NYFW 101: Tips & Tricks for Beginners
Welcome to the blog babes,
This has been a highly requested topic, so I’ve gathered all of my tips & tricks when it comes to going to your first NEW YORK FASHION WEEK! Here’s everything I learned when I went for the first time in 2019.
YOU LEARN AS YOU GO - No one is an expert the first time they go & honestly it’s just such a fun overall experience, so don’t stress.
First step is to literally BUY A TICKET to NYC + book a hotel
People ask “how do I go?” - You just do it! Simple as that.
Download GPS Radar
An app where brands can invite you to shows and / or you can request shows
Essential! How we got into all of our shows
Put it in your bio so brands can see
Ex. Next: NYFW
Email brands who have roots in NY (PR brands, large brands) to see if they’ll be hosting any type of activations during the week
email your contacts and see who might be hosting events / activations during the week
Post on your stories / dm girls to find a group to go with
A lot of girls have started asking us
There's no right way to do it
Everyone’s experience is so different
It’s okay to have down time and it’s okay to not go to shows
Biggest takeaway from NYFW is really showing face, establishing yourself in the industry/networking, meeting NYC brands, going to showrooms, events, etc.
Learning experience
Give yourself enough time to get to shows
plan for transportation delays
Once the door is shut, they won’t let you in
Studios
Mainly at Pier 59 & Spring studios
Go to any shows you’re invited to, it’s all a learning experience + sometimes these brands/PR reps/etc ask if you’ve been and want to see previous year blogs/footage (this happened to me twice)
Presentations
Not necessarily a show but you go, walk around etc
Budget:
Set a budget for yourself
For 2021, here’s what were currently spending:
Hotel: $377/per girl (4) for 4 nights
Flight: $351 for the flight
Food: $25/per lunch, $50/per dinner estimate
Other expenses: Shopping, coffee, ubers, subway ticket
Some people try to get hotel collabs, but the year we went, no one really seemed to get a collab so we’d rather pick our specific hotel
Things we look for:
Price, location, close to a subway, safety etc.
Some of my best memories:
Running around NYC with friends
Meeting bloggers from across the country or even out of the country
Forms stronger bonds
Stumbling upon TAYLOR SWIFTS HOUSE on Cornelia St.
Eating yummy food
Enjoying the city in general
Change of scenery from SD
Things to learn from:
LOTS of walking. Wear comfortable shoes OR pack them
This is not a joke. You will regret not being comfortable and the last thing you want to do is rub blisters and be miserable the whole time.
Bring a tote
It’s not the cutest, but if you’re carrying around different outfits / shoes, it’s probably the best way to transport everything
Bring Water
It can get warm especially if you’re doing a lot of walking
Give yourself time to get places
Plan around which area you’re in - you can’t realistically bounce and forth super quickly (ex: showrooms, events, etc.)
Don’t take on too many collabs bc you don’t want to stress yourself out so you can’t enjoy it
I honestly loved creating my own outfits (those were my favorites)
I will only take collabs if they fit into an outfit I’m already planning
Just for fun, here are some of my outfits from the first time I went in 2019! Some I still love, some I wouldn’t wear again but it’s fun to look back on the mems.
You can also watch my 2019 NYFW Vlog to see all the things we did HERE
Hopefully these tips helps give you a place to start! Like I said, you just gotta do it and start planning after you book your flight + hotel. Anyone can go. You don’t have to have a certain amount of following!
That’s all for now! Leave any questions in the comments or dm me on Instagram @fashionablysurfed
