As a lot of you may know from my aggressive amount of social media activity several weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity of going to NYFW SS20 (aka New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020)!! It’s crazy to me how fast everything has happened ever since I decided to pursue fashion. This time last year, I had so little exposure + connections to the fashion industry, and pursuing fashion wasn’t even on my mind. A year later, I went to New York fuhreaking Fashion Week.

Before I talk about my experience, I just wanted to explain how fashion week works, cuz I know it can be kinda confusing. Mmmm let’s start with the “fashion calendar” (yes, there IS a fashion calendar). Every year, there are 2 fashion “seasons”: Spring/Summer (SS) and Fall/Winter (FW). Designers can design collections for SS, FW, or both (just depends on their availability and whether or not they can finish their collections on time)! The SS collections typically happen in September and the FW collections happen in February- that’s why September and February are known as “fashion months.” Now, you might be asking yourself why SS happens in the fall and why FW happens in the spring. That’s a v good question! Designers design for the next season so that they can start selling pieces in preparation for that season. In the fashion world, we also watch these fashion shows to predict trends for the upcoming season, cuz y’know, we always wanna be “fashion forward” hehe. During fashion month, there are several major fashion cities who host fashion weeks. New York typically takes the first week, and cities like London, Milan and Paris also have their respective weeks following New York’s.

Ok I hope that helped. I’m sorry if that didn’t, I know it’s kinda complicated, and it took me a lil bit before I fully understood the fashion calendar.

Now on to my experience!

How did I get to NYFW?

Last year, I joined an amazing fashion organization on campus called University Fashion Group (UFG) that offers the opportunity for members to apply to attend NYFW and volunteer at the shows backstage. I was so conflicted about whether or not I wanted to apply this season because of cost and the fact that I was going to be missing classes. So I set a personal requirement for myself, and that was to get a job so I could earn money to go. And then God answered my prayers and gifted me with an amazing job (and some pretty amazingly priced plane tickets), and so that’s how I ended up being able to go!

What UFG does is we reach out to different production companies to coordinate how we can volunteer at shows backstage, and that’s basically our ticket into the shows! This year, we worked mainly with one production company called Eyesight, and lemme tell ya, they were so great! Their company was in charge of production for some major designer’s shows, so we got to be part of the big bois, aaaaaand they were incredibly kind, gave us tasks that made us actually feel useful, and just overall treated us volunteers so well! 10/10 would recommend!

In total, UFG had volunteers working at 11 shows during NYFW. We were all split up into different shows, so I got to work 5 shows. Imma give y’all a day-by-day breakdown of my time at NYFW, including all the shows I worked at, MEANING this will be a long post, but it’s worth the read!! Or even the skim!!

DAY 1 - Thursday (9/5) Austin to New York

This was the day I flew out to NYC. Dood I was actually so nervous the night before and I was even more nervous when I was at the airport waiting for my flight. It was getting real and I couldn’t run away from it, especially once I boarded that plane. I think I was nervous just cuz NYFW in my head, is SUCH a big deal. I had always just heard about it and never once imagined I would be living it. I didn’t want to screw anything up, and I def didn’t want to screw anything up for the designers I was going to be working for. I told myself that if I ended up hating this experience, I would exit fashion… lol… that’s how nervous I was.

When I got to the JFK airport, I ordered a Lyft to my hotel, which was somewhere near Times Square, and it was a whoppin $44!!! Like bruh… ok I guess for an hour and a half ride, it wasn’t too bad of a price, esp. in NYC, but still… I had never paid that much for a Lyft before so it shook me.

When I got to my hotel, I met up with my roomies for the weekend, and we went to a Thai restaurant nearby that was actually very good. It was so good, that we were all so full afterwards and decided to walk it off by going to the heart of Times Square!! Honestly, it’s so basic, but Times Square is one of my favorite places to be in NYC. It’s such a vibrant place and there’s so much happening at one time, like how exciting is that?!?

at the Austin airport!! Where the butterflies living in my stomach were going crayyyyyy

greeted by the skyline!!! was taking so many pics in my Lyft out of excitement!!

