NYFW SS18: Recap

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

I have finally recovered from the hectic events of NYFW, and although they are a lot of fun to attend, man, are they tiring!

The whole week was such an amazing experience….getting invited to runway shows, brand parties, PR gifting suites, etc.

But one of the most valuable experiences for me was getting to network with other like-minded bloggers. Being new to this world of blogging, I had never met any other blogger girls in real life. I was really nervous beforehand, not knowing what to expect, so I tried to reach out to as many bloggers as I could on Instagram to try and meet up during the week.

While all were more than kind and eager to meet up, sometimes it just didn’t work out due to conflicting schedules, which I completely understand! But I will say, these events are a lot more fun if you go with friends (as you’ll see from my first day of NYFW, keep reading…)

I also had NO IDEA what to wear to these events, so I will be doing a recap of what to wear in a blog post soon to come.

NYFW-Tiffany & Co. Perfume Launch Party

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS18 Day 1:

I was invited to my first runway show for Pamella Roland, which was scheduled to start at 4:00pm. But I quickly realized why they say this week is so hectic because I MISSED the first show due to a huge traffic jam. Newbie mistake! I felt terrible since I was really excited to see Pamella Roland’s collection, but had I known what I learned later in the week (all shows run extremely late!) I probably could have made it in time. Oh well. Lesson learned. (I still feel horrible about missing this event, even 2 weeks later – I’m not the type to RSVP and then not show).

Later that night I attended the launch party for Tiffany & Co’s new perfume. I had tried emailing for a +1 to the event, but it had already filled up so there was no option but to go by myself.

Normally, I don’t have an issue attending a networking event by myself and mingling, but as soon as I got there I realized this was different. It was dark, there was a red carpet entrance, there was loud music & a free open bar. I literally felt like I was at a club by myself.

AKA, my worst nightmare.

But, I made the best of it, grabbed a champagne flute, and took a bunch of pics and vids (to make it seem like I was busy and there with a purpose, of course). You can catch more of my awkward encounters in my NYFW Vlog recap coming soon. (Once I figure out how to vlog, that is…) I look forward to getting it all figured out, who knows, maybe I can make a living out of it or at least have it as a side hustle. You can check out this post to see if it would be a good fit for you too!

But, note to self for remaining NYFW events: try to make friends to attend events with…

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW-Tiffany & Co. Perfume Launch Party

NYFW SS18 Day 2:

I had skipped the morning of shows on Thursday because I had some brand meetings scheduled, but I had a couple of meetings in the afternoon which turned out to be very important, too. I was invited to a PR gifting suite in Tribeca and got there around 3:45pm. This particular PR company reps the most amazing contemporary “trendy” brands, and I was really excited to see what the latest and greatest styles were in their collections.

As it turns out, there were so many cool brands there that I decided I needed to come back the next morning to have plenty of time to browse through everything (they were closing at 4 and I didn’t want to rush it). Plus, I had to be back up in the Flatiron area for an appointment at 4:30…see what I mean by hectic? You’re constantly going, walking, driving, cabbing it, to the next place, just to have a quick meeting and do it all over again. But, no complaints!

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

{{ shop my look }}

I then had a meeting with BaubleBar and it was so great to meet my rep in person. She showed me around the BaubleBar showroom, where they showcase all the new designs coming out for Fall, as well as some of the current best sellers.

I also met some other lovely ladies who were browsing the showroom at the same time I was. One of them started a conversation and asked me what my Instagram handle was, and from there we all started chatting.

This is when I first realized that it’s OK to say hi and talk to other bloggers who you meet and interact with during the day.

We’re all here for the same reason, and we all want to network and make new friends! And even though this was a brief interaction, it helped me understand what NYFW was really all about for a small blogger like myself.

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS18 Night 2:

Friday night I was invited by my friend Rachel from @withloveandstyle to attend the 29Rooms opening night party hosted by Refinery29. I honestly had no idea what I was in for, and it turned out to be a total celebrity studded event!

We actually got to walk the red carpet (WTF – I was SO not prepared for this!) along with celebs like Jake Gyllenhaal, Gaborey Sidibe, Rachel Bilson, Bella Thorne, Stacy London, that hot guy Josh from the show Younger (is anyone else obsessed with that show?!), and tons more. We also ran into fashion blogger Maria Vizuete from @miamiamine so it was cool to meet her in person, too.

The 29Rooms exhibit was truly one of the coolest events I’ve ever experienced. There were 29 separate installations, all developed by brands or individuals to showcase their unique take on a particular topic. Brands like Ulta, Aldo Shoes, Juicy Couture, Larabar, and Dunkin’ Donuts all had installations set up. Most of them were interactive, so it was kind of like an adult playground.

Rachel and I had so much fun roaming around, jumping in pillow beds, standing in a life size snow globe with Juicy Couture, and walking through a car wash (water not included)! You can see more of the fun we had in my vlog (and if you only want to check it out for this reason, I totally recommend it :))

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW / 29 Rooms September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS18 Day 3:

Friday was my most jam-packed day of the week, and I started the day planning to attend a runway show for a brand called Galtiscopio. I made my way over to the Dream Downtown, got there about 15 mins early, and waited in line for them to open the doors. This particular venue is very small, and although your ticket may say CONFIRMED, you are not guaranteed to get in if it fills up before you get to the door.

