The most wonderful time of the year: NYFW. Street style, model spotting, and envy of those lucky few who receive invitations, all fall within the spectrum of emotions and experiences a fashion student living in New York City experience (or suffer through?).
Having gone through the emotional downfall when realizing that the “fashion week sign-ups” FIT offers to newly arrived freshmen (& the rest of the campus, but why would you bother?) were a special form of bologna served on a silver platter, fashion week became a struggle. A struggle, you ask? Yes. How so, you say? Why I’ll tell you. Cautiously preventing ankle breakage on the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District while showing off your spectacular set of heels (purchased solely for fashion week purposes) while simultaneously ‘smizing’ through the pain. Only to wait outside of every runway show in hopes of a glimpse of the greatest fashion moguls in the world. Actually seeing the show? forget about it. It happens once in a lifetime for the fashion hungry students who flock to the shows’ backstage doors in hopes of a dream come true.
Therefore, who you know gets you places. And in my case, one of my best friends happens to be an intern at Opening Ceremony (cue heavenly music).
Working backstage at a runway show during NYFW has all the glitz and glamour one would imagine. Walking into the well guarded West side pier was like walking into a movie. Rows of vanity mirrors with black fabric chairs facing. Each mirror sported individual lights for each of the makeup artists to use with their models. Rows of only the healthiest snacks from a mini juicing bar to a quinoa salad bar to endless amounts of coffee and portion controlled candies (we all need a sugar rush). Look boards with each individual outfit styled by the designer placed conveniently by racks on racks on racks of the latest collection, never before seen by the public eye.
Humberto and Carol (the head designers at Opening Ceremony) were some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were truly interested in what I had to say, even though I was just a young aspiring designer helping them out for the weekend.
Dressing for a runway show is much more than putting clothes on a model. From filling in for the models by walking the runway during sound and lighting tests in the day-before rehearsal to dressing ‘my 3 men’ for the actual show, and all the craziness in between, my fashion dream finally came true. Did I tell you that I actually got to ride in those Lamborghinis and Ferraris they used on the runway during rehearsal? Let alone see all the garments first hand. Yeah, who you know helps out a little bit. Never burn bridges my friends, fashion is much more tightly knit than one would ever believe. Pun intended. Plus, it’s fun to have friends.
Now only to hope that one day I’ll be the one sending my looks down the runway....
Dressing for a runway show is much more than putting clothes on a model. From filling in for the models by walking the runway during sound and lighting tests in the day-before rehearsal to dressing ‘my 3 men’ for the actual show, and all the craziness in between, my fashion dream finally came true. Did I tell you that I actually got to ride in those Lamborghinis and Ferraris they used on the runway during rehearsal? Let alone see all the garments first hand. Yeah, who you know helps out a little bit. Never burn bridges my friends, fashion is much more tightly knit than one would ever believe. Pun intended. Plus, it’s fun to have friends.
Now only to hope that one day I’ll be the one sending my looks down the runway....
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