My First New York Fashion Week: How I got Tickets, Outfit Round-Up, & More

What’s up guys! As I start this post I’m sitting in the Denver airport during a layover on my way home from my first New York Fashion Week. I couldn’t be more excited to give you guys the complete low-down on NYFW and everything it entailed!

I got a ton of questions about fashion week so in this post I’ll be sharing tips on everything from the planning process to the week itself! How I was able to go, my budgeting plan, how I got invited to shows, the details on my outfits, and more! AND coming very soon will be a separate blog post with everything else we did while in NY (coffee shops, cute neighborhoods, bars, you get the idea).

Planning for NYFW

New York Fashion Week is essentially a week-long event packed full of fashion runway shows and presentations, parties, and other events that are held throughout the city. There are huge brands/designers (think Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Anna Sui, etc.) but there are also smaller, up-and-coming ones that participate. The September NYFW is when they showcase their collections for spring/summer of the next year.

I only started my blog in June of 2017… I never thought I’d be headed to a fashion week so soon. BUT no matter how large of a following you have, you technically CAN go to NYFW!

The number of shows and events you attend typically depends on your following/connections, but no matter what it’s a great time to network with other like-minded individuals and meet the people you follow on Instagram. 🙂 I was able to meet a few of my faves on IG including Kemper and Isabella and that alone made my week!

How/When I Decided to go

One of my best friends from college, Talia (who you saw a lot of if you followed my trip on IG), is a blogger based in LA. Around March of this year we started talking about how great it would be to experience NYFW together. After thinking more seriously about it, we booked our flights the first week of July. We had no idea what the trip would look like at that point, or if we’d even be invited to any events. We just found reasonably priced flights (around $400 round-trip via Southwest) and decided to go for it.

Where we Stayed

Again, if you follow me on IG, you might know this story. Our initial plan was to stay in an AirBnB. We thought we were good to go and the place was really cute so we were stoked. BUT fast forward to 6 days before we were leaving for NY and our host cancelled on us. Had no idea that was possible, but apparently it is. We quickly booked another one and just our luck – that one cancelled too.

Those next 24 hours were madness. Tal and I researched a jillion hotels and reached out asking if they had any space and offered any sort of media rate for bloggers in exchange for social media coverage.

30-ish emails/Instagram DMs later, we got a response from just THREE hotels. It was Labor Day Weekend at that time so we were really pushing our luck. Two of them were completely out of our budget, even with the discounted rate, and the social media expectations were crazy. Then, finally, Life Hotel Nomad, the cutest boutique hotel in Midtown, came to the rescue and gave us an amazing deal. This just goes to show that with stuff like this, hard work really pays off.

SHOP THE LOOK: TOP | SHORTS | SHOES

 

Life Hotel was all we could ask for in a hotel and more… WAY better than our AirBnB was going to be. The bed was extremely comfortable, the decor was cute, we had our own spacious bathroom, and there was even a trendy new bar/restaurant downstairs in the lobby – Henry. As Tal would say, it was ‘popping’ every night when we came back to the hotel haha. One night we grabbed drinks there and they were really tasty! The building has a cute history, too – it was once the headquarters for LIFE Magazine!

Budgeting for the Trip

Other than your flight and a place to stay, keep in mind the money you’ll spend on food, transportation, and any shopping you might do.

Personally I set aside a certain amount of money for each category and made sure I stayed within that if at all possible. We decided to stick with Ubers & Lyfts being that the subway is a little hot and sticky at this time of year and it can also take longer with transfers and whatnot. This cost doesn’t get too out of hand if you’re willing to do a bit of walking and have someone to split the cost with!

Getting Invites to Shows & Events

If you’re a somewhat smaller blogger like me, your best bet is to reach out to as many PR companies as possible several weeks beforehand to request an invitation. Modem typically has a list of a lot of these contacts that you can access for free – at least for smaller brands/designers. You can sometimes also have luck finding contacts on sites like LinkedIn. And talk to your blogger friends! They may be willing to put you in touch with their contacts. (Shoutout to my girl Morgan for helping me out with this this year)!

Talia and I ended up getting invited to about 10 shows (not a lot but it’s something!). That said, not every show is one that you’re going to want to go to, so be sure to research the designer(s) and see if you’re interested before you RSVP.

We went to three shows and really enjoyed all of them: the Fashion Palette Australian Group Show (my favorites out of the group were Saski Collection by Tammy Hembrow and Elliatt), an Oxford Fashion Studio Collection Group Show, & Nonie (which Meghan Markle was seen wearing recently!).