DAY 2 - Friday (9/6) Free time

I had this day off, meaning I had no shows to work, so I took this chance to explore the city with one of my friends on the trip with me. I wasn’t looking to spend a whole bunch of money, so I looked for ~free~ things to do, and found the Museum at FIT. It’s basically a small fashion exhibit located right next to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Even though it was tiny, I still really enjoyed it cuz I got to see so many famous designers’ works in person, and idk… something about seeing fabrics and textures and patterns excites me, even though I’m def not a fashion designer.

I wanted to go to the Garment district and just pop in and out of the fabric stores, but it started raining REALLY hard, so me and my friend ducked into a small pizza restaurant to wait it out. After a while, we realized the rain wasn’t going away anytime soon, so we just walked around Times Square a bit, and ended up going back to our hotel.

the best museums are the free ones hehehe

the only history i bother to learn is fashion history

some lovelies by chanel. tweed is my favorite texture

i was upset that it rained on my one free day in NYC, but it gave me this cool umbrella-lighting-situation photo, sooooo am I really that mad?

so much of this beauty in the FIT museum

the ceiling was aesthetic too, of course

fashion ads are some of the most fascinating. a lot of times you’re just like, “what exactly is the product they’re advertising??” and that’s the beauty of it

tried to take ~kool~ pics in Times Square but the lighting was less than optimal, so pressed cancel on that real quick, but i’m still including this on the blog, so did I really press cancel? who knows

that’s right folks! I am standing next to a subway

that yellow carolina herrera dress :0 wes gordon is a fashion genius

this outfit was edgier than I’m used to cuz like faux leather??? who is she??? but i was so proud of this creation cuz it definitely pushed me beyond my styling comfort zone, yet i still felt confidently and comfortably like myself

my friend Laura and I somewhere on the streets of new york… can you tell my serious facade was about to fade?

Day 3 - Saturday (9/7) Self Portrait & R13

This was the first day I started working shows. The first show I had was Self Portrait, and my call time was 7am, which meant I had to wake up at around 4:30am!!! Walking around NYC in the dark early morning is def an experience I will not forget. I was 3/4 terrified that someone would jump out and MURDER me (cuz like, it’s NYC, c’mon y’all it’s not thaaaaaat unreasonable), and also 1/4 amazed to see the streets of NYC completely EMPTY. There’s something relaxing and magical about walking in NYC when it’s that early in the morning- maybe cuz NYC is a city that is always busy, so when it’s not, it feels real strange… but cool, like it’s just you and the city and nobody else. Idk… if you’re ever in NYC, it’d be a fun lil experiment for you to try out hehe.

Ooh also!! Having an early call time meant that I had a whole subway car to myself. At first, I was a little creeped out, cuz I was literally sitting by myself… in a dimly lit subway car… in NYC… like wut. But it was def really nice and I wish the subways were always that empty in NYC.

When I got to the Self Portrait venue (which was the Woolworth Building- a very classy site), they put me straight to work. My job was to direct the models to hair and make-up when they came in and also escort them to the elevators when it was time for rehearsal. But I feel like my job just ended up being a direction-pointer for anyone and everyone- models, photographers, PR people, special guests, the DESIGNER MR. HAN CHONG HIMSELF!!! It was really fun cuz I got to talk to a whole bunch of different people involved in the fashion industry (i.e. security guards, HMU artists, PR people, photographers, etc.) and I learned so much from them! I also got to see one of my fav models, Yoon Young Bae, who is, no joke, one of the most gorgeous people I’ve ever laid eyes on.

The show itself was an absolute beautiful spectacle. From the designs to the venue to the lighting to the music- everything was so beautiful and romantic. Ugh just thinking about it makes me wanna go back!! This was also when I literally stood right next to one of my fav fashion bloggers, Aimee Song, for a whole minute!! Ugh still can’t believe I didn’t even say a simple “hi!”

