Photos by Christina Emilie

My New York Fashion Week 

Happy Monday, friends! Although the fashion show crowd has moved on to Europe now for London, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks, I want to recap my New York Fashion Week (NYFW) for you. Specifically, I would like to share a bit about how I approached fashion week this time and share a round up of my looks.

What I Wore During New York Fashion Week + My Strategy for Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is such an interesting experience. I first experienced NYFW in February 2014, well before I launched this website. It was a dream trip that centered around sitting front row at the Ralph Lauren show, a special experience that came via a charitable auction benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Since then, I have attended each NYFW. So, between the February round of shows and the September round of shows, that means I have now attended NYFW six times. Plus, I’ve attended London, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks several times as well.

NYFW: Then Versus Now

As time has evolved, my strategy for approaching fashion week has evolved too. Early on, I was just happy to be there! The fashion world was a whole new and different world to me, as I continued to work in engineering and finance. From the runway shows to presentations, and the like, it was such a new experience. Slowly, though, I began toying with the idea of entering the fashion business via this website.

As I launched Wear + Where + Well, it became more important that I capitalize on the opportunities of NYFW. I had two goals:

1. Attend as many fashion shows as possible
2. Get photographed as much as possible for my street style looks.

You can see that strategy reflected in the press section, as I was very fortunate to get some great press coverage. That press coverage was important from a business perspective, as I was a total newcomer to the industry.

This time, my approach was completely different.

Several factors, both business and personal, drove this shift in approach. Primarily, business-wise, this website, and the associated brand identity are now more established. I’ve honed in on the type of fashion and designers that we feature here.

As you have probably noticed, we focus on emerging designers, established designers doing new, different, innovative things in the industry, and generally quality designers whom you may not yet know about. Of course, all of that is done with a focus on colorful designs!

My Approach This Season

With that said, I changed my objectives this time. I cut back on my show schedule. I took a more measured approach by only saying yes to brands that really resonate with me personally and with the Wear + Where + Well brand aesthetic. I took the time to meet with some brands and PR agencies with whom we’d like to partner. I didn’t worry about rushing around to every single show this time. Instead, I high-graded my schedule to spend my time and energy more wisely.

Shows Versus Presentations

Plus, I noticed a refreshing change: more brands are doing presentations, rather than shows, these days. In case you aren’t familiar with the difference between a show and a presentation, it’s pretty simple. A “show” denotes a classic runway exhibition. These shows are expensive to produce, plus the actual show lasts only about ten minutes, during which the models chassé down the runway quickly, making it hard to soak in the details of the collection. Conversely, a “presentation” means the collection is presented in a come-and-go atmosphere in which you can look through the collection at your own pace, getting up close and personal with the garments. I love being able to see the details of the fabrics and colors and textures!

Conversely, a “presentation” means the collection is presented in a come-and-go atmosphere in which you can look through the collection at your own pace, getting up close and personal with the garments. I love being able to see the details of the fabrics and colors and textures!

Having said all that, I’ll share more about my favorite collections, plus discuss trends I saw emerging from NYFW in a separate article. For now, here is a round-up of some of my looks…

A Round Up of My Looks from NYFW

Look 1

You’ll notice in general that I took a more casual approach to NYFW this time. Practicality drove this decision. NYFW activities are no longer centered in one location, as they used to be at Lincoln Center. That means that a lot of time is spent in Ubers and taxis and walking from show to show.

This first look centered around this gorgeous Alexis top I spotted on Intermix. This fall, I look forward to dressing it up with black pixie pants and some classic black pumps. But for fashion week, I made it a bit edgier by mixing it with these Tu Es Mon Tresor pearl jeans I’ve had for a few years, my beloved Bao Bao Issey Miyake tote bag, plus these Stella McCartney slip-on platforms.

Photos by Holly McGlynn

Look 2

I built this second look around two of my favorite designers (Sachin & Babi and Elena Ghisellini), plus a huge dose of comfort. After all, what’s not to love about an off-the-shoulder top with bows on the sleeves? The colorful bag makes quite a statement too! It’s not yet available, but will be soon, and I’ll keep you posted. I finished off the look with these wonderfully  frayed jeans plus my ever-present Golden Goose sneakers.

Photos by Holly McGlynn

Look 3

Delpozo embodies all of my fashion dreams. Architectural and fashion forward in nature, Delpozo pieces never disappoint. While they are definitely investment pieces, I’ve made it a habit of picking one Delpozo piece to splurge on to wear during fashion week and well beyond. That habit is evidenced here, here, here, and here.  These looks are some of my favorite looks ever!

So, of course, I had to continue the tradition this season with this dress. I added in some statement heels, a fun Edie Parker clutch, and a big smile, and called it good.

Photos by Mangue Banzima, spotted with my friend Samantha of The Eye Travels

Look 4

For this day, the main event was actually a polo tournament. Town & Country magazine graciously hosted us at the East Coast Polo Championships in Greenwich. That outing turned out to be a delightful break from NYFW activities. So, this outfit was planned more for the polo match that the NYC streets, but nevertheless we did stop by a fashion show on our way out of the city.

And can you tell I’m obsessed with Caroline Constas? Here is another look from the designer I’ve featured so many times. Needless to say, I am quite certain I need to pre-order this new colorful striped design.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my thinking as it pertained to fashion week this time.

On a side note, thank you all so much for your enthusiastic support for the first edition of Wall Wanderings! Your response to our Houston Mural Guide has been tremendous. Please keep sharing with your friends.

Plus, let us know if you have any ideas for our next Wall Wanderings city!

Finally, be sure to check out the totally updated Wear + Where + Well boutique, as well as the top ten selections of the week under “Carrie Curates” on the home page.

Have a great Monday!