Returning to New York Fashion Week + advice
The month of February was a whirlwind in the best way possible! I had the incredible opportunity to attend two different fashion weeks. First up, I went back to New York Fashion Week - and I’m going to talk about it all here!
Since I had such an incredible experience at last NYFW, I knew I would try anything I could to get back there. This time, I worked with two fantastic designers: Talia Leigh and Samina Mughal at two separate runway events.
@_talialeigh_ ‘s presentation was at the same venue that I had previously been to, The Angel Orensanz Foundation, during their Art Hearts Fashion (AHF) runway presentation. AHF hosts many runway shows each year in NY/LA/Miami. They feature a multitude of different designers from different countries each fashion season.
Working with Talia Leigh was such a wonderful experience! She and her team were so incredibly sweet, trusted me, and gave me a lot of creative freedom. Her collection featured a variety of vibrant colors and materials. The vibe was bold, yet relaxed and it was so great!
The other runway presentation I went to was @smglobalcatwalk . Fashion designer Samina Mughal (@saminamughal_official) leads a fashion show tour during each fashion week in cities like Paris, Milan, London, Dubai, Dallas, and New York. Each runway event highlights the collaborative efforts of different designers, artists, etc.
This event did not disappoint! Everyone I came in contact with was extremely friendly and helpful. The fellow members of the press were hilarious and fun to work with too! There were several collections, all with their own unique flare, which I found very interesting!
I am very blessed to say that I think New York Fashion Week will always be special to me. Each runway event is an entirely new experience. Each is very unique. Seeing so many designers, artists, and creatives coming together during such a grand event is truly inspiring and I would 10/10 recommend it to anyone curious!
general disclaimers & advice:
I definitely want to be as transparent as possible when I say that unfortunately on the press/media side, fashion weeks are typically pretty last minute - and that’s totally normal (so if you’re looking to plan in advance, the most time I’ve had before a runway show is around 3 weeks). However, don’t fret! That’s definitely more than enough time to plan/prepare/thrift or buy clothes/communicate with designers I promise!
Your outfit does not matter as much as you may think. For me, getting dressed up is super fun. I go thrifting for these events because I enjoy it. It’s fun for me. I love how unique pieces are at thrift stores. I personally love vintage thrift stores - I’ve found great pieces in great condition, while staying in my budget. But I know it’s not fun for everyone. If it stresses you out to find outfits - do not worry about it at all (a ton of press you will find wearing black anyways)! Finding “the perfect” outfit is a myth - nobody at these shows will have the perfect fit. Fashion week is all about expression, and however you express yourself through your clothes or whatever you feel confident in is what matters.
In the weeks leading up to fashion weeks, I begin my internet scours. I rely on Google for finding runway schedules. Most runway shows release a runway schedule a few weeks prior detailing what designers will be having presentations at what times/locations/days etc. I then reach out to the designers via Instagram dm and pitch myself from there.
Don’t be shy to reach out to designers!! I could reach out to 30-40 at a time and have roughly 2-5 respond and that’s totally normal! A ton of designers already have press teams established. However, it never hurts to ask and if you pitch yourself well, oftentimes they’ll ask you to reach back out in the future. I promise you as soon as you get over the “not wanting to look stupid” mentality, you will thrive (obviously be polite and professional but you already know that)!
If you don’t know anyone, you know yourself. This mentality has helped me a ton. There have been many situations I’ve been in where I felt “out of my league” or “out of place” being in the room with so many well-established people I didn’t know at big events. And while it can be intimidating at first, you know your abilities. My friends and family are always reminding me to believe in myself (I know it’s easier to say than do sometimes), but they’re absolutely right! Believe in yourself and believe that you’ll know how to deliver when the time comes. You’re here for a reason. You got this!!!
While I’m definitely not an expert or anything, if you’re interested in fashion week(s) and have any questions for me, or how to pitch yourself, I’m more than happy to help in any way I can! Any tidbit that I learn I try to share so you can thrive at the next fashion week!
