How to Attend NYFW as a New Blogger + Style Tips

It’s that time of year again, NYFW is back for the Spring/Summer season and invites have already been going out. This year, I’m planning on attending NYFW for a couple of days to which I’ll be attending some shows and also some events for brands that I love and have featured in the past, but even when I first started out as a new blogger, I wasn’t quite sure as to how to attend NYFW.

But you’re probably here because you have two very big questions about attending NYFW – 1) “How can I attend NYFW? How do I get invites to shows at NYFW?” and then 2) “What do I wear to NYFW?”.

I’ve heard these questions over and over again, and honestly, when I began to want to attend NYFW, I asked myself the same questions.

Even to this day, when I am planning to attend NYFW, I ask myself what do I need to do to get invited to some of the bigger designer shows that I have wanted to attend for years, and then when I do get the invite, I stand in my closet for hours thinking about what I should wear.

There have been years where I have rented from Rent the Runway (which I tend to avoid now) and there have been years where I just wore what I felt like was comfortable for me, but then when I got to New York, I felt extremely underdressed. Over the years, I’ve figured out a few things about attending NYFW and I want to share first some tips on what to wear to NYFW and then tips on how to get invites to NYFW shows.

Tips ON HOW TO GET INVITES TO NYFW SHOWS + EVENTS

I’ve been asked numerous times about how I’ve gotten into NYFW, and to be honest, when I first started attending, I didn’t get invited to many shows and really didn’t know what I was doing.

My first year, I mostly attended just to be in the area of NYFW and to get a sense of how the entire event is handled with a hope that if I just showed up at some places, I might get lucky enough to get last minute entry to fill space and to sneak into events that weren’t really paying attention to the attendee list anymore.

Now as I have attended a few seasons of NYFW, I’ve learned a few things about attending and getting invites at NYFW. And every year I learn more and more about getting invites to shows, events, and showroom attendances.

I will be upfront to those who are reading this and may not be a blogger, influencer, or any type of media and say that it is a little harder to get into shows and events at NYFW if you’re not able to offer any exposure to showcase that brand, but it isn’t impossible.

PLAN MONTHS AHEAD

If you’re planning to attend NYFW, make sure that you begin your planning months ahead. You’ll need to secure a place to stay in New York as well as begin reaching out to brands, PR agencies, and designers to get yourself considered for an invitation. There are a lot of people who tend to want to attend some of the bigger shows and the list fills up very fast – especially with designers who already have their list of people who they are planning to invite.
LOOK FOR SMALLER SHOWS

If you haven’t attended NYFW in the past and don’t have many relations with PR agencies, designers or brands, then the best way to go is to start looking for smaller shows to get access to. These are usually newer designers who haven’t grown a big following just yet, and the team organizing the show is looking to fill the room and get as much exposure for the designer as possible. These events are typically listed on places such as GPS Radar which usually asks if your media, a buyer, or a brand.
REACH OUT TO PR AGENCIES

Do your research using the NYFW schedule. Look for shows that you want to attend and start searching for the PR agencies that represent those brands and send them an email introducing yourself and requesting an invitation. Keep in mind that the people on the other end of that email are getting quite a few requests so don’t feel bummed if you don’t get an answer. And don’t immediately give up if if gets to a few weeks before NYFW and you haven’t heard anything. There have been quite a few times where I didn’t get an invitation to a show that I requested until a few days before.
STAND OUTSIDE AND WAIT

On some rare occasions, you can actually get into a show or event without having an invitation before the show. In some situations, when a show opens up to begin letting people in, the team organizing realizes that there are still seats available and they want to fill them. The reason being is that when press is shooting, they want the room to look packed. So the team will rearrange seats and open up the room to those hanging around wanting to see the show or get into the event. So if you have time in your schedule and you know where a show is going to be, feel free to hang around the entrance and see if you find success. This situation is usually less successful for the bigger, more renowned brands and designers.
NETWORK & BE A PLUS ONE

NYFW is about networking. Before you head to NYFW, try to find others who are going and see if they have plus one tickets. Even more, if you happen to get into events, network with others to see what shows they may be going to and whether they wouldn’t mind bringing you along. There have been numerous times where I have made friends with other attendees at an event or another show and have found out that they are navigating around NYFW alone and would want some company. I’ve even invited people along with me to shows and events because of the same situation.
SET THE STAGE FOR NEXT YEAR

Even if you don’t hear back from some of the emails that you have sent, make sure to send an email to designers, PR agencies, reps, etc. following NYFW to give yourself a general introduction. Establish a relationship with the brand after they have settled from the rush of NYFW so that you can get yourself further in the door for next year. By establishing a relationship, you may get yourself to the point that they are reaching out to you with an invite.

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WHAT TO WEAR TO NYFW

Tips for Dressing for NYFW

We all have that moment no matter where we are going. We walk into our closet and look at our clothes and try to figure out what we are going to wear. But when it comes to wearing an outfit for NYFW, there is a lot more thought that we go through because of how fashionable the event is. There are many avenues to go when planning on what to wear, but my main tip is that you want to show of your personal style to it’s fullest. If you’re someone that is more on the grunge side – show that. If you’re a person who loves to dress in a more luxurious fashion – then SHOW THAT! You want to come dressed your best, but you want to make sure that you’re showing off your personal style and not the style of someone you saw that got photographed at NYFW. To be transparent about getting photographed, there are some that do get photos taken of them just based off of their street style. But many people who get photographed are there as an ambassador for a brand so that photographers have been keyed to keep an eye out for them and others are well-known fashion figures. Additionally, NYFW is also a networking function. When you’re attending shows and events at NYFW, there are also brand representatives there that may see you or that you run into that may pick you out because of your style. So if you’re wearing something that doesn’t fit you, then it becomes a “false-positive” encounter and you may also be missing out on opportunities that would have arisen by connecting with someone that was looking for your particular style that you decided not to wear.

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Key Tips FOR WHAT TO WEAR TO NYFW

DRESS YOUR STYLE

Just as I had mentioned before, the key thing about dressing for NYFW is to dress in your personal style. When you arrive at NYFW, you want to show off your fashion and who you are. For me, I classify my personal style as luxe feminine. I don’t necessarily wear luxury brand items, but I embody a luxe look, so I make sure to show that off when I head to NYFW.
TAKE IT UP A NOTCH

Take you personal style up a notch by wearing things that you wouldn’t wear walking down the street. NYFW is the event to where you can put on the outfit that you have been dying to wear but haven’t really had any place to wear it to. For example, this leopard print bustier isn’t something that I would wear on a normal basis, but is something that represents my personal style.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO RENT

There are a lot of clothing rental companies out there as well as brands who may let you rent their pieces just to show off their look. So here’s two things: 1) Reach out to designers who may be having showrooms in New York and ask about renting pieces that you’ll return at the end of NYFW that you can put into your overall look – they may even help you style the look entirely, or 2) go with rental companies such as Rent the Runway or Nuuly.
BUILD ON BASICS

Sometimes the best place to start is actually with basic items and then build from there. If you look at some of the looks at are photographed at NYFW, some of the looks include basic pieces that are highlighted by statement pieces or accessories. I’ve seen a variety of looks at NYFW that start with a neutral skirt, such as this black high-low skirt that are then elevated by statement handbags, a top with a little bit of flair and some amazing accesories.