After experiencing my first NYFW I wanted to round up some of the most important take aways, and share them with you all! These are my own opinion and I’m sure others have found certain things might be more streamline, but this is what worked for me, and what I learned from my first NYFW!
Take the subway. I say this because you get everywhere so much faster! – Not to mention it’s only $2.50 a trip. Yes, taxis require less walking, but if you aren’t staying close by to the venues this can definitely make a huge dent in your budget!
Wear comfortable shoes. Manhattan requires a lot of walking and you will be on your feet all day. Do yourself, and you feet a favor by wearing comfortable shoes! I rarely saw people in heels at the shows, seriously! If you really want to bring heels for the evening parties, that’s totally cool, but if you are thinking you need to wear heels to everything to fit in, I promise that is not necessary!
Be aware of your time, distance between locations, and Lyft. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time between shows to actually get to the shows. Manhattan traffic is very unique in that something 3 miles away can take like 20 minutes or more to get to. If there is less than 30 minutes to an hour between shows, I would recommend only selecting of the two to attend. As for Lyft, we were almost late to a show and our flight home because of Lyft. It is just too unpredictable! If you have a timed schedule, don’t rely on this from of transportation.
Arrive to the shows 30 minutes early…at least! So this is how I was able to sit at all of the shows I attended (if I wasn’t already assigned a seat.) When you arrive and check in you find out your seating assignment, or if you are standing. Priority standing means you do not have a seat assigned, but doesn’t mean you won’t have the opportunity to sit. Many people do not attend shows they are invited to, because of this seats are left empty. If you are “priority standing” you are the first in line to fill those seats! I was fortunate enough to get seating at every show I was not previously assigned seating to because of this, only because I arrived early! Before shows begin you have to line up outside the door. Obviously the first in line are the first to enter, therefore you get the best options available for standing or leftover seats. This year I was blessed with front row for 3 shows, and the others was able to get a seat based on entry. Seats mean swag bags, and prime viewing space for the shows! The early bird gets the worm!!
Pack snacks – water will be provided. Pack as many granola and protein bars in your bag as you can because food will be the last thing on your agenda! Don’t waste precious real estate in your bag with water because it will be at every show. Seriously, they keep you hydrated! Complimentary water bottles were provided at every shows lounge area. No need to lug that around!
Be courageous with your fashion, and try new things. I played it pretty safe with a few of my looks and pushed my comfort zone on only 2, and found I enjoyed those 2 looks the best! Next year I will definitely be braver to push outside of the box and wear whatever I want to because fashion week is all about pushing the envelope, and fashion from all genres!
Don’t accept more than 3 shows a day. I say this because more than 3 gets super overwhelming as the shows may not be close together…you may want to change clothes, and at some point you are going to want to eat. With more than 3 shows on your schedule for a day; after parties, wardrobe changes, meetings and food are not going to be possible.
Additional tips
Don’t fear about not getting into any shows! This is something I was really worried about. I was terrified I would not get any invitations! They will come, but you have to do the legwork! That means find out the show dates once available, find out the PR companies partnering with those shows, and reach out! There is no harm in sending an email, if they aren’t the right contact, chances are they will point you in the right direction.
Join Style Collective. If you are a blogger I highly recommend joining Style Collective! This is an amazing platform to learn how to be successful in the blogging world! They also set up a forum for NYFW where you could share insight with other girls attending, find a roomie, and best of all, they can get you invites to shows as well! On top of that, they show you just how to pitch to other companies so you can have the best experience possible! Plus they threw an amazing NYFW party! There are so many other reasons I recommend Style Collective, but for NYFW specifically, these are the reasons! 🙂
Reach out to shows 3 weeks out and follow up at 2 weeks. This may sound super last minute, but this is the window to get responses and acceptances. Before this timeframe the reps may not know the seating, venue, or even how many people they can extend invites to.
Reach out to partnering brands for clothing and accessory partnerships 1 month to 2 months out. I was late on this aspect this year, but know for next year to reach out early for collaborations.
How much did I spend?
The big question…how much was the trip to NYC, NYFW, the hotel, food, transportation?
- Flights: 250
- Hotel: 690
- Transportation and Food: 290
- NYFW events and Afterparties: Complimentary
*Prices are reflective for 2 people.
The reason transportation and food was not very expensive is we took the subway and only had time to eat street food for the majority of the trip. Also because dinners and drinks were always complimentary at afterparties. I hope this transparency shows that NYFW is not free, but at the same time, is more affordable than you might think. Rooming with someone reduces the expenses dramatically and it also helps to have someone to share this amazing experience with. 🙂
I hope you have found these tips helpful! I really enjoyed my first NYFW and cannot wait for next year! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I’d love to answer!
