Thinking back to middle school and high school, I always dreamt about attending NYFW. I never knew how I would get there, but I knew I wanted to take part of the hustle and bustle. Flash forward to 2019, as I had the opportunity to make my 6th grade self beyond proud.
It’s crazy to think that blogging or being an influencer was not around when I was dreaming about New York Fashion Week 10+ years ago. And now influencers are taking the advertising world by storm. A form of media that used to not be a part of brands marketing strategies, is now taking up a lump sum of their digital dollars. And let me tell ya, influencers work, and it’s how I was able to attend New York Fashion Week.
Let me walk you through what our not so glamorous days consisted of. And when I mean not so glamorous, I really mean not glamorous at all. LOL. Yes, we had the opportunity to be in NYC, shoot pics in super cute locations, wear countless outfits, attend a fashion show, etc. but it was far from glamorous and a lot of work.
Thursday
Audrey and I arrived to NYC Thursday afternoon and from the airport we immediately went to our hotel to check in. Thursday night we got to attend the Tula event for their new Rose Glow Eye Balm. Those of you who have been around for a while, know I love my Tula products, so I was super pumped for this event.
Immediately after the Tula party, we headed back to the hotel to change for the Victoria Secret Bombshell event. I definitely did not feel cool enough to be at the VS party, as their were tons of celebs and models. No worries though, I lived my best life drinking champagne at the rooftop bar π
After the VS party we were starving! The late night called for a pizza run. I honestly could not tell you where we ate pizza at, but I do know it was delicious NYC pizza and they had ranch. Major brownie points. HA.
Friday
Friday morning we were up and at them extremely early for a day full of meetings. In order to secure brand meetings, I had reached out to brands I work with on a monthly basis, about a month or so in advance. We got to meet with some of the top brands in beauty and fashion and discuss new product launches, how influencer marketing is working, etc. Friday was honestly my favorite day of the trip, as I lovvvved meeting the brands I work with and finally got to put faces to names.
So who did we meet with? Shopbop, Tula, Alison Brod PR, Kendra Scott, Willow & Marc Fisher.
We ended the day of meetings with a big glass of red wine & Italian food at Giano. It was decadent and I highly recommend trying the tiramisu for dessert!
Saturday
Saturday morning we woke up pretty early, as we knew we wanted to shoot a bunch of outfits and content. After shooting, we headed to brunch at Old Rose at The Jane Hotel. So stinking cute & extremely Instagrammable!
After brunch, we headed to my first fashion presentation (ever) with Rebecca Minkoff. I felt like I was in the living movie of Devil Wears Prada and loved every second of it. The presentation was incredibly creative and thought out. Rebecca Minkoff has always been one of my favorite designers so it was a super cool experience.
After Rebecca Minkoff, we were supposed to head to another show, but we may or may not have gotten a tad lost. BUT it worked out because we got to go to Restoration Hardware for a $23 glass of wine (lol at that)! The view from RH is incredible and the restaurant is beyond beautiful.
After sipping that expensive glass of cab, we ended the night and trip with dinner at Catch. I had dined at Catch LA before and loved it, so was super excited to get to eat at the NYC location. Such good seafood & sushi! We all just ordered a bunch of apps/sushi rolls and indulged in one too many glasses of wine. Be sure to make reservations in advance (we got lucky & sat in the bar area, but the restaurant is typically packed).
Annnnd voila! That was our three days there in a nutshell!
To sum it up, if you are a gal that has dreamt of attending NYFW, then do it. Anyone can go, you just have to plug away at pitching yourself to brands, PR firms and designers. Make it happen, sista! Just budget wisely, be prepared for lots of Ubers, get as many meetings as you can, and make sure you are rooming with girls you will enjoy being around in a tiny hotel room (I did and it made the trip that much sweeter).
I will now be counting down until next years NYFW. One of the best and most inspiring trips I have ever been on and I cannot wait to do it all over again.
All of my outfit details from the trip are linked below. Let me know if you have any questions!