As all of you know, we got back from our very first trip to NYFW two weeks ago. While we had such an amazing time, our first NYFW experience was full of learning experiences. From what we should have packed, to how we should have prepared, to where we should have stayed… and of course… it’s all here.
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What started out, to be completely honest, as a pipe dream, turned out to be one of the most memorable and rewarding trips ever! For us, attending fashion week was a goal we have both had since childhood – but for years it seemed completely unattainable. However, with the rise of the importance of influencers on the fashion industry, we figured it was now or never. So we did the unthinkable… and we booked two flights to JFK.
Keep in mind, when we did this… we had no no place to stay, we had zero invites to any shows, and we had no idea what we were doing. However, after doing a ton of research, and working our booties off, we ended up getting invited to around 16 shows and presentations. Not bad right?
So here’s how we did it…
1.) Start contacting PR companies and brands a month ahead of time, and make sure your letters are well researched and thought out.
This is something we did well and something that we took a lot of pride in. Accordingly, we got into a lot of amazing shows and made some incredible relationships that we are SO thankful for. If you are a blogger aspiring to attend fashion week, make sure your emails are personal. We cannot stress this enough. Writing: “My name is_________ and I have _______ followers” – isn’t going to cut it. If you have any questions about this, or how we reached out, feel free to email us. We’re pretty much open books.
That being said… share contacts with your friends. Our friend Sarah (Sassy Red Lipstick) touched on this in her post yesterday. The group of girls we went with all shared contacts in the weeks leading up to fashion week. Supporting other women can ONLY help you. We can’t speak to this enough. With the competitive nature of blogging, it’s important to remember that there will always be enough fashion for all of us.
Lastly, stay organized. We had spreadsheets for everything. We started out by making spreadsheets of the show schedules, the PR contacts, and if we had emailed them or not. Then once the invites started pouring in, we had another spreadsheet of the times and locations of the shows we were attending. That way, we never double booked ourselves. Once all of the pieces started falling into place, we made an actual document of our schedule for each day. This was so detailed that we even had coffee breaks and outfit changes scheduled in. But it helped — there was no searching our email to try and find the address to put into Uber. It was all right there in our purses the entire time.
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2.) Pack ahead – and pack smart.
So, we thought we did this, but we really didn’t. When we packed for NYFW we knew we’d be shooting with photographers, as well as attending shows. Either way, it made sense to us to pack for the fall – we figured we should be wearing fall trends. Right?!?
WRONG!!!
Ashley was getting her nails done the night before we left, and happened to run into Julia from Gal Meets Glam. It was the perfect opportunity for an NYFW virgin to ask a seasoned veteran for advice. She was beyond kind and gave us a ton of tips… including… “It will be HOT… pack for the weather… not the upcoming season.” So, even though we packed some fall trends, by day three we were both in flats and dresses. It ended up being 90 degrees and humid the whole time. So take it from us and Julia… pack for the weather… and wear whatever summer dresses and denim shorts you want to… everyone else is.
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3.) Along with that last one… if you can’t stand in your shoes for 8 hours… don’t even think about bringing them.
One of the biggest mistakes we made was bringing too many pairs of heels and uncomfortable shoes. This was a huge mistake. They might be the cutest pair of shoes in your closet, but if they’re not practical, don’t even think about it. In the end, Emily lived in her mules, and Ashley ended up wearing her FentyxPuma sandals everywhere she went. Also… bring flats and sole serum in your purse. If you have to wear the uncomfortable shoes… it’s nice to be able to switch into some Tieks and rub some sole serum on your feet in between shows. Trust us. We both did it.
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4.) Shoot on the first day.
Now, this is all about personal preference, but if you’re a blogger headed to fashion week – it might be a good idea to get all your photos done on the first day. When we go back, we fully intend on going a day early and doing this. First of all – that means you have EASY and timely content for the rest of your trip, and secondly it also means that you don’t have to worry about scheduling photographers into your already hectic schedules. On our third day, we took the photos you see highlighted in this post, and we had already run all over town. We were exhausted, and sadly we felt like hot messes. Thankfully, you can’t really tell… but if we could do it all over, we’d shoot on the first day.
Along with that last one… you don’t need hair and makeup. Ever.
We had hair and makeup come get us ready every single morning, and it was a total waste (other than getting to meet some really talented hair&makeup folks). We were kind of out of place at some of the shows…. everyone at fashion week was so casual and undone… and our hair and makeup didn’t matter at all. Ashley would have much rather worked out in the morning, and Emily would have loved to facetime with William. So, word to the wise, enjoy your mornings, save your money, and do your hair and makeup yourself.
5.) The weirder your outfits the better.
At NYFW there are street style photographers on every corner ready to snap photos of the latest “it” girls. If you want to stand out, and if you want to get noticed, your outfit had better be immaculate or weirder than weird.
6.) You will get one meal a day – make it a good one.
This was another tip we borrowed from Julia. Also, be sure to pack sustenance in your purse for those “I need something now” moments. There is water at every show, but food is hard to come by… especially because it is likely you’ll be running from show to show and appointment to appointment. On our first day there, we had to be at a salon for blowouts, then shoot with a photographer, followed by a show in Soho, followed by a presentation on the Upper East side. That schedule really didn’t leave us all that much time to eat – anything – until a very late dinner. Thank goodness Ashley was prepared with beef jerky sticks and RX bars, or I probably would have passed out. We also ate licorice in every single Uber ride — Emily’s pregnancy cravings really came in handy.
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7.) Stay in SoHo
We went back and forth SO many times about where to stay. We were using points so our options were somewhat limited. But now that we know where all the shows are, we will definitely be staying in SoHo next season. Which is a huge plus, because our favorite restaurants and shopping are already there!
8.) Don’t forget to have fun.
On our third day, we got so tired and worn out, that we kind of forgot we were there to enjoy ourselves and to appreciate all the hard work that goes into the shows. It didn’t take us long to snap out of it, but don’t make that same mistake. Fashion week is meant to be work, but it is also meant to be fun… so check yourself, enjoy it, and realize you’re watching history being written!!!
