New York Fashion Week – Everything You Need to Know For Your First Time

Whether you’re into fashion or not, you know about New York Fashion Week. Now have you ever thought about what to do or what to expect when and if you ever plan on going? Keep reading because I’m about to break it down for you! But of course, this may be  fairly relative as my experience may be different from someone else.

How to Prepare?

Ahhh this is the most tedious part and is usually broken down into three parts:

1. Find your partner(s) in crime – It’s more fun and worth it when you have company. Share ideas, coordinate and, of course, be each other’s biggest supporters.
2. Reaching out – Google is your best friend. Start searching before the official calendar even comes out. Most brands work with PR companies, so find them and email a short and direct pitch (stating who you are and why you’d like to make it to their show/event). Keep in mind, start pitching 2-3 weeks prior to the shows and follow up a week prior if needed.
3. Shop, make appointments – In a nutshell, start your preparation process in advance! Once the schedules starts filling up, schedule your shoots, meeting or even blow-outs around it. Keep commute time, weather and your looks in mind when planning.

What to wear?

Yes, my favorite!! Consider this your time to shine. Any crazy outfit you wanted to try, go all out. The crazier the better! That being said, do some research, know what the trends are – fabrics, patterns, footwear, color and/or fit that are making the cut. Use these as ingredients too cook up the perfect outfits. Some great references include Harper’s Bazaar, Who What Wear, Instyle etc.

Remember, there’s a lot of street style photographers hurdled outside the shows. So the more you stand out, you’re more likely to get photographed!

How to attend fashion shows?

First and foremost, download the GPS Radar App by Launchmetrics. This is your Fashion Week survival tool! The app assists you to find, schedule, send requests and RSVP for shows. It also helps you to know the current trends or news related to runways shows or events. However, not all shows are enlisted on the GPS Radar app. For the shows not listed on GPS, google the brand’s PR contact and send them a pitch email. Also, email other PR companies to check if they are hosting any shows or events that are not listed on the official schedule.

What happens after your receive your invites?

Ok so you got your invites, now what? And before you think ‘will I?’, don’t worry, you will. A lot of times you’ll find invitations rolling in the week prior. Make sure to RSVP as soon as you receive your invites. Only say ‘yes’ if you know for a fact you can make it, if not ‘no’ is better than being put in a naughty list. Do not over book- you don’t want to run around losing your mind. Yes, NYFW is about fashion – but don’t forget to enjoy and actually learn!

What about budgeting?

Yes, Fashion Week, and most importantly New York City, can get super expensive so it’s important to strategize.

Air Tickets:

Check out the official NYFW schedule way ahead of time and plan the dates of your travel accordingly. Get your tickets early before prices go up!

Accommodation:

Plan ahead! AirBnb and Hotels get booked fast, or the prices hike up nearing the actual date. So book early! Or if you get lucky, you might find a friend’s place to crash in. With accommodation, you want to focus on the location. I strongly recommend staying closer to the show venues. It will save you both time and money, since the days usually consist of time crunches and running around, while having to look good (all at the same time). As influencers, try to reach out to hotels offering them free social media and blog posts in exchange for free stay or discounted rates. While getting hotels to agree is harder during Fashion Week, it really never hurts to try. My friends and I were fortunate enough to receive accommodation at the W New York Hotel at Times Square, in exchange for social media posts.

Transportation:

Oh and how can I forget transportation. Lyft, Uber or Via are all life savers. But those little trips add up, trust me. I realized that, even though I had the Subway pass, I kept reverting to car services due to time limitations and ‘wanting to look pretty’ for the shows. So best advice to myself and anyone reading – comfy shoes and leave for venue way ahead of time. If your navigation says 10 minutes, head out 20 minutes before. It’s New York!

Shop my looks below: