New York Fashion Week: SS19

Welcome back, Style Kat!

Ahh, New York Fashion Week. One of my favorite events to attend. Being engulfed in and surrounded by fashion, is fulfilling, for me. There were trends that I was excited to see and one amazing show that I was able to experience with my besties.

A lot of you asked me to recap what my experience was like and offer any tips that I can share that can help you in the future, if you’re interested in attending NYFW one day. I’m not on any expert level YET, but I’m starting to get the hang of it.

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My good sis, Diamond and I, attended Sep. fashion week together. I had been waiting to hear back about an internship (which I didn’t get, but that’s okay! One “no” can’t stop the show!) and I knew that if I didn’t get the internship, then I wanted to go with her to New York. I’m a “planner”. I didn’t have time to keep waiting and waiting on a response, so we booked our flights and hotels while the prices were still (relatively) reasonable and began to plan our agenda.

We arrived to New York on Fri. Sep. 6 and departed on Mon. Sep 9. If Diamond and I could’ve changed anything about our trip it would be that we would’ve stayed for the duration of NYFW. Our trip felt very short and rushed because the two of us had to return to work and I had to be in class. #Tragic. However, knowing that our time was limited, we made the most of our trip.

Serving Looks

As you know, we couldn’t attend NYFW half-stepping. We had to have our wardrobe on point. This was Diamond and I’s second fashion week (we both went in Feb. during different dates), but our first time going together.

Before we arrived in NY, Diamond and I spent time planning our “ultimate outfits” that we would wear on a day where we would be visiting a lot of places. Now, because we had so many last minute plans, we didn’t indulge in any real action until Sun. Sep. 8.

I found this brand on Instagram called Bazarapagne, and after some sleuthing, I saw this gorgeous piece on their website. I knew that I had to wear it and shut the city down. I paired this dress with black heels from Aldo, statement earrings from Zara and my favorite spherical-gold-caged purse from ASOS.

Dimond allowed me to style her pop-out look as well. Her style is very feminine, refined, classy and chic. I saw this cute, hot-pink tulle dress from iKrush that I envisioned her wearing. We agreed to cut off the bow to give it a more “mature” look, added a pair of statement studs from Aldo, transparent pumps and a vibrant greenish/yellowish suede clutch from Mango.

Here are some pictures that were captured of us during our trip leading up to our show-stopping outfits.

A “Casual” Slay:

Pop-OUT, Honey:

Hustling and Bustling

We visited a lot of cool places like Chillhouse, where Diamond got her manicure and NoMo SoHo Kitchen where we met up with our boss-friend, Jakeria G. and legendary photographer, Tre Crews for a delicious meal. If you’re ever in New York and you want to experience fine dining, check that place out. We ordered the lamb and it was divine.

Diamond and I linked up with Jakeria and attended the Levi’s denim event, hosted by Shopbop. Levi’s was giving away free, denim jackets for the first 100 people who showed up. Diamond and I arrived at least an hour or two early. As we were waiting inside of the pop-up shop for the denim event to start, we were told that we had to stand in line in order to get our jacket. By the time they told us, the Shopbop team had already given out wristbands to the first 100 people. Fortunately, Jakeria was one of the 100 and she got her jacket.

I’m glad one of us did!

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A Seat at the Fashion Show

As fun as our Shopbop experience was, we still hadn’t attended any fashion shows. Our dear friend, Dajah Dorn, (who was booking shows left and right) told us that she’d be walking for TLZ L’Femme (Kylie Jenner and other A-Listers have rocked her pieces) and invited us to come and see her rip the runway.

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After the Levi’s event, Jakeria, Diamond and I made our way over to Sony Hall, got our media passes and headed into the venue.

We met so many wonderful people, we sat front row, and we experienced witnessing Dajah living in her purpose. It was such an honor to watch her strut down that runway with the fierceness. She truly is a force and we loved seeing it.

Before we left New York, we made it our mission to attend a show and we are so fortunate to watch our fellow FAMUly (FAMU Family) in action. She is well on her way to becoming a household name.

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Tips and Takeaways:

Here are some tips for any of you who are interested in attending New York Fashion Week or simply want some pointers for how to plan a trip.

1. Plan in advance! We booked our flights and hotel a month in advance. If we could have done things differently, we would’ve made our arrangements at least 2-3 months in advance. Give yourself enough time to map out your objectives, because hotels are NOT cheap! Or, if you have any friends/family who live in NYC, ask them if they wouldn’t mind you staying with them. Save yourself all of the money you can.
2. Take advantage of the subway. Lyft/Uber rides will add up quickly. However, my friends in New York have suggested that I start learning the subway system in order to cut costs. Click here to learn more about it.
3. Check out shows that are open to the public. If you want to attend shows but you’re not in the “blogger-sphere” of big-time Instagrammer’s/social media personalities, RSVP to shows that are a little less “exclusive” to get into. Eventbrite had a lot of events and shows that were open to the public or sold tickets at a low cost. Don’t feel discouraged if you’re not sitting front-row at a mainstream show. You can always work your way there, and independent designers are always having shows during Fashion Week. Do some sleuthing and start pitching!
4. Pitch, pitch, pitch! Once you’ve figured out which shows you’d like to attend, begin pitching. Find the brand you’re interested in and reach out to their team for an invitation or request an RSVP. Frankly, you’ll either get accepted, ignored or hit with a “Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate your request at this time, but we appreciate your interest.” Do not feel discouraged.
5. Have fun and dress your best. Use your time to connect with other bloggers. Be humble and have genuine intentions when it comes to interacting and networking with the people that you meet. Try to take advantage of your time there and don’t sweat if you don’t hear back from a designer whose show you wanted to attend. There is always something to do in New York. Diamond and I wish that we could’ve attended a lot more shows/events, but our stay was very short, and we had to cram in a lot within a few days. However, we gained so much wisdom and met so many wonderful people that we look forward to seeing again when we go back.

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We had an amazing experience together. I felt like such a boss, taking on the streets of New York in style with one of my best friends. We are so blessed to have a network of people in our lives who want to see us win and vice-versa. We can’t wait to move up to New York and continue chasing our dreams.

I hope that this post inspires you to put yourself out there and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Pack up your best outfits, utilize your resources (YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Google, etc.) and figure out how to make the most out of your experience. I hope to see you at the next fashion week.

As always…

Keep on Stylin’
XOXO,