New York Fashion Week Recap

If you’ve been around for a while, you’d know that back in the day I used to share New York Fashion Week trend forecasts/recaps after each season. They were some of my favorite posts to write and I frequently had those same posts published in our school’s newspaper. Four years ago if you would have told me I’d be headed to New York Fashion Week as a freshman in college I would have laughed.

My first fashion week certainly had its highs and lows but it was truly one of the highlights of my blogging career. There is simply nothing more special than watching your dreams turn into a reality. As I continue my Autumn/Winter 2020 New York Fashion Week Recap series, today I will be sharing my week’s itinerary along with all the details of the shows and events I attend. This week was the biggest learning experience and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many incredible people within the industry this week.

Make sure to give today’s vlog a watch; I promise it’s a good one. I share everything from my crazy travels, to outfit details, to tons of footage of the models walking down the runway. I wasn’t able to get pictures at every show but I do have footage from each that shows you some behind the scenes of Fashion Week!

Thursday

My plane was supposed to land in NYC at 11 am on Thursday morning but boy did the day take quite a turn. With a canceled flight, a few delays, and what felt like a never-ending travel day I finally made it to the Big Apple. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to our hotel until 9:45 pm, much later than I had intended. It was too late for me to go to the event I had lined up for the evening but I got to soak in some extra time with my mom who took a bus into the city to meet me.

Friday 

Friday morning my mom and I headed towards the Flat Iron District for a few photos. Sadly, when we got there it was being worked on so we grabbed photos around the area instead. In the midst of the morning activities, I was able to announce to my viewers that I am on the ballot for InfluenceHer’s College Influencer Of The Year. This is a huge opportunity for me and I need your votes. From now until Monday, February 24 you can click here to vote as many times as you want. Your support means everything and I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll win and be headed to LA in May because of it.

Dine 2 The Nines

My mom and I then went to my first event of the week which was with Dine 2 The Nines. Some shows and events throughout fashion week have themes that spectators are encouraged to follow, this being one of them. The theme was Japanese Futuristic so I changed into the most suitable thing I had. There were appetizers and drinks to sip on while previewing the pieces. Three different designers shared two looks each, this event was a preview of their full collections which would walk the runway on Sunday evening.

My favorite of the bunch was a dress and a jumpsuit designed by Yolanda. She specializes in upcycling garments, specifically turning ties into garments. As a fashion student, the final assignment for one of my classes was upcycling a garment and several people used ties to create similar garments. It was really cool to see the similarity in designs and see innovative creations take the stage.

Oxford Fashion

Mom and I grabbed Shake Shack for dinner before heading towards the Piers for the Oxford Fashion show. This was my second favorite show as far as designs went but the setup and overall atmosphere of it was definitely my favorite of the week. There were hundreds of people invited to this show and the streetwear was absolutely incredible. People were wearing the most unique outfits paired with the wildest accessories. The line to get into the actual show looked like people straight from the articles you read in magazines about NYFW. Luckily, I was in full-blown sequins so I didn’t feel too far out of place.

When you walked in there was one long runway and several rows of benches on either side. We managed to grab a second-row seat. I’ll be honest, it was still hard to see some designs, so I’m super glad we weren’t stuck in the back. Ten different designers showed Friday evening ranging from womenswear to gender-neutral apparel to accessories to a full plus-size line. It was quite the experience.

Manishii’s collection was definitely my favorite. There were lots of soft, pale yellows and subtle zebra print incorporated into the line. Feminine silhouettes that were trendy yet still centered on the classics. One of the Project Runway Junior alumni showed as well, a line full of feathers, edgy corsets, and unique hems. Several of the other lines featured rugged plaid, asymmetrical hems, and lots of layered fabric. As a student, blogger, and spectator it’s so cool seeing the forecasted trends I learn about come to life on the runway. Miss Teen USA was also at the show and I snapped a photo with her at the end of the night.

Saturday 

Dry Bar

Saturday morning I had an appointment lined up at The Dry Bar, Hell’s Kitchen location. I’ve never been to The Dry Bar but with an offer to collaborate with them and so many of my favorite YouTuber’s always raving about their blowouts, I reluctantly agreed. I went in with super dirty, ratty hair. They washed it, blew it dry, and styled it so perfectly. They have a variety of different styles to choose from; I went with the “Southern Comfort” which was lots of volume and a few loose curls. Just the way I like it, with a bit of teasing along with the crown of my head. Although my hair didn’t keep it’s curls too long after Saturday, my hair ended up making it five days before needing washing and stayed as voluptuous as ever. I’d easily give my experience a 10/10.

Hi Tech Moda Mini Moda

I then headed to my first of two Hi Tech Moda shows of the day. I sat in the press pit for this show and it was such an experience being so close to professional photographers and people working in the magazine industry. I’ll admit, I felt nowhere near important enough to be sitting where I was, haha. Anywho, this show featured over ten designer’s collections, most of them had over twenty different designs.

My favorite part about this show was getting to see such an inclusive group of models walk the runway. These were children’s lines so there were kids ranging from ages 5-15 of every size, shape, and race. There were kids with disabilities, paraplegics, and more. It brought me chills getting to see these young kids strut their stuff with such confidence. It was even more special watching the crowd light up with excitement as they displayed these designer’s clothes. There were lots of princess, dress-up inspired dresses, flared pants, and floral suits on the runway. This show made me excited to have little kids to dress up one day, lol.

Brand A Show

My next show took place at The New Yorker Hotel and was put on by Brand A, showcasing their Dream Out Loud Collection. The show was put on by Alyssa Lego (age 17) and Amanda Witkowski (age 22). The two are involved with pageants and had dozens of kids who they help coach walking the runway.

