How to Attend a NYFW Show
No, you don’t need to have 100K+ Instagram followers to read this.
About one week after I moved to New York City for college, I found myself sitting at a New York Fashion Week SS17 show. It’s the experience that I’d always dreamed of. During a typical fashion week, my Instagram Stories are flooded with front row footage from my favorite fashion influencers, and I spend the days envious of their opportunities. What I quickly found out almost four years ago, however, was that it wasn’t all that difficult to make these opportunities for myself.
Fashion Week in any city is a big deal, and for a naive freshman in New York, scoping out the scene for major industry figures was a must-do. Eager to get out and immerse ourselves in the city, my new friend (now present-day co-founder of C&W) and I impulsively hailed a cab to the first NYFW venue that appeared in our Google search. Upon arrival, we were met with long lines alongside barricades outside of a building with a brightly-lit “NYFW The Shows” sign just above the entrance. Realizing we had no plan past calling a car to take us to the venue, we decided to take a few pictures in the area and wait nearby, hopeful for a celebrity sighting. While standing outside, we were approached by security personnel, whom we expected to tell us that we needed to move elsewhere. To our surprise, we were offered admission tickets to the upcoming show, excitedly accepted and made our way to the end of the line of fellow attendees. We slowly followed a line filled with industry micro-influencers to a large room, where we were placed in seats in the fourth row from the runway. The show commenced as my younger self beamed with satisfaction.
My experience attending a show in Manhattan may have been more of a “right place, right time” situation, but nonetheless, I have certainly come to acquire some tips for accessing these fashion shows over my four years as a student and intern in New York City, all of which I’ll be listing out below. If attending a show during Fashion Week has been a dream of yours, as it was mine, remember that it is absolutely possible if you’re willing to make some effort. Find a few steps to success below.
#1: Do your research.
Find out when smaller designers are hosting shows. Chances are, if it’s a lesser-known designer’s fashion week debut, they will need a bit more help filling their audience.
#2: Contact industry personnel.
After gaining experience in the industry, I learned that Fashion Week(s) is an “all hands on deck” time for fashion houses and retailers alike. Many companies look for volunteers to help out with setup, breakdown, backstage maintenance, and several other tasks which could be your ticket (albeit less glamorous) in the door.
#3: Don’t be afraid to take the chance.
If you don’t get in, who cares? The great thing about New York is that you’re never dressed up for nothing. There will always be a second option.
