New York Fashion Week is upon us, and for a select group of individuals, that means that things are about to get really hectic. I consider myself pretty lucky to call myself a member of this crowd: As a fashion editor at HuffPost Style part of my job is to attend as many fashion shows as possible, where I document new trends and Tweet every inane (and not so inane) thought that come into my head.
But with all the activity (over 250 designers show their collections over seven days in venues all over New York City), comes a certain amount of stress. There's the stress of timing (How am I going to get from 12th Avenue and Houston all the way uptown to Lincoln Center in an hour?), the stress of filing stories efficiently while on the go (Anyone know the Wi-Fi password here?), and of course, the fashion (it's 15 degrees and snowing, so ... peep-toe heels it is!). I manage New York Fashion Week the same way I manage the rest of my life: with lots of advance preparation.
Herewith, my five tips for surviving NYFW ... and looking fabulous while doing so.
Make lists, and check them twice. I live for lists, it's the only way I can remember all the things that I need to get done. The same technique works for fashion week. There are seven days of shows, so seven days of outfits to be planned (or more if you're crazy and change for each show). Rather than scrambling the morning of, I have a running list of outfits (including accessories) that I've worn before and loved.
Everything steamed and cleaned. There's nothing worse than pulling out the dress you had planned on wearing, only to see that it is sporting last season's coffee stain. Pull out the clothes that you are planning to wear and make sure they are clean, steamed and ready to go. I love to have my outfits on a rack with shoes and accessories laid out. (Yes, it's obsessive and possibly manic, but, hey, it's my job.)
Be (sort of) practical. We fashion gals are anything but practical. We live in six-inch heels and think that neoprene is appropriate for any occasion. New York Fashion Week really tests our limits, though. We want to wear our fiercest shoes and our most amazing frocks, but let's be honest: These long days are a marathon of dashing from one venue to the next, and if you don't have the luxury of a car service, then you need to be able to pound the pavement. And while that new Alexander Wang dress is nothing short of gorgeous, there's a reason it was on sale: It's from last summer, and it's not appropriate for these below-freezing temps. I'll still wear the new dress, but I'll also be wearing tights, a scarf and a serious coat.
Switch up for the weather. Snow and sleet are par for the course during fashion week, and it looks plain silly to navigate the slush in your open-toe sandals. My Sorel boots won't garner any attention from the likes of Bill Cunningham, but they will keep me warm and dry (frostbite isn't chic).
Try out new trends. New York Fashion Week is like the first day of school for the fashion industry, and with popularity of street style, people are peacocking more than ever. This is the time to try out the new trends because there will always be an Anna Dello Russo-type looking more ridiculous than I do in my color-blocked coat.