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Despite what movies and TV might lead you to believe, New York Fashion Week isn’t all glitz and glamour.
As much as I love being the first to see new collections, catching up with my industry pals and hitting my daily step count before lunchtime, NYFW also means hoofing it around town through rain and snow, some degree of sleep deprivation and — perhaps toughest of all — finding time to file and edit stories and cover all the non-fashion week news happening simultaneously. (Why oh why must the Super Bowl and awards season overlap with the February shows?!)
Ahead, see how I spent a recent Saturday at fashion week that included two presentations, a runway show, multiple cups of coffee, a handful of subway swipes and NYC’s heaviest snowfall of the season.
7:30 a.m.: Good morning! I miraculously wake up before my alarm goes off, even though my dinner last night ended at close to midnight. After a shower, breakfast, coffee and catching up on emails, I allow myself an hour of TV time as a little treat.
10:30 a.m.: I tend to lose track of time when I’m working and I have a lot to write and edit today, so I decide to do my makeup and get dressed before diving in so I don’t wind up running late to my first presentation. I go a little heavier on the concealer than usual — because, you know, fashion week — and finish things off with winged eyeliner and a red lip, my beauty staples.
11 a.m.: My first event of the day is the Alice + Olivia presentation, and my friends at the brand were kind enough to send over some pieces for me to wear — including an incredible red patchwork faux fur coat that complements the checkered pattern on my Louis Vuitton Papillon bag, a loaner from Vestiaire Collective. I paired them with my favorite pleated Aritzia skirt, diamond-patterned Sheertex tights and Loeffler Randall knee boots. And for some sparkle, I added my Tilly Sveaas T-bar necklace and diamond earrings from Stone & Strand and James Allen.
11:30 a.m.: I’m prepping a big feature that needs to go live ahead of the Super Bowl, so I spend a few hours writing and doing photo research.
3 p.m.: Stacey Bendet’s Alice + Olivia presentations are always so colorful and theatrical, and this season’s collection was inspired by the works of William Shakespeare. One of the models is perched on a balcony à la Juliet in pink ruffles, another’s dressed in a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”-themed beaded two-piece and a third’s wearing the coolest bejeweled jeans with a brocade corset. I also spy a handful of celebrities, including “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” stars Lana Condor and Anna Cathcart, plus Julianne Hough and unofficial NYFW spokeswoman Tiffany Haddish. (Seriously, she’s everywhere! How does she do it?!)
3:45 p.m.: I swing by the Veronica Beard preview with Page Six Commerce Writer Hannah Southwick, and we swoon over the accessories — there are croc-embossed bags, suede styles with built-in jeweled bracelets and pretty pumps with delicate gold chain ankle straps. Inspired by Parisian street style, the clothes include floral sequined separates, striped knits and groovy paisleys.
4:30 p.m.: While heading back to the Upper West Side for a few more hours of work at home, I stop and grab coffee (my second or third of the day — I’ve lost count, to be honest) at the Ralph’s truck. Caffeine: the true hero of fashion week.
8 p.m.: While having dinner at home with my husband, I realize it’s snowing outside. Like, really snowing. And The Blonds’ show is in an hour, and all the way down in the Financial District. I choose to rally, but I swap out my boots for a weatherproof pair by Tamara Mellon before venturing back out. I also grab an umbrella; I know some people think it’s a major faux pas to use one when it snows, by I’m not about to ruin my hair!
9 p.m.: Hannah and I make it to The Blonds, and Countess Luann de Lesseps is seated directly in front of me with her daughter, Victoria. She’s dressed in a fedora, piles of pearls and a denim blazer covered in embellished crosses — yet somehow, it’s one of the tamer looks I spy in the front row. (“RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Aquaria, for instance, is in a red bedazzled bustier paired with matching opera gloves made to look like flames.)
9:45 p.m.: It’s finally showtime! The soundtrack samples the score from “The Substance,” which I love, and the typically opulent looks are inspired by Old Hollywood glamour. Think crystals, corsets and feathers galore. At one point, the photographers in the pit yell at Luann, who’s leaning forward (and directly into their shots) to try and capture all the action on her phone. Been there, Lu!
10:00 p.m.: Done for the day! I grab the train back uptown to go cuddle with my cat and unwind with a hot cup of tea. Who needs fashion week parties?
