How I Prep for NYFW + How To Attend As A Blogger

Yes, you read that right. New York Fashion Week is right around the corner, officially beginning Friday, September 6th. Which means prep for NYFW starts now (actually, officially last week for me, by the time you see this post). The two most important things to me are: number one being able to attend the shows I want to cover and number two having outfits I’m both proud of and comfortable in.

Check out my past New York Fashion Week coverage. 

Today I’m going to share a general overview of how I prep for NYFW and how to attend as a blogger. It’s such a magical time in New York City. It’s my favorite time to people watch and take in all the street style. If you’re thinking of attending New York Fashion Week, it’s time to start reaching out! I’ve added tips, contact lists and the official schedule in this post!

How I Prep for NYFW and How To Attend As A Blogger

Schedule

The official NYFW schedule can be found here. Because I work during the week (more things I bet you didn’t know about me here), I like to attend the bulk of my shows over the weekend. Check out the schedule and make your wishlist. The schedule will continue to update a bit so you should check back in from time to time.

Also, if you know a brand has shown during fashion week in the past but you don’t see them on the list, it could be because they aren’t a member of the Fashion Calendar. So it’s important that you still reach out. You can also check this schedule, that in addition to the overall schedule, highlights events open to the public.

Overall reaching out is a great way to let brands know you are attending fashion week and are interested in reporting on their brand.

Getting Invited and Reaching Out to Cover Shows

I highly suggest downloading the GPS radar app. As you attend more shows and go to more fashion week events, you will be invited to more events through this app. Since I’ve been attending NYFW for three years now I receive a number of my invites solely through the app.

Don’t forget about behind the scenes. You can also reach out to beauty and hair brands for behind the scenes coverage. There have been many times where the brand didn’t have a seat for me at a show but I was still able to support and cover the event from behind the scenes, which I think is still a really fun way to showcase fashion week, especially if your site focuses on beauty.

Most of the contact information for brands can be found here. You can also individually check their website’s contact tab and look for a press or marketing contact there.

First-timers… 

We all know how saturated the fashion blogging space is, so getting tickets to fashion week shows is very competitive. Couture Fashion Week tends to be a bit less competitive when it comes to coverage and falls during the same. You can apply for press accreditation here. You should also check Fashion Week Online for any shows open to the public if you’re local and looking to get your feet wet for your first fashion week!

Partnering with local news or media outlets is also a great way to diversify yourself from the crowd! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box to make yourself and your brand look extra special in your pitches.

Know Where You’re Going

As I start receiving invites, I immediately calendar them on my phone. Whatever you need to do, make sure you write everything down. You don’t want to RSVP yes to something and then totally forget about and skip it. Would you want to invite someone to an event again if they stood you up? Nope.

If you’re not very familiar or comfortable commuting around NYC I suggest making a list in excel or word and using google maps to time everything. Then, add in an extra ten-fifteen minutes as a buffer. It’s very rare a show starts on time so if you have a 10:00 a.m. show uptown and an 11:00 a.m. show downtown there’s a good chance you’ll miss your 11 a.m.

Pro tip: If the locations aren’t close by (less than 15 minutes on google maps) I would pick your favorite show to attend, and decline the other one.

Get The Shot

Be sure to have a backup charger for your phone, I use one similar to this one. (mine is very old now!) There is NOTHING worse than finally arriving at an amazing show with a dead battery. You’re there to work and create content so this can be a total disappointment for you and the brand.

Second, make sure you have space on your phone for the photos. While I haven’t run into this problem since I finally upgraded my phone, deleting extra photos is a great practice. Have enough space for all the great content you’re going to get! OR make sure you have a memory card large enough for your DSLR.

Outfits

While prep for my NYFW outfits may start in August, with the way the weather is I like to have items that are flexible and easy to wear. Now, to borrow or to shop?

I’ve never been huge on borrowing, as it’s quite a headache if you don’t have an assistant or help to keep everything organized. Big-ticket items require a signed contract and you have to make sure every item gets back to where you got it from. Messengers in NYC aren’t cheap either, and it’s really my only option since I work fulltime.

That said, New York Fashion Week is a great time to borrow items. While I like to wear clothes that are shoppable at that moment, borrowing clothing is a way to support the brands I love, especially if they don’t have an official show during fashion week. So this year I might borrow a few items to show my support for brands that I love.

Want to know what I might purchase for NYFW? Then sign up for my newsletter! I’ll be sharing five items to wear for fashion week and all Fall this week to my newsletter subscribers only!

Shop Statement Items for Fashion Week + Fall

My top picks from Bloomingdale’s, Shopbop, Sunglass Hut and Madewell

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