After the show came the non-glamorous part, clean-up and break-down woohoo. This is when you realize that even celebrities, influencers, and models can be messy people bleh.

a rare sight!!! an empty subway in NYC. 1/3 scary, 2/3 peaceful

a closeup of the model lineup!! holla if you spot Yoon Young Bae!!

a handmaid’s tale situation. also, can someone plz tell me where i can get Prada-esque socks like these, but like, affordable ones

after the finale…. bravo Mr. Han Chong!!!

my spot was def not the best, so all i really have are the backs of models, but it’s more than i asked for already!! luv this blue-ish lavender-ish color

this one was definitely an audience favorite. and yes, it was actually so cool. you can’t see it, but the model is wearing a high-waisted bikini situation, and the long tail of the hat/cap thing creates a really cool effect. It’s like a dress, comin… — this one was definitely an audience favorite. and yes, it was actually so cool. you can’t see it, but the model is wearing a high-waisted bikini situation, and the long tail of the hat/cap thing creates a really cool effect. It’s like a dress, coming from a hat??? so original + brilliant!!

even the outside of the venue was so magical

i felt so important with this badge. feat. the model lineup in the back!

yes, the venue was just as magical in-person

uhhhhh THE Aimee Song reposted my story?!?!?!?! this thing we call life is absolutely insane

Right after my clean-up duty, it was zoom zoom zoom to the R13 show! At this show, I was put at the check-in station at the front of the venue. Me and a couple other volunteers were responsible for checking-in everyone involved with the show- models, HMU artists, PR, press, dressers, etc. which meant we had the opportunity to talk to the models!! Yeeeee!!!! I literally gasped when Adesuwa walked in through the door and smiled at me. I was like, “h-h-hhhi what’s your name so I can ch-ch-check you in?” (even though I CLEARLY knew her name.)

The venue for R13 was so cool. Since it’s a streetwear-type brand, the venue was designed to have that kinda abandoned-warehouse-type feel, so it was super grungy. Before the show started, I was standing at the check-in door looking out into the crowd, and I spotted this really nice green jacket. The guy wearing the jacket was also facing me, and we made eye contact for a hot sec and I was like, “oh, his blond, buzzed hair goes quite nicely with the shade of green on his jacket." AND THEN, my friend who was volunteering with me was like, “Dood, that’s Charlie Puth!” And I was like…… “NO. FUHREAKIN. WAY.” Soooo yea. That happened. Apparently, there was a bunch of other famous rappers, but like, yo gurl don’t listen to rap so yo gurl had no clue who they were, wut a shame.

this is the coolest model lineup i’ve ever seen!!!!

apparently, a rapper celebrity that i do not know

i’m sorry Kemi i really like this picture of us

the R13 show was filled with animal prints and bucket hats

they were testing out lighting and i thought it would make a cool pic. you can be the judge of that

me and kemi tried to take pics with this wall that a lotta celebs took pics with to see what the hype was about, i don’t see it, do you??

Day 4 - Sunday (9/8) Jonathan Cohen & Prabal Gurung

I started this day with the lovely Jonathan Cohen show. Honestly, it was such a chill vibes show and it might just be my favorite show I worked at. The venue was someone’s apartment/art studio, so it just felt very close and intimate. The space was mostly white-colored and there was paint splattered on the floor and flowers everywhere. In the middle sat a grand piano among flowers, and that was really cool cuz the soundtrack to the show was someone playing live piano. I can’t exactly put my finger on why I loved the space so much, maybe cuz of the contrast?? Clean, white space juxtaposed against the “messy,” paint-splatters. idk… i’m not good at describing spaces l o l.

When we arrived, we were given the task of laying name cards down on the benches, so that the attendees would know where their seat was. I was just ~casually~ strolling, and saw EVA CHEN’S NAME ON A NAME CARD. To say I freaked, would be an understatement. She’s literally one of my two biggest style inspos. So when we were ushering people to their seats, I kept an eye out for her. AND THEN… I SPOTTED HER… WITH HER DAUGHTER!! I didn’t want to miss another opportunity (like I did with Aimee) so I walked up to her. The convo went like this:

ME: “h-h-h-hi Eva.”

EVA: “hello!”

ME: “y-y-y-you’re m-m-my s-s-style i-i-icon.”

EVA: “awww thank you so much.”

ME: “c-c-can i take a selfie with you?”

EVA: “sure!”

And then I proceed to take a VERY shaky selfie with her and her daughter.

