New York Fashion Week Recap Fall 2021

Yep, you read that right—it’s time for my New York Fashion Week recap! Believe me, I had every intention of getting this post up weeks ago but time got away and so here I am three weeks later.

As you may know from reading my What I Wore To New York Fashion Week blog post, this was my second New York Fashion Week. It was also the first fashion week in person since Covid hit the United States and brought our world to an abrupt halt.  For that reason, this week was extra fun. Although shows still weren’t at full capacity, and many places still required masks, the pure enthusiasm of the people around us made the city feel more alive than ever.

WATCH MY NYFW VLOG

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t snap too many photos at shows but I did vlog live from the runway. This week in my life is a fun one, chock full of outfit details, photoshoot behind the scenes, and funny moments with Sam. Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss out on more vlogs.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Morning Travels

My trip to New York City started bright and early with a 7 am wake-up call. I flew from Cleveland to Laguardia with thankfully no delays this time around. I grabbed my bags, and after a ridiculously expensive Uber in the pouring rain, made it to the Big Apple!

Reuniting In Tribecca

I met my internet bestie, Sam Souder, at our hotel. We stayed at a Hilton Inn, right in Tribecca. Of all the times I’ve been to New York City, this area was the only part I’d yet to see. Tribecca is right around the Lower East Side, Soho, and the Villages and truthfully it’s like a different world over there. The streets are much cleaner, there’s far more greenery, and the overall way of life is a little more upscale. Not to mention the architecture Is beautiful.

On a regular year, this would be the perfect location. This hotel is literally steps away from Spring Studios, the main venue for fashion shows during NYFW. However, because of Covid and limited capacities, several shows happened at off-site locations closer to Manhattan; therefore we still did our fair share of walking/Ubering.

Regardless, this was one of the nicest NYC hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in. We had a double queen and the room was super spacious with plenty of room to get ready, beautiful natural light, and the comfiest beds. Plus, our view was fantastic. I would definitely stay here again!

Studio 7 Shows 

After taking some time to reunite + catch up with my bestie, we got changed out of our travel clothes and headed downtown to our first show of the weekend. We arrived at the Studio 7 shows and watched an array of designers present their Fall collections. There were students, and first-time designers showing here and the wide array of looks were a cool change of pace. Not to mention, this venue was to die for. It gave me major speakeasy vibes and had a beautiful painted ceiling.

Dinner Date 

After our shows, we walked over to a quaint Italian restaurant for a big dinner. We got the cheesy bread and shrimp Alfredo which were both to die for. Here’s my cute dinner date! We changed into walking shoes and trekked three miles home, crashing almost instantly after a long, long day.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Friday morning started bright and early with a photo session. Sam and I love to wake up early and batch shoot content so that we have tons of outfits to post, even days after our trip. We each shot two outfits this morning before getting dressed into our actual “daytime” fit.

Tiffany Brown Show 

We then Ubered to the Tiffany Brown show over in the Flat Iron district and watched a beautiful array of designs walk the runway. The entire collection featured soft purples and light lacey details. Almost everything was a midi length and several of her designs had a masculine element to them with boxier styles and structured shoulder pads. It was an awesome show, complete with a musical performance but the same two boys from Miami Swim Week!

We then shot some photos by the Flat Iron Building and got stopped by a gazillion different photographers and people in passing to snap photos and simply tell us they loved our outfits. Sharing a few of those here since they were oh so special!

Revolve Gallery 

We then headed to the Revolve Gallery which was an incredibly well-done presentation by none other than Revolve. They had a fantastic gallery showcasing all kinds of designers (For Love and Lemons, Cotton On, Love Shack Fancy, and more) and several different products. It was an interactive experience and practically every room had a photo opp. We ran into some fellow influencer friends and took our time looking at all the carefully curated designs. At the end of the gallery, there was a pop-up where you could shop new arrivals from Revolve. Everywhere we turned was adorable.

Forever 21 Show 

We outfit changed then headed to the Forever 21 show. This show was a bit different than others in the sense that the clothes coming down the runway, were new arrivals that consumers can buy right now. For that reason, everything was fall with lots of faux leather, chocolate brown, and plunging necklines. They had a singer and several photographers along the runway.

