New York Fashion Week Etiquitte

The agent’s number one job is to fill the seats at the runway show. They want you there! The official Fashion Week sponsored by Lexus has about 5 agencies who organize a handful of designer shows. They secure the venue, the time slot, and they invite people to go. If you are invited to go, feel special! Shows often don’t have more than 200 people in attendance and this is a huge deal. Once you have RSVP’d, you have made a pretty strong commitment. If you show up late, or worse, no show, you are putting the agents in a bad spot. This causes them to work double time and scramble to fill your seat with another warm body. Emergencies happen, of course, but if you are caught in a pattern of not attending shows and not un-RSVPing yes, you will lose their trust. They will first start moving you back rows outside of the VIP area. If it continues to happen, you could potentially be “blacklisted”. They just want their lives and shows to go as smoothly as possible, and having reliable guests helps them with that.

An obvious one, right?! WRONG. The fashion industry is filled with divas and sometimes they think only about number one. Shows run late, seats get moved, there are long lines. Take this as a chance to blend into the crowd instead of standing out. I have seen so-called “stars” and higher up bloggers yell or give attitude to the PR reps because they felt they deserved VIP treatment. The truth of the matter is, unless you are an A-list celeb, we’re all on the same playing field. Make sure you are gracious!

I advocate for this one a lot in the blogging industry because it is still earning clout in the professional world. Nothing makes me sadder than when influencers, bloggers, and vloggers undermine the hard work that so many have paved the way for in this industry. Treat Fashion Week like a business trip (with a lot of perks). Show up on time, dress well,  be well mannered, and be well prepared. Oh, and go the extra mile and throw in some business cards while you’re at it!

See someone working in the show? Thank them. It’s a tireless and endless job during fashion weeks… many times it is thankless too! It’ll go a long way if you are sure to show your gratefulness. Put yourself in their shoes: how would you want guests attending a party you are throwing to show their thankfulness?

This is not the time to clam up. Introduce yourself! Shake hands. Tell them your name, let them know your blog URL or Instagram handle. You only make as many friends as you are willing to put the effort in for. Being personable and friendly in networking situations takes some practice and is harder than it sounds, but the potential dividends are really worth the effort.

Are you attending a Fashion Week this year? Do you have any tips to be invited back to shows? I would love to hear them in the comments below!