‘Gram posted in a FB group that she knew of a photographer that would take shots. To the tune of $225, a shoot was booked. My modeling background came in handy as I changed in my hotel lobby bathroom and banged out seven looks in an hour and a half. Content collected!
I was also psyched to be photographed by the street style photographers that hang out in front of the show venues, and plan to continue to keep in touch (see tip #2 below).
Tips for Attending NYFW
During NYFW the days can be long. They are either hectic, getting from one show to the next, or people are waiting around Pier 59 Studios or Spring Studios for the next show to start. Here are some tips for attending the shows and will help in prepping to attend NWFW.
- Bring a portable phone battery charger. You are on your phone with directions and social media so much, it will die quickly.
- Try to push yourself out of your comfort zone and be productive about connecting with other people.
- Three or four shows max in one day is probably enough so you can relax and not feel overwhelmed.
- You’ll probably be living on coffee. May want to stash a couple snack bars in your purse.
- If you’re a blogger, try calling hotels beforehand and see if you can get a media rate.
This article is about how to prepare for NYFW. For a round up of my final looks, please head to What I Wore to NYFW s/s 20.
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