Dinner Time

We were desperate for french fries at this point and stopped into Fiddlesticks for dinner. It was delicious. For complete food reviews, menus, and directions to each place we ate, check out this blog post. We caught the most beautiful sunset on the way home.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

I won’t lie, spending 9/11 in the city definitely had an eerie feeling to it. But it also had a special feeling, knowing that we were surrounded by so much history. Feeling extra grateful for all of those who fight for this country and all the hurt for those missing a loved one affected by this tragic day. To my surprise, the city was still alive and there were people everywhere going about their days.

Brunch In Soho

We started the morning off in Soho, eating brunch with one of my sweet cousins Megan. She’s lived in the city for a handful of years now and works at one of the local hospitals. We only see each other about twice a year so it was extra special getting to see one another amid this crazy week.

HiTech Moda Shows

After breakfast, we ran over to the HiTech Moda shows. I went to these same shows my first fashion week and it was at these that I was able to see Jovani, Terani, and other couture collections front and center on the runway. However, this year the shows were all children’s collections. There were some super elegant pieces with lots of headpieces, tulle, and embroidered detailing. After about seven designers showed, we packed our bags and hit the streets.

Shooting + Eating 

We decided to skip our next show and instead spent the afternoon walking towards the hotel, stopping to shoot photos in cute corners and grabbing a bite to eat in between. We had the best Mexican food ever at La Content and after outfit changing yet again we made our way to Cafe Roma for gelato. it’s safe to say we ate our way through New York City, lol.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

Sunday morning started with a photoshoot in Soho. Sam and I each had a few outfits we wanted to shoot along the beautiful architecture so we walked over and spent a couple of hours capturing content.

Sienna Li Show

I then made my way to the Sienna Li show at Spring Studios. This was one of the best designers I saw throughout the week and this venue was truly incredible. Because of Covid, their capacity was down to just 150 people, so sadly I only had one invite at this location. Although, it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Her designs were soft and elegant. With a feminine touch, these designs had an airy feel to them. Beautiful dresses were accompanied with appliqué details and a soft pink and green color palette. I hope we see these layered fabrics more often this spring! I met a few influencer friends in real life after the show which was super special for me. It’s so awesome getting to finally meet these ladies who have supported me for years, in real life.

More Content Time 

We regrouped and walked over to the Lower East Side to shoot more content. While most people were busy filling their schedules with different events, Sam and I wanted to make sure we gave ourselves time to take photos and Tik Toks. Every time we travel together we gain thousands of followers each, producing some of our best content. (I’m happy to report back that it did work—my Tik Tok gaining early 10K from my NYFW recap video, and my Instagram nearly 5K!).

Nolcha Shows 

Nolcha Shows was our last show of the week and was by far my favorite. The energy here was electric in part thanks to the rock and roll music that dominated the runway. Here we saw five different designers, each with a unique flare. Across the board, we saw lots of oranges, structured silhouettes, white chunky loafers, and slick low buns.

More than anything I was inspired by the people around me. Everyone was someone and yet I didn’t recognize anyone. Everyone had their own story, partially told by their even cooler outfit, and it’s so special to think that I can be a piece in that puzzle too.

We got home, ordered pizza, and crashed after a very long yet exhilarating day.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Sadly our morning was a short one. We snapped a few last-minute photos and then packed our suitcases, checking out of the hotel before noon. Sam and I parted ways, however, it wasn’t sad this time around, knowing we’d be reunited in exactly a month for our trip to Los Angeles.

I made my way to Laguardia to start my journey back home to Cleveland. I had a smooth flight with a beautiful view of the city outside of my window seat. I got some blog work done, as per usual and landed safe and sound.

Returning to normal life was truly the hardest part of the trip. It always is. As much as I love getting to put on my Hannah Montana wig for special occasions like Fashion Week, it’s always a slap in the face coming back to college life. And yet I love both sides so, so much.

I haven’t had much time to miss the city though between sorority recruitment, exam week, and prepping for my next trip. It’s always a pleasure to visits NYC, and even more to escape reality for a few days. I’m already counting down the days until February Fashion Week! At the rate time’s flying, it’ll be here before we know it.

Fingers crossed capacities are back to normal and more shows will go back to in-person—so many designers kept things virtual this year, hence the lighter load of shows. Anywho, enough chit-chatting. Thank you all for your endless support and for allowing me to pursue these dream opportunities. Love you to the moon.

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: 5 Fall Outfit Ideas With Target
Related Post: Miami Swim Week Recap 2021
Instagram: styledbymckenz // YouTube: McKenzie Morgan // Pinterest: mckenzmorgan