In my last post, I shared my looks from my first NYFW, which was a lot of fun! I wanted to share 5 tips I learned while attending NYFW this year and I hope you find them useful.
DON’T OVER COMMIT
It happens to the best of us. You want to take meetings, catch up with friends, support every designer at their shows, previews and in-store events. But let’s face it, you are a one-woman show, and you can’t be in more places than one at any given moment. Pick and choose your battles wisely because if there’s one thing worse than politely declining because your schedule doesn’t permit, it’s not showing up when you say you will. And don’t let your default line become, “Let’s grab a drink” unless you actually mean it.
DO PERSONAL HYGIENE
Ok ladies, perfume sticks, and gum are your best friend. Fashion Week calls for being in packed spaces and close encounters. You might be sitting shoulder to shoulder with the who’s who of fashion and the last thing you want to do is leave a stinky first impression.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
You will meet and see a ton of people who either know you from their feed or who you have to meet in the past. I had the pleasure to meet Moni of Awed by Moni, who stayed in the same hotel as me and I totally fangirled, lol. The best way to greet acquaintances you’ve not seen in a while or are meeting for the first time is to give them a proper refresher from the start. “Hi Kate, i’m Yinka from Yours Truly Yinka, we met in Paris last Spring or *insert a compliment about their page*.” I recommend carrying business cards and be sure to hand those cards out, no matter how old-fashioned it might seem.
CARRY A PORTABLE CHARGER
I can’t begin to stress the importance of having a fully charged battery pack! You never want to be THAT GIRL who’s forgotten one and has to find the nearest Starbucks to recharge. Fashion week is chaotic enough, so don’t let your dead phone get in the way of you and all that work you put into getting to that show or event!
RESIST FOMO
This was my first fashion week and at the end of the day, I didn’t want to be overwhelmed. There will be shows and events that you won’t attend due to scheduling conflicts or just NYC traffic. Don’t get down about it. I ended up missing about 3 shows due to traffic and a venue being full to capacity. Fashion week is a marathon, not a sprint. Not only are you there for shows, but meeting other people in the industry and networking, which is where the true value comes from! Kudo to those who can make a tight schedule work for them, but knowing your pace is essential to your health. If you need a break, be sure to take one! And don’t forget to eat some food!
‘Til next year!
xo Yinka
Photography: Denisse Benitez
Interesting post! Keep up the good work and love the photos!
Thank you!
Love the photos! Hey Yinka!!
You look gorgeous! Great tips, I couldnt imagine all what goes behind this important Fashion Week
I am the worst at over committing, but I am trying to get better. I have been under promising and over delivering.
HOw interesting! I note that your tips will be helpful for those in many other industries as well.
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.
I love these tips and I hope I get to go to nYFW SOON
I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to NYFW but these sound like great tips for any kind of major event with tons of people and networking!
SUCH GREAT TIPS FOR ANYONE GETTING READY TO ATTEND A LARGE EVENT. IT’S SO EASY TO OVERCOMMIT AND THEN MISS OUT ON THE IMPORTANT PARTS OR BE TOO TIRED TO REALLY ENJOY IT!
That’s soooo true!
Likely I am likely to save your blog post. 🙂
Perfectly composed articles , thankyou for information. 🙂
Thanks!
Great tips, and you look absolutely amazing I love that dress son you. xx