You guys, I cant believe it! I just got home from my very first New York Fashion week! I have been dreaming of going to fashion week for years, and finally decided to pull the trigger this time around. Last year I started reaching out to a few brands and PR agencies, heard back from a few but didn’t feel like I had enough show invites to make the trip cross country. Then of course, they started flowing in week of which was way too late for me to book my flight. This time around I decided to book early and go for it. I am so glad I did! I still reached out to agencies and brands and was overwhelmed with responses. I was seriously in shock when I started to get invites. Reality finally set in… I was going to experience something I have been dreaming of forever!
OUTFIT DETAILS: BLAZER / SWEATER / DENIM (under $40) / BAG / HAT / BOOTS (my favorite and on sale!)
OUTFIT DETAILS: BOMBER JACKET/ DENIM / BELT / BAG / BOOTS / HAT
PRE FASHION WEEK:
While I did book my flight and hotel in advance I did not prepare my outfits with enough time! I’m not sure what happened, the week just crept up on me and then I started freaking out not knowing what to wear! I put a lot of pressure on myself because I really had no idea what to expect. I started ordering online with a week to spare and had to overnight mostly everything. GRR! When things started arriving I felt much better and felt like I had a good selection. Also to backtrack a bit, I did reach out to brands and agencies as I said and requested invites to shows. I heard back from a few, but it wasn’t until my follow up email a week prior (and even some week of) did I start to see invites. I felt SO relieved when more invites came in, as I wanted to get the full experience and go to as many shows as I could. So week of I printed a calendar and started to create my schedule.
WHAT I WORE:
I stayed true to myself and I am really happy I chose to do so. There were SOOO many crazy/cool/creative/interesting outfits and my style is more classic which I stuck with. I organized my outfits in advance which is the only way to do it! I changed maybe 3x a day which is a little excessive but it was fun! I wore this hat and booties NONSTOP. I also picked us this Theory blazer a few days before and I think it was one of my favorite purchases for the trip. Such a classic piece. I also packed a BUNCH of jackets as it was freezing the entire trip! Lots of faux fur, bombers, blazers you name it. I have 2 more outfits to share from the week in my next post.
THE SHOWS:
Ok you guys, I had NO IDEA what to expect when walking into my first show! My first day I ran all over town by myself from show to show and I had such a blast doing it and definitely got the hang of it after awhile. Stand in line to get in, scan a ticket, sit in your assigned set, (hopefully move up to front row if they need to fill seats), watch the show and onto the next! I captured all the shows I went to on my instagram stories which I saved for you to view! A few of my favorite shows included, Carlisle Collection, Leanne Marshall, Marcel Ostertag, Claudia Li and last but not least Marc Jacobs. I was so lucky to go backstage pre Marc Jacobs show as well which was an incredible experience to get the full picture of what goes on.
THE TRENDS:
A lot of hot pink and red, colorful plaids, capes, statement bows, lots of sequin, colorful animal print, and broad shoulders. Are you noticing a trend here? If you like the 80’s you’ll love whats headed to stores this Fall. Not to mention those tiny sunglasses were everywhere!! I’m not sure how I feel about them yet, what do you guys think?!
THE PEOPLE:
People watching was the BEST! I was in creative heaven. People do their thing which I admire and really get out of all types of comfort zones. Next year, I think I’m going to push the button a little more after all, its what fashion week if all about! Also, people were very into networking which I was pleasantly surprised. I met so many cool people, fellow bloggers, photographers and brands. Everyone told me not to compare myself to others, which I didn’t have a problem with as much as I thought. Everyone I met was so nice.
THE EXPERIENCE:
It may have been one of the best experiences in my life so far, and definitely in my career. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity and highly suggest you GO if you are even slightly thinking about it. Nothing compares to being live at a show and seeing beautiful designs walk down the runway in person. I felt so inspired and really in my creative element. I am definitely looking forward to next season now that I got my first time jitters out of the way!
WHAT I’VE LEARNED:
Bring 5 phone charges (really), go solo to shows so you can get the full effect and meet new people, and dont pass up a show just because its a small designer you’ve never heard of. I have SO much more to share regarding what I’ve learned which I will do in a separate post so stay tuned!
Ok sorry for the long post, there’s just so much to share!! If you have any questions about anything please send me a comment below! I’d love to hear your thoughts. As I’ve mentioned over and over, I am still beaming from such a cool week. I am also so glad that I got to take you all on the journey with me via social media. I am feeling so inspired and cant wait to get started on all of the blog ideas that fashion week has inspired me to share with you all. So much fun stuff to come!
Hope you have a great week! Dont forget to check my instagram for behind the scenes from all shows! xo
SHOP THE POST:
Donna Martella says
Jenna, I’ve been following you all through fashion week. So proud of you stepping out on your own. You are so classy and sassy and I love that in you. Did you hire a photog for NY? Cool. Love you and have to see you in person soon to hear all about it. Love ya.
jenna.pardini@gmail.com says
Cant wait to tell you about it in person! Love you! xo
Donna says
Let’s do dinner when we get back from mexico