NYFW 2019 Travel Diary: Day 1.

     Two weeks ago today, I was boarding a plane bound for New York City and my very first NYFW! Today I'm so excited to begin my in-depth recaps of the shows that I attended, as well as fun NYC things that Gentry and I did. Our first day, Friday February 8th, was our busiest day, so today's post will just focus on recapping that!

     In case you've missed it, I've already shared a full post all about my Friday outfit, and I've also shared why I went to NYFW, my NYFW vlog, and a post that breaks down where to find show and event invites (especially if you have a smaller blog following!). 

     I actually flew into NYC on Thursday night, so that I could spend a night with my aunt and uncle who live in Long Island! I don't get to see them very often anymore since I live in the South, so it was so nice to spend a night with them and get all caught up. My uncle kindly drove me back to the airport on Friday morning, where I would meet Gentry in person for the first time! 

     We found each other in the baggage claim of her terminal, and then split a cab to get to our hotel. (Side note: one of the many reasons I'm so glad I had a blogger friend to do NYC with is to split cab and uber costs!! It adds up fast!) Gentry and I stayed at The Row Hotel, located a block away from Times Square. Although travel content is something that I've been working a lot more on in the past year of blogging, I had zero desire to try and pitch for a hotel collaboration for NYFW. I've heard from other bloggers that have gone in the past that it's extremely competitive as so many bloggers are all reaching out for the same dates. Gentry and I found a great deal for the Row back in December, so we quickly booked it and paid for it ourselves, and that was a great decision! The rooms at The Row Hotel are very small and no-frills (they reminded me of European hotel rooms), but we weren't in NYC to hang out in the hotel, so this perfectly fit our needs.  And the rates of this hotel plus the amazing location couldn't be beat! (You can see just a little bit of Times Square in the first photo below, as we were one block away!)

    After checking in, we hurried to get ready for our first fashion show, and then called an Uber! The first of the three that we attended during NYFW was Fashion Hong Kong- which featured three different designers from Hong Kong. This show was held at Industria in West Village, which I learned is a prominent venue for NYFW shows. (You can learn more about Industria here.) 

     Here is where Gentry and I learned our first important lesson about NYFW: fashion shows = long lines! We showed up for the Fashion Hong Kong show about 40 minutes early, before the line started. However, since this was our first show we didn't know anything about lines, so instead of going right to the door, we headed across the street to take some pictures of our outfits. We finished that about 10-15 minutes later, crossed the street again... and saw a lined had formed at the front of the building with at least 100 people waiting! YIKES! Safe to say we learned our lesson, for the other shows we attended we immediately got right in line. I also took this time to do a glamorous shoe change... I took off my walking shoes for a pair of pumps (from a Kroger shopping bag!). So glad I had Gentry capture this behind-the-scenes picture.

     Fashion Hong Kong featured designers 112 mountainyam, Anveglosa and Heaven Please+. My two favorites were Anveglosa and Heaven Please+. Anveglosa is a line known for strong leather silhouettes, and this collection featured a lot of structured coats. Heaven Please+ brought of lot of bold colors to their fall collection, with amazing hues like lavender and dark green. 

     I liked all of the fashion shows that we attended (for different reasons), but Fashion Hong Kong was extra special since that was our first show! I know both Gentry and I were just ecstatic after it ended. We had hair appointments for a collaboration with Palms Salon a couple hours after, so when the show ended we started walking to W 14th Street, where the salon is! We stopped a few times along the way to take pictures- why is every street in NYC just so scenic?

     Gentry and I loved getting our hair done at the Palms Salon! It was so nice of them to collaborate with us, and give us each blow-outs for our evening events. Can I just say too that this salon had the most adorable decor and vibe? I literally felt like I had stepped into a tropical, palm tree-filled oasis!

     Here is the before and after of our hair! Didn't it look great?

    After our hair appointments, I had a great surprise! The NYC location of one of my very favorite Charlotte restaurants, Vapiano, was just a couple blocks away! Vapiano is an international Italian restaurant chain that's in a few US cities. I'd only been to the Charlotte one before, and I've always wanted to visit another. I'm happy to report the NYC location was just as good! 

     There was another treat right across the street from Vapiano. A Nutella cafe!! That's right- a restaurant dedicated solely to Nutella. Am I dreaming? Gentry and I had to get over to our evening fashion show, but I did run in there to grab a frozen Nutella pop, that I enjoyed as we walked. 

     

     Our second show of Fashion Week was Friday night, at Chelsea Piers, which was close enough for us to walk there after dinner (anything to save $$ on Uber!). To be honest... I'm still not exactly sure what Chelsea Piers is. It's huge, and described as a sports and entertainment complex. I know I saw signs for golf club, field house, and much more. There is something within Chelsea Piers called Pier 59 Studios, and this is another popular NYFW show venue. Our our Friday evening and Saturday shows were both here. 

     This time Gentry and I thankfully anticipated waiting in line before the show! So the long line wasn't a surprise. We had standing tickets for both of our Friday shows, so once we were let into the room we found what we thought was the best location to still see and take pictures behind everyone who was seated. 

     This show was put on by CAAFD (Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers), and featured three designers: Mouton Blanc, iMi by Imogen Evans, and Ruth Zabetta. Mouton Blanc's collection was described as being full of "fiery" pieces, and I think that's pretty accurate! That collection featured some things that were very out there, but seemed to work in a runway setting. 

     This next piece was like a full body unitard... that even covered the face? So interesting- yet I think this was actually one of my favorite looks from all of NYFW since it was so unique!

    Imogen Evans' collection was probably the most different that I saw out of all the shows I attended. Her designs were quite bizarre (for lack of a better term), and featured full body... blankets? (Think like Snuggies on the runway!) I later read in the press release recap for her show that her designs were supposed to convey a message about sexual assault- and that women aren't immune from it even when dressed modestly and unattractively. I appreciate her collection so much more now that I know the message behind it! 

     And finally- Ruth Zabetta! Her fall collection was very chic, and exactly what would come to mind when I think "NYC Fashion." These looked like outfits that a stylish businesswoman would wear as she darts around the city for both work and play.

    After the CAAFD show wrapped, we met up with a few other bloggers outside of Chelsea Piers, to split an Uber with them to our next destination. We found all of these girls via an Instagram group DM filled with bloggers who were in town for Fashion Week! All of us were headed to a blogger meet-up at Bar Hugo, the rooftop bar at Hotel Hugo. 

      The meet-up was such a fun way to end our busy day!! There were a lot of girls who attended- probably 30+ people? Some of the lovely ladies that I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with included Payton, Kylee, Anna, Vanessa and many more. A lot of other bloggers were there for their first NYFW as well, so Gentry and I definitely were't alone! The views from Bar Hugo were also very cool- although on future trips to NYC I might prefer to check out some outdoor rooftop bars (it felt a little claustrophobic at times since there were so many bloggers there for the meet-up, plus regular bar patrons!). 

    After enjoying socializing and a couple of beverages, we finally called our Uber and went back to our hotel for the night. WHEW! What a day!! To think I'd woken up at 5:30 that morning in my aunt and uncle's house in Long Island... and then was able to have all these amazing Fashion Week experiences in less than 24 hours. I'm so excited to share my recap of days 2 +3 with y'all as well! That will be on the blog soon. Thanks for making it to the end of this very long post! 

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese