NYFW Part 1 — A Recap, Photos, and Backstage Interview

Happy Thursday guys!

I hope you're having an amazing week! We're almost to Friday, and I'm excited because Ross and I are going to go on a fun date (still tbd but I'm itching to go to a vineyard/winery! nothing like being outside in the beautiful fall weather while enjoying a good red wine and conversation!)! I have hardly seen him, let alone actually spent time with him since the 2 days he came up for fashion week with how busy things have been. I'm really excited to spend some time together and actually catch up! And hopefully take some time to relax and not work!

Before I forgot too much of the amazingness that fashion week was, I wanted to get a recap up for you guys as well as share some tips/tricks for those of you planning to come back in the spring or next fall! In this post, I'll be sharing a some of the highlights from my time at fashion week: shows, events, and connecting with friends/eating food. In part 2, I'll share some things that either I wish I knew before fashion week, or I already knew to do and found super helpful!

I feel so, so incredibly blessed to have been able to be a part of this Fashion Week. I don't know if you guys know, but growing up, I absolutely loved fashion and wanted so badly to be in the industry, as a designer, stylist, model, something... One of my biggest dreams was to go to a fashion show, so when I say that attending NYFW was a dream come true for me, it literally was. It was so magical to be there in person and to see the amazingly creative and artistic productions that the shows were, and then on top of that to connect with so many great people. I'm very grateful to be able to be doing what I love!

SHOWS

I know a lot of people say they prefer to attend events or parties over shows, but the shows were one of my favorite parts of the week! Maybe it's because I'm such an artist/creative and I actually wanted to be a designer (still do!), but I found the presentations just fascinating! And of course loved the clothes and seeing what trends will be popping up next spring/summer! I went to about 6 shows, and felt like it was fairly doable. I'll probably stick to around that number next time, as the events are important to attend as well, and it seemed like a good balance between the two!

One of the highlights of the week was getting to borrow and wear designer pieces. Wearing a designer to their show is not something you have to do, but it shows respect to the designer and it is such an honor when they invite you to pull a piece or two from one of their recent collections to wear. I loved wearing one of Vivienne Hu's SS17 dresses to her show, although it was hard to choose as there were so many gorgeous options! I ended up choosing this one because I loved the dramatic hemline and unique color.

New York Fashion Week - Vivienne Hu, Lagos, Valentino Red, Gucci

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I also loved getting to wear so many beautiful pieces from the new Lagos gold collection, as well as this stunning silk top from Chafor:

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Another highlight was getting to go backstage and meet the brand director of Cho Cheng, Alex Barlow. She was so kind to answer a few questions for me, which I'll write out below! It was so neat to learn more about Cho and the inspiration and meanings behind his creative choices. These are a few of my favorite looks from his collection:

Q: What was the main inspiration behind this collection?

A: Late 1940s/1950s Hollywood; cinema was a huge reference point. After the war there was a shift from a very serious tone to something more joyful. In history, that is around when a lot of color came in & the silhouettes changed. Cho is very romantic in the way he designs and pulls from his reference points, but there is also a big emphasis on looking at how to translate that into a modern collection.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the materials used?

A: Cho has a portfolio of signature fabrics that he often turns to. He is very passionate about sustainability, so his entire collection is very eco-aware, so a lot of his fabrics you will see season after season, but reworked different ways with different colors. He used different weights of tweed (although not really tweed as we know it, as it's much lighter) and knitwear in this collection, all more of a summer weight.

Q: Can you tell us more about the cuffs and crepe-like accessories?

A: In line with Cho's eco-friendly approach, there are no hardware on his pieces; no zips or buckles or anything. His pieces are very soft and sculptural, there is no hardness. In light of that, he is not a massive fan of jewelry. The cuffs are a way of obtaining the feel of jewelry while maintaining the softness and the sculpture. They're actually hundreds of hand-sewn silk petals, which he uses as jewelry and even incorporates into the pieces.

