NYFW Fall 2016: Fashion Week Floral
It's that time of the year again... Street style photographers flock on the corners, celebrities come out to mingle amongst us common folk, everyone is dressed to the nines in the latest trends, and the events are each more elaborate than the next, all a gaggle of vying for attention. I'm considering my wonderful experiences this NYFW to be a sort of birthday present to ring in my 21st.
First, on Thursday I attended the Cynthia Rowley presentation, which constituted a fascinating array of feathers floating around models tucked into what looked to be a warehouse in the West Village. After finally making it through the long line, I entered the crowded space and headed straight to the back of the room where the models were on display and a group had gathered to get a closer look and a photo. Through a sheer netting hung about three-quarters of the way back, the models frolicked in a shower of white feathers like something out of a teenage boys' slumber party fantasy sequence in an 80s movie. There was a slit down the center of the netting to peek in and get a more clear look -- this was where the spectators were vying for space, sticking out their phones and cameras trying to snap some pics of the scene. I ducked under the chaos and crouched by the slit to snap pics, realizing too late it meant I would quickly become covered in the feathers. The clothes were adorable, lending more to that 70s and 80s retro vibe, with bell sleeves, jewel tones, and embroidery to the nines. When I resurfaced I mingled a little, bumping shoulders with the likes of Jessica Lowndes and Whitney Port, even briefly meeting Cynthia Rowley herself who was so friendly and chic.
The next night, I had a ticket for the Tommy Pier, equal parts a chic Americana-themed carnival and a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show. I threw on my navy and white and walked over to the Seaport, where I was ushered in amongst a vast crowd. I have to say it was hands down the best fashion show I've ever been to and if that isn't saying much, the people I talked to seemed to agree. There was so much energy and excitement built up as I walked down the length of the pier enjoying complementary food like mozzarella sticks, donuts, lobster rolls, and french fries, and playing carnival games like ring toss. I took some photos in the photo booth at the end of the pier then staked out a good spot to watch the show, right by the ferris wheel. The music suddenly picked up and on a screen behind me I watched as Gigi Hadid herself emerged to open the show. The pier had been divided down the middle so that the left side was all a VIP seating area and the main runway, but the runway turned at the end of the pier and the models then walked back up between the general admissions guests like myself. It was a rush as famous faces breezed past me, mere inches away from my outstretched phone taking videos. Sara Sampaio, Hailey Baldwin, and Josephin Skriver paraded past in a flurry and the pop music set a fast pace. I barely noticed the clothes, but it was more about the atmosphere anyways. After the show, I was the first one on the ferris wheel to get a view of the whole scene. I was so hyped from the show that I didn't mind sitting there taking it all in for awhile. Then I walked around for awhile playing more carnival games, snacking on the yummy food, and perusing the collection which was available to shop right there. The clothes are so gorgeous, nautical themed and classic pieces, almost no colors other than navy, white, and red. As I was nearing the entrance to the pier and had just grabbed a cone of french fries it started down pouring and I (and the whole crowd) ran for cover under the FDR overpass. I happily waited out the rain by finishing my fries, then headed home ecstatic.
Saturday brought the Shopstyle Social House, which I attended last season and had been looking forward to since then. Kate and I showed up early and began to enjoy the melee of things to do. We were gifted necklaces from Baublebar, a purse from Gigi New York, a scarf from Sole Society, and we rented pieces from brands like Yumi Kim, Milly, Trina Turk, and more. The SSSocialHouse is like a candy store for bloggers as everyone flocked to try on clothes, get their photos taken, network with new people, style new outfits, and stay hydrated with the constant supply of bubbly. We stayed for hours enjoying all of the different stations and taking in the two floors of activity in a gorgeous venue in Chelsea overlooking the city. By the time we left, we had plans to do other things that afternoon, but we were both so completely exhausted that we wound up crashing pretty early. A fun but exhausting day for sure.
It was such a wonderful and interactive fashion week. No more are fashion shows a quick ordeal where you sit in a chair, watch some models strut on a runway, and leave; rather, brands are moving increasingly towards creating an entire experience and I've seen ever more shoppable shows that allow guests to shop collections immediately instead of waiting the typical six months for a piece to go on sale. With a rising consumer impatience brands have to fashion fresh and creative ways to communicate their collections. It will be fun to see how fashion week continues to evolve.
Shop my outfit below:
