#NYFW: What to Expect at New York Fashion Week

What goes on a New York Fashion Week (NYFW)

Official Fashion Week Shows

This is the main attraction to New York every February and September! Well-known and up-and-coming designers get to show off their collections at one of the locations (this used to be sponsored by Mercedes Benz, but is now sponsored by Lexus). The shows are exclusive with an intimate audience of no more than 300 people, and sometimes as small as 100. Attendees sit on benches and watch as runway models help the collections come to life.

Street Style Photography

Collaborations and Meetings

Many influencers use their time in NY at meetings and doing collaborations. Meetings are when a brand and a blogger get together to discuss potential or ongoing partnership. While I am in NYC, I contact many of the showrooms and PR agencies that work with my favorite brands and meet them in person. When you meet with them in person, it helps them get to know you on a more personal level, which helps them to place you with more work and clients.

Fashion Presentations

While not as exciting as the runway shows, presentations still offer a cool, more subdued atmosphere to admire a designer’s collection. This is even more intimate than a show. Usually held in a warehouse or small showroom, there will either be models standing around the room, or mannequins placed in the clothing. These are great events if you want to meet and talk to the designer themselves. I went to the VERDAD Denim presentation and the Katie Gallagher Eclipse Collection presentation (be warned, her collection is NSFW).

Sample Sales

These are extremely fun to go to! My favorite this year was a vintage store sale! This is where retailers (or designers) get rid of extra merchandise. A few common myths: they only sell sample sizes and that the best ones are the known ones. Ask a fashionable local. They’ll point you in the direction of a less picked over sale.

Meet and Greets

Some of the celebrities, big bloggers, and influencers will host a get-together and allow fans to come and meet them! I didn’t personally go to any of them, but if I had been in NYC one night earlier, I would have gone to meet Danielle from We Wore What at What Goes Around Comes Around (the best vintage store ever).

Creative Inspiration

Just walking down the street in New York provides inspiration! There are fashionistas, wall art, homemade crafts for sell. You don’t want to blink, or you might miss it! This was one of my favorite characteristics of being in the big city: the fact that everyone knew how to be themselves without fear!

Industry Networking

Bring as many business cards as you can manage! I met people from the press across the world, a fashion magazine editor, bloggers I have been dying to meet and ones that became fast friends, designers, and business owners. This is one of the best reasons to head out to NYFW! It helps you to network and meet people that you can potentially partner with.

ShopStyle & rewardStyle Parties

The two biggest affiliate marketing companies that work with fashion bloggers both host parties at the Fashion Weeks. ShopStyle hosts their event as a Social House. RewardStyle hosts theirs on a rooftop! Both are great to meet new blogging friends! Both offer great swag bags. At the #SSSocialHouse, they let us rent clothing for the week. That is where I was able to get my (grubby little) hands on a Yumi Kim dress!

Press and Brand Parties

There were a couple press parties that I dragged my husband to with me. Brands often want to showcase their best and also make their parties worthy of sharing– so many of the parties are with great decor and endless drinks/snacks. Some are even exclusive!

Non-Sponsored New York Fashion Week Shows

This is for a lot of underground designers and those on the up and up. They may not be as well known as the big brands, but they sure have a lot of talent and creativity! If you want to be able to go to non-stop shows during the week, then Style Fashion Week is for you! Some of the up-and-coming designers will also host their own shows (without NYFW) to save money. These runways are in other venues across the city, and I’ve been able to see some of the coolest places because of them!