Kate Spade once said, "playing dress-up starts at age five and never truly ends." This is a quote that I have proven to be true. When I was younger, not only did I play dress-up, I also produced several runway shows that my family was forced to watch. About twenty years later, my life has come full circle, well... kind of.
This past August, I finally made the move to the Big Apple, and like most I came with big dreams, and almost no money. My dream is to produce runway shows for Fashion Week. Of course, that does not happen overnight, but I was determined to take the necessary first steps to make my dreams come true. I knew the first step would be to work at New York Fashion Week in any way, which is what lead me to say yes to two opportunities that would give me the chance to do so.
The first, I accepted a freelance position on the fashion show coordination team for Nolcha Fashion Shows. I was approached by the co-founder on LinkedIn who asked me to assist with various tasks including model casting, fittings, and front-of-house for all their shows.
The second, I accepted an internship with MAO Public Relations. Other than learning the ins and outs of Fashion PR on a daily basis, this position gave me the opportunity to assist with front-of-house for three different fashion shows.
After accepting these two offers, I was on cloud nine. Everyday felt surreal. I hadn't even been in New York a full month, and already, I was involved with Fashion Week. In true New York style, my Fashion Week Started with a fabulous bang!
Opening Party with AMP Models
For being a part of the Nolcha Shows Team, I was added to the guest list for the AMP Model Party at SlateNY. Even though I was there to Network, I had an amazing time. I brought my roommate as my plus one, and we danced the night away. I also, met some amazing people who gave great advice on how to have a successful career in the industry. I have never felt as fabulous as I did that night. I had made it to my first New York party, and I couldn't help but wonder if this is what Carrie Bradshaw felt like. It was truly the perfect way to kick-off my Fashion Week, and I couldn't wait for the week to come.
Victoria Hayes
The first show that I worked was the Victoria Hayes Spring 2020 Show. Working this show felt surreal for a number of reasons. The first was that it was a part of the official NYFW line-up and took place on-site at Spring Studios. Seeing the NYFW logo throughout the venue made me feel like I had entered my own fantasy land. I still could not believe that I has made it to Fashion Week. Victoria Hayes is a client of MAO PR, so every day I had looked at her clothes in the showroom and admired her edgy yet chic style. This show was also her debut runway show, so it was exciting to be a part of that moment. For this show, I assisted with front-of-house which included helping set-up seating and checking-in the attendees. After all the guests were checked in, the other interns and I got to watch the show. As a whole, I loved her collection. There were stunning blazers, bold patterns, and amazing detail work. One of the most show-stopping moments was when one model walked out with a basketball covered with Swarovski Crystals. Coco Rocha closed the show with a fierce walk that was the perfect end for an overall great show.
Fix and Fax by Katya Leonovich
After an amazing first show, I was ready to see what the rest of the week had in store. The second show I worked was Fix and Fax, a menswear show by Katya Leonovich. I was interested to see the complete collection because the story behind the line is unique. The line was inspired by Leonovich's pet rats, Fix and Fax. She imagined them as the modern-day version of Frank Sinatra's rat pack and created sketches of them. She used these sketches as the basis of her collection, and, inspired by the work of Jean Michel Basquiat, created an edgy, colorful streetwear collection unlike any other. For this show I continued to assist with front-of-house tasks. The show had a more laid-back atmosphere than any other show I had worked which was fitting for the casual vibe of the collection.
Nolcha Shows
I started my next day of fashion shows with a literal Bang (I mean the energy drink). I was about to work over twelve hours of fashion shows for fourteen different designers. Nolcha Shows is a full day of showcases for independent designers. Due to the fact that I had more involvement in the production process, I was excited to see the shows come to fruition. In August, I attended and assisted with the model casting, and later assisted with the fittings. On the day of the show, I was once again assigned to front-of-house. The shows took place at Union West Events. When guests came in, there were fun booths set-up by various sponsors. My personal favorite was Ice Sparkling Water because they gave away free bottles of their product, and I snagged three of them. Having the various sponsors set up created a fun environment for the shows. Because there were fourteen designers including; 3ZM X Luyang by yanglu, Vitruvius, L. Catherone, Elf Sak, KavenLiu DIMOR, Amnesia, Host and Var, Gee x Speetra, Minkage Shin, Tribe Alive, S'ra, Planet Zero Motor Sports, and Gravitas; I'm not going to touch on every collection. Something I noticed about these shows, was that many of them included creative elements that I had yet to see on the runway. The 3ZM X Luyang by yanglu show opened with a model in a beautiful kimono holding a compact mirror in front of her. When she got to the end of the runway, she applied lipstick. That very first moment captured my attention and peaked my curiosity for the rest of the line. The Gravitas show had interesting moments of transitions where one model would pass of a jacket to another. One model was wearing what appeared to be a long vest, but when she passed it off the next model, it turned out to be a reversible dress. I felt like that show was entertaining and showed of the versatility of the collection. What was amazing about these shows was watching a community come together to celebrate fashion.
Kyle and Shahida
The last show I worked was quite the grand finale. Through my internship, I worked front-of-house for the Kyle and Shahida show. Because of Kyle Richards being a cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, it promised to be a star-studded event. When I arrived at Pier 59 Studios, there were already camera crews set-up throughout the venue. After setting up seats and creating gift bags, it was time to check-in guests. Celebrity guests included the Hamlin sisters and Nicky and Paris Hilton to name just a few. I could not help but to internally fangirl over being in the same room as Paris Hilton, but I kept it cool on the outside. When the show started, I found myself wowed by floral kimonos and lacy swimsuits that hit the runway. The collection brought a little bit of California to the Big Apple and I was here for it. What really stole the show was Richard's castmates being used as some of the models. None of the housewives took themselves too seriously and seemed to have a blast on the runway. Though I love high fashion runway shows, it was nice to see models relax and enjoy themselves. Of course, the fashion show was filmed for Bravo, so I might get my reality TV show debut. Although that debut will probably just be me looking awkward, while trying to act natural in the background. I'll for sure be watching the episode to find out!
Nolcha Shows After Party
No New York Fashion Week would be complete without an after party, which I why I attended the Nolcha Shows After Party. I entered the party feeling like a total ten in a sassy black jumpsuit. I also, in the #extra fashion that I'm known for, matched my lipstick to my shoes. Wearing red heels and a red lip made me feel like I could conquer the world. The party took place on the Williamsburg Hotel Rooftop, which could not have been a more stunning venue. The view of the New York skyline was gorgeous, and as I looked out at it, I couldn't help but feel accomplished. I had officially made it through my first fashion week. In a way, I felt like I had entered my own version of a fairytale. Only this time when the clock struck midnight, I actually turned 24, and began a new chapter. Hopefully, this one will include many more Fashion Weeks.
XOXO,
Kristin
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