So, guess what. I didn’t get in! Runway show #2 on my agenda is also a miss.

At this point I felt completely incompetent, like what am I doing wrong here? Apparently at the smaller venues, you need to arrive at least 30 mins prior to showtime in order to have a better chance of getting in, and then be prepared to wait another 30 mins for them to open the doors.

Ok, so lesson #2 learned.

I was planning to meet up with some girls I had networked with on Instagram after the Galtiscopio show, so I waited outside the doors with some other bloggers who didn’t make it in either. And again, all the girls were very friendly and we exchanged IG handles and chatted about our experiences at NYFW so far. There is networking to be done everywhere, don’t be afraid to talk to people.

From there I made my way back to the PR gifting suite I didn’t have time to browse the day before. I spent a good hour and a half there (they had disco balls and free ice cream cones with glitter sprinkles, so yeahh), and I also met some more lovely blogging ladies who were all from LA. A few of us were already following each other on IG so it was fun to actually meet someone you’d been following a while in person.

I then headed to another runway show for 831MinhLe which was taking place over on the West side at Chelsea Piers (will I actually get to see some fashion this time?).

I got there nice and early and while in line I met a lovely woman from North Carolina whose daughter was modeling in the show. She showed me a picture of this gorgeous, tall creature and then proceeded to tell me it was her first show in NY and it was hard for her to come here all the time because she was a minor and only 15 years old. (I am legit scared for all the moms who have 15 year old daughters right now because I definitely do not remember anyone looking like that at 15. Yikes.)

I finally got to see a runway show in person and it was such a beautiful experience. From a designers perspective, I know how much work goes into building a cohesive collection, and to see it all come together is such a magical thing.

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

From there I took a cab back down to SoHo to meet with another PR agency for their gifting suite. They had the most beautiful grapefruit mimosas, complete with pink flowers & strawberries! So yum. And the bagel and cream cheese I had chosen from their spread pretty much saved my life that day. People aren’t joking when they say there’s no time to eat!

I again ran into the same group of girls who I had met at the other PR gifting suite earlier that day, so it was like “heyyy.” We took a few group shots on the rooftop patio overlooking the One World Trade Center which turned out so cute!

I had one last show at 6pm, in the same venue I had been shut out of earlier in the day, so I got there early to make sure I had a seat. The Cindy Monteiro show was beautiful, like tropical bohemian fairies with a streetstyle edge.

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS18 Day 4 & 5:

I took all of Saturday off for a family event, so I didn’t attend any shows that day. But my Sunday was again jam packed with activities.

I started with the Dan Liu show in the morning at 10am. Of course, by this time I had been getting used to all the shows starting 30+ minutes late, so I didn’t rush down to the Skylight Clarkson Square venue.

NOPE girl, try again.

This was the only show all week that actually started on time. After pleading with the security guard, he let me in to watch the show on the big screen. While I wasn’t overly impressed with this show, it did give me time to explore the Skylight Clarkson Square venue, because it was my first time there all week.

Inside they had a bunch of lounges and kiosks, from E! Entertainment, Tresseme hair, Papyrus cards, and Reebok. The place was swarming with fashionistas of all sorts, since this is the largest and most popular venue for NYFW shows to take place.

After the Dan Liu show let out, I met up with my friend Rachel from @withloveandstyle and our photographer @sanglui so we could finally shoot some looks before the week ended. We had a bunch of fun jumping in the middle of the street and doing our best to capture the NYC cabs in the background of our shots.

After a quick lunch around 2:30pm (my first actual meal all week), we headed back to Skylight Clarkson Square for the Leanne Marshall show. This was one of my favorite shows of the whole week. Gorgeous gowns in a stunning, bright color palette. I unfortunately didn’t get to take photos of any Leanne Marshall looks because I was busy doing my first Instagram Live so my audience could follow along. I only have 2 hands, people.

My last show of the day was at 9pm and, again, at Skylight Clarkson Square. The Jarel Zhang show was filled with booming energy and I loved his edgy, colorful outerwear designs.

NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS18 Day 6:

Monday was my last day of events, and I didn’t have a show until 2pm, which was great because I needed to catch up on some sleep.

Somehow I managed to score a front row seat at the Hakan Akkaya show. His designs were very edgy and athelsiure/bondage inspired, all done in a black and white palette. This was also the first show I’d seen with male models walking (as well as females), so it was cool to see something different…and the abs didn’t hurt.

My last event of the week was the Blogger & the Brand conference hosted by Ombre PR. I again met some nice blogging gals and got to network with the founder of Socialfly, which was a nice way to cap off my week.

And, PHEW, I’m exhausted just writing all this. All in all, it was an awesome experience and I am so glad I emerged out of my little world and pushed myself to attend.

I’m going to have tons more content to recap regarding NYFW (including outfit posts!), so be sure to subscribe to the Quartz & Leisure newsletter. I promise I won’t bombard you with countless daily emails (only about 1 or 2x a month).

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NYFW September 2017 - Quartz & Leisure

NYFW SS 18 Recap - Quartz & Leisure

 

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