(Thank you, Alex Barlow and HvM!)

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It was also really neat to see and meet different celebrities at the shows, as well as to snap a photo with a few! It's amazing how many different people gather at these shows for all sorts of reasons.

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I also met some lovely people that were great to connect with at the shows, including these gorgeous ladies!

Marisa (@sweetnewyork), India (@indadebeaufort), Michaell (@thevanillaplum)

EVENTS

I also loved the events I was invited to! From rooftop hangs to gifting suites to super lit clubs, events were usually filled with lots of great conversations, yummy food and drinks, and really neat displays or technology. The Samsung event I attended Friday night was incredibly fun, as we got to test out some of their newest technology, including submerging their phone in water - crazy! I also enjoyed the Reward Style events. It was so neat to meet the people behind the Like to Know it page as well as those who email me on a regular basis! I also enjoyed connecting with some lovely girls I already knew on Instagram! It was so special to get to chat in person, and I can't wait to see them again now. It's so neat knowing that I have friends all over the world! Here are a few that I was able to snap pics at:

Mireille (@city.peach) with Emily, one of the super stylish RS girls!

New York Fashion Week - Reward Style Event

LOVED meeting Victoria (@vlaxerg) and Peyton (@peyton.baxter) in person!

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I also loved seeing my entrepreneur girl-boss friend Shirley (@shirley) at a gorgeous roof-top event she hosted for her app Muses. It was great catching up with her and meeting some other lovely bloggers! If you don't know about her app and are a blogger looking to connect with other bloggers or brands, you should definitely check it out!

New York Fashion Week - Muses Rooftop Event

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This event got major perks for having a cocktail with a macaron as a garnish!

And the Studio at Trachtenberg was yet another amazingly fun event. I got my hair and lashes done, learned about some amazing brands, and left with an overflowing bag of goodies from their generous team! I also tried an amazing dessert called 'raindrop cake' which I was going to share a photo of, but forgot to take one! Definitely look it up though; it's delish!

New York Fashion Week - Trachtenberg The Studio Event

FRIENDS and FOOD

One of my favorite parts of NYC was quality time with friends and discovering great food & restaurants! Laura (@thelolacolumn) and Allison (@chicbyalisonrose) are amazing friends from Philly who cam up for a few days, and having them to attend events and shows with for a few days was just the best! I also got to spend a few days with Ricky (@rickygisss) and Camilla (@ma.pina), Insta-friends who came all the way from Italy! They were so sweet and it was wonderful getting to know them! Ricky was actually one of the bachelors from the Italian version of the TV show, and Camilla is the girl that won! They were seriously too cute together.

New York Fashion Week - Berniek, David Burke Kitchen, Ricky Gisando, Camila Mangiapelo

New York Fashion Week - Ricky Gismondi Camilla Mangiapella

I ended up eating out a few times with these guys, and the food and wine at all of the places were just amazing!

I also can't neglect one of the other highlights of the trip, which was when my sweet husband came up for two nights! He was so sweet to do a few photoshoots with me and we had the best of dates at what still ranks as my favorite NYC restaurant: Benoit NYC. Talk about good food and wine... I ate an entire cheese board all by myself as it was just that delicious! They also serve these amazing mi cheese filled croissants that are heavenly. The place itself is located off of 5th avenue and you feel like you're walking into an elegant dinning room on the titanic when they take you back to your table.

Some other places I loved eating/drinking were:

David Burke's Kitchen

Cha Cha Matcha (above) The Clam (below)

And there are so many more things I wish I had captured! But this post is about a mile long, so I'm going to wrap up here! Stay tuned for part 2, where I'll be sharing some helpful tips for the next fashion week you attend!

Bisous,

Laurelle

NYFW Part 1 — A Recap, Photos, and Backstage Interview

SHOWS

EVENTS

FRIENDS and FOOD

NYFW Part 2 — 11 Hacks for A Great New York Fashion Week

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