After the show, I had some time before my next one, so I went and got lunch, which cost me SEVENTEEN WHOLE DOLLARS…. BRUH… pretty sure I heard my debit card squeal a lil… sigh it’s ok. i’m ok. everything’s… ok…

the pianist/vocalist was such a good idea and so on-brand

this was my favorite. the colorssss and he managed to make a bird on a dress not weird

hmmmm floor inspo for my future house???

such a fun design!! made me reminisce on my childhood bc of the primary colors and the knots that reminded me of the tie blankets I used to make

eeeeeeeek!!!! Eva AND Ren what a treat!!!! if the pic is blurry, it’s cuz my hands were very aggressively shaking

another one of the knot designs! But this one has a fun floral pattern! also peep the mary janes, which i suspect will be coming back on trend this year

dress code for volunteers is all black. i don’t usually wear black, but i didn’t mind this outfit

In the evening, I headed to the Prabal Gurung show, which was located at Spring Studios. Spring Studios is THE venue for the biggest NYFW shows. So there was so much paparazzi just standing outside, waiting for models/famous people to walk in and out.

TBH, I didn’t really do anything for the Prabal show cuz they already had so many people (makes sense cuz he’s such a major designer). BUT it was still so cool just getting to see the set come to life, and getting to watch the rehearsal and just getting to see the show come to life. Seeing the famous Mr. Prabal in-person was also so cool too!

Prabal is a very political designer, meaning that he’s passionate about political issues, and voices his opinion through his shows. So the theme of this one was “Who gets to be American?” and there were many flags from many countries integrated throughout the set + outfits. I’m not a very political person but I thought it was so cool that he found a way to incorporate a deeper message while also putting on such a magnificent show.

from rehearsal!! you can only kinda see it from this pic, but a lot of the models had super huge + cool earpieces

for the finale, the models all came back out with sashes that read: “WHO GETS TO BE AMERICAN?” and that’s what gave the show such a lasting impact

some nice mood lighting as a result of light testing. also the man in the blue suit is the founder of the production company we were working with

MY FAV MODEL YOON YOUNG BAE WE MEET AGAIN

i done goofed and didn’t adjust my camera brightness settings when i took this pic, but here is Prabal. You can’t see his face but just know… it IS him

note the different countries’ flags woven in with the florals!!

during rehearsal this model’s sash slipped off and she had to bend down and pick it up, laughing nervously as she got back up, and it was such a beautifully candid moment

Day 5 - Monday (9/9) Lela Rose & back to Austin

The only show I had lined up this day was Lela Rose. The volunteer coordinator set our call time earlier than she actually needed us, so I ended up getting to just walk around the High Line, which was nearby. It was so nice to just walk slowly through a quiet space and yet still be surrounded by people. It gave me some time to process everything that had happened in the last few days.

imma paint the door to my future home like this

so… serene… and very aesthetically pleasing

During the Lela show, we dressed the models in their two looks. This show was a little different cuz every model had two looks, so there were actually so many looks, making this one a longer show. The cool thing about this one was it was outdoors, and the theme was “Lela’s Cafe!” This was probably the prettiest show I worked at. The models walked down a yellow rose petal path and the attendees were seated on both sides at tables with food. Everything about this show was beautiful- the designs, the models, the music, the setup, the weather, ughhhhh it was GAWGEOUS.

Lela going through rehearsals with her models. for this show, the designer was definitely more involved in the production process

the venue was right next to the Hudson!!

getting those pre-show jitters outta the way. yes, models get nervous too

these designs are a dreammmmm!!!! also peep more mary jane-esque shoes!!! i’m telling ya, they're coming

coming back from the finale… i love seeing models smile and having a good time, just reminds you that they’re human too

After the show, it was back to the airport and back home to Austin. I was just a little sad…. ok jk maybe a lot sad.

I watch fashion shows on YouTube in my (rare) spare time, so to LIVE in it was so surreal. I met and talked to models I’d ever only watched through a screen and designers whose names I’d heard so much of in the fashion industry. I had so many humbling conversations and interactions with different individuals in the industry that emphasized to me that fashion is about so much more than just the sparkles + glamour. It was hands-down one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever gotten to have!! I really am just a gurl, so the fact that God blessed me with this HUGE opportunity just blows my mind. I feel so blessed to have my passions, and that I have a God who delights in what I delight in AND parents who support my aspirations, no matter how far-fetched they seem.

That being said, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what I wanna do with fashion in the future, and at this point, I honestly still couldn’t tell ya. I’m still unsure of what exactly it is that I wanna do in fashion, just that I wanna do fashion ahaha. But I trust that God will reveal to me in time His magnificent plans for me!

Till next time!

~jo

Perfectly Sewn

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