A Few Tips on Shows

• Get there about 20 minutes early if possible. We almost didn’t get into the Nonie show even though we were 10 minutes early… it can be so chaotic!
• Bring protein bars in your purse in case you have a crazy busy day.
• Most of the tickets are sent through an app called GPS Radar, so be sure to apply for that at lease a month or so ahead of time.

When it comes to events (happy hours, brunches, gifting suites, etc.), these are a bit trickier. You typically have to have a previously established relationship with the brand or company in order to be invited, or be someone’s +1.

Bollare Urban Jungle Styling Suite

We went to the cutest meeting at Bollare‘s office (a great PR firm that both Tal and I work with) where we were able to choose pieces from some of the brands they represent. It was also a great opportunity to meet other bloggers!

So fun running into my Seattle babes Karlie and Bre when we were there!

Lulu’s Style Studio

This was another event that definitely stands out as a highlight from the week. Lulus is one of my favorite places to shop online and a brand I’ve been working with continuously for awhile now! They threw this killer party for the influencers they work with complete with cocktails, food, goodie bags, a DJ, and of course plenty of photo-ops.

All Things Fashion

Obviously the biggest part of NYFW is, well, the fashion. Yes it is so fun seeing the collections at the shows… but to be honest I find it even more fun checking out what everyone else attending the events is wearing. Being surrounded by so many fashion-forward people is really inspiring!

Trends I Saw Left & Right

• Blazers of all types: matching sets, blazer dresses, etc. A lot of girls were wearing just a bralette underneath and it actually looked really cute – see what I mean here & here.
• Chunky sneakers. This dad shoe thing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon haha but I love because… COMFY! Check out a few of my favorites here and here.
• Nuetral colors! I saw quite a few people rocking white (yes after Labor Day), brown, grey, black, and blue.
• At the shows there was a lot of silk/satin, flowy chiffon, and ruched fabric (check the Nonie Instagram here for examples).

Round-Up of My Outfits

I started thinking about my outfits about a month before the trip. If you’re a blogger, I’d recommend reaching out to some brands to see if they’re interested in collaborating on a look or two. You’ll save some money if you do it this way instead of buying everything.

I brought a couple looks for each day (1-2 statement type looks and one casual) and it worked out perfectly. I was able to to fit everything into one large suitcase I checked, one carry-on suitcase, and a backpack. I had more than enough clothes and even had space to bring things I got there home with me!

The clothes I brought were mainly from these retailers: Pretty Little Thing (great for formal options at great prices), Zara (trendy pieces to wear to shows), Lulus (fun going out options), Topshop, and Nordstrom.

Flowy Dress + Booties for Daytime Events

SHOP THE LOOK: DRESS | PURSE | BOOTIES

 

Classic Black Jumpsuits for a Night with Lulus

SHOP THE LOOKS: MY JUMPSUIT | TAL’S JUMPSUIT

 

Leopard Print in East Village

SHOP THE LOOK: TOP | PANTS (SIMILAR) | BELT (SIMILAR) | BOOTS | PURSE

 

Blazer Dress for a Runway Show

SHOP THE LOOK: DRESS , ALTERNATIVE | EARRINGS | NECKLACES

 

Street Style in SoHo

SHOP THE LOOK: BLOUSE (SIMILAR) | JACKET | PANTS | SHOES

 

Summer to Fall Vibes

SHOP THE LOOK: LONG-SLEEVE | DRESS | BOOTIES | PURSE

 

Casual in Central Park

SHOP THE LOOK: BODYSUIT | JEANS | BOOTS | PURSE | BRACELET

 

Black & Gold in the Rain: In Collaboration with Tessora, Photos by Alice Gherasim

SHOP THE LOOKS: MY JUMPSUIT | TAL’S DRESS

 

Fall Feels: In Collaboration with PacSun, Photos by Alice Gherasim

SHOP THE LOOKS: MY SWEATER | MY JEANS | TAL’S TOP | TAL’S SKIRT

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Thank you so much for checking out this post! Hopefully I answered your NYFW questions. If not, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at autumnsorelleblog@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram. I will definitely get back to you when I get the chance. 🙂 I know how many questions I had just 6 months ago (and still have) so trust me I get it!

ALSO stay tuned for that second NY blog post where I’ll be sharing allllll the deets on the restaurants and bars we went to, neighborhoods we explored, and more.

XO Sorelle