It was very different than any of the other shows I went to and was simply young kids wearing everyday clothes that were styled together. Unfortunately, there was no photography allowed at this show so I have no footage from the event.

Hi Tech Moda Haute Couture & Red Carpet 

Easily, my favorite show of the trip was the Haute Couture & Red Carpet show put on by Hi Tech Moda. Several different couture designers showed at this event and my god were they amazing. I showed up just in time to get a front and center seat courtesy of the head photographer of the event. There was also a singer and a dancer who performed a few different numbers throughout the show. I was late so I wasn’t able to catch their names but I included clips of some of their performances over in the vlog.

The designer I freelance write for, Terani Couture, was apart of the event and it was the coolest thing getting to watch their designs walk down the runway. Especially knowing, that in the near future I will be writing blog posts and creating YouTube videos centered around these designs. They had tons of feathered gowns, extravagant sleeves, and embroidered bodices. Their dresses were as stunning as ever and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience to see their designs walk down the runway.

Other notable designers were Jovani who had the most amazing sequin gowns and several couture jumpsuits and Milano who nailed the bow train detailing.

After the couture, there were several red carpet ready designs. Everything from vegan fabrics, faux fur, to 3-dimensional hair was on display. They were the most amazing pieces and getting to talk with some of the models afterward about their experience walking was such a treat. It turns out their fashion week trips are more up in the air than bloggers’!

Other highlights of the day included the yummiest grain bowl ever from Cava, Carlos Bakery for an extremely overpriced cheesecake, and getting to see my Gilmore girls for a little bit. It was so good to see some family and share this exciting experience with them.

Sunday 

Sunday morning my mom and I slept in a bit. Fashion week is no joke and all the walking around left us so exhausted. We didn’t have a show until 2 pm today so we did some window shopping in the Flat Iron District and I stopped to eat a New York bagel.

Of course, I snapped tons of photos on this trip. I changed before just about every event I went to. Half the fun of the week was getting super out of the box shots with the help of my superstar photographer also known as the best mom in the whole world!!!

Infinite Exposure Shows

I had two shows through Infinite Exposure which were held just a block away from our hotel which was very convenient. Staying on 37th was the smartest move my mom and I made; we were within walking distance of everything which certainly made our trip much easier and cheaper. The first show was held from 2-4:30 and the second from 5:30-8.

The first show was full of designs from up and coming designers. The pieces looked very similar to portfolio pieces done my some of the seniors here at Kent and it was really interesting seeing such a wide variety of designs and skills. It’s hard to pinpoint certain trends to look for this coming Autumn/Winter through these kinds of shows because these lines are mainly curated to showcase their best work and get them recognized by someone who could launch their careers.

However, the second show had designers who were in the later stages of the game. There were several fancier items and lots of evening wear. I saw so many sheer items across the board this weekend. Apparently that’s in with some fancy lingerie on display underneath— not sure that’s a look I’d be able to rock, haha. Either way, sitting front and center of the show made it really easy to interact with the clothing and made viewing pieces so much more fun. They had an awesome little “red carpet” at the event and the head director of the show was the kindest man ever; he truly made the experience one of a kind and such a learning experience for me.

Mad Dog and Beans

My shows were all at super inconvenient times in regards to eating so I figured I’d give a shout out to the first and only sit down restaurant we visited while in the city. We were both craving some authentic Mexican so we headed a block over to Mad Dog and Beans. I will give it a 9/10. The chips were amazing and for my main course, I had a burrito bowl. There was shrimp, rice, beans, guac, sour cream, and salsa in it. The only reason it gets docked a point is that I hate how there’s never any cheese on your meal when you go get real Mexican food, lol.

Monday

Terani Couture Showroom

While at one of my shows Saturday, I ran into my boss from Terani Couture. He invited me to visit their showroom and meet the rest of the Terani team while seeing a little behind the scenes. I decided to skip the trade show that I had lined up for the morning as it was cutting it super close to my departure time anyways.

Their headquarters was just a block away from my hotel room so I walked over after saying goodbye to my mom. The place was absolutely incredible, full of the most amazing designer gowns you’ve ever seen. I tried on a variety of different styles, shooting photos in a few of them for their socials and playing dress up in things that simply struck my fancy. I also picked out a gown to wear to my Red Dress Gala tomorrow; I cannot wait to share it with you.

There was a model there trying on gowns for the owner of Terani Couture and a few different buyers; somehow I got sucked into the mix and ended up trying on nearly twenty different dresses for these very important people. It was the coolest thing ever and made me realize that modeling jobs are no joke. Sadly I had to change back into my real clothes and head back to my hotel to grab my luggage.

I took the NYC Express Mega Bus from the corner of 41st and Lexington straight to Laguardia where I was flying out of. This was such an easy way to make the commute to the airport. Plus, it’s ridiculously cheap. Only $16 for a one-way ticket (that was $30 cheaper than my Uber to get from LGA into the city on Thursday). I was able to bring my big ole suitcase and it took me straight to my terminal. It was a little stressful getting there on my own but after my first experience, I would definitely do it again now that I know!

My flight was from NYC to Nashville and then from Nashville to Cleveland, landing at 10:30 pm. My big picked me up from the airport and I was safe, sound, and showered before midnight.

I’m not going to lie, Friday’s travels felt so long. And yet there is something so peaceful about traveling on your own at such a young age. I felt like a grown-up navigating life this day and it was an exciting (yet terrifying) glimpse into the future. I cannot wait to see where these next college years take me; I know one day I will look back at this series of first fashion week posts and giggle to myself. This is only the beginning.

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: New York Fashion Week Recap
Related Post: New York Fashion Week in Review Spring 2018
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