I want to start this post off by saying this: ANYONE can go to New York during New York Fashion Week. You could have JUST started your blog a week ago and you can still go and see a show. Your blog popularity will determine which shows you get into, but you don’t have to have a huge following to get into everything. I am so excited to be sharing exactly how I got to go to New York with these New York Fashion Week Tips. Hopefully you realize you can go next season after reading these!

BEFORE NYC

Tip 1: Be confident. I was so down about NYFW at first. I was wallowing. I didn’t think I was going to get to do anything fun there. I haven’t been blogging for that long and my numbers are average. It wasn’t until I believed in myself and my blog that I finally got motivated and started reaching out. I missed out on a lot by waiting so long.

Tip 2: Reach Out. Don’t sit there and wait for all of these invites to come to you. Even if you have already been before, there is a chance you won’t get invited again.

When to reach out: For the BIG BRANDS, reach out at least a month in advance. You may not even know if you will be there during the time of their show, but it is better to get ahead of the game. The bigger brands have more intimate shows, which means less room for you. For the smaller brands. You can start reaching out about 2 weeks in advance. They need to fill their seats, so most likely they will have room for you (even if it is only standing room).

Where to get contact information: From their website, duh. No one realizes that most press contacts are actually listed on their website. I got invited to the Gigi New York boat cruise just by emailing the contact listed on their website. This is how I got invited to MOST of the shows. I took the schedule and just went down the list of every single brand, went to their website, and emailed all the contacts on there. Don’t just email one, I would suggest emailing at LEAST 2 of the contacts (in separate emails). Most likely, the other person will forward it on and someone in the company will have TWO different emails from you.

What to say: I always change up my email a little. You don’t want it to sound scripted. Tell them WHY you love their brand and what it means to you (even if you have never heard of it). Do you own something from the brand? If so, LINK IT! Link to any blog posts you have featuring that brand. They love that stuff! I never come right out and say ‘I want an invite to your show’. My emails were a little broader. I said I would love to be involved in WHATEVER they have going on, or I would love to meet up with a representative from the brand. Even if you don’t get into a show you could make a great connection! Your subject line is EVERYTHING. They are seeing the same emails from bloggers every day leading up to NYFW. Thousands of emails. Yours needs to stand out. Mine had (Brand) x The Miller Affect.

Bonus: SHARE, SHARE, SHARE. Share your contacts with other people going. Who cares if they get in to the same show you got into, or even into a show ? Bloggers are so competitive and it is so dumb. The best bloggers realize how much the blogging community in general can help them! I reached out to my Facebook group and got tons of contacts that way and then I reached out to some other Dallas bloggers going and got tons more contacts! I also shared whatever I received as well. Now I have 3x the contacts that I started with!!

Bonus: Some people will say the event is full. ASK to be added to the wait list if they have one. There is a great chance you will end up getting an invite!

Tip 3: Write it in a planner or keep it in a calendar app: Have you bought THESE pens yet? They are GEL pens but they also ERASE. I mean, I am obsessed. I write in my planner every day with these pens. It was FULL for NYFW. Every time something new came up for NYFW I wrote it down. I also tried to include the address (which helped later on). I did this to make sure 1. I wasn’t double booking and 2. if I was, that I removed the one less important to me. If there was a big gap in my schedule, I tried to fill it. Later, I ended up getting the Sunrise app, and I put all the events and addresses in there. I am so glad I did this because I did NOT carry around my planner with me everywhere. It just didn’t fit in most of my purses haha! You can get this amazing planner HERE (yes, it comes with stickers!)

Tip 4: When to ask for a +1. ONLY ask for a plus one if you are invited to a party. Asking for more than one is tacky. NEVER ask for a +1 for a fashion show. You may find yourself uninvited next season. It is definitely considered a faux pas. You will have to attend most shows by yourself.

Tip 5: Packing. Did you see my post on showrooms? Basically, if you can schedule a few showroom appointments BEFORE you go to NYFW, you really don’t need to pack that much. Just make sure you try to go to them the first day you are there. You can pretty much pick out your outfits for the entire week. Most PR companies and brands let you leave them at your hotel and they come and pick them up! You can find a list of NY PR companies HERE and HERE. There are also many more, so just use Google to find them! Just reach out about a month in advance and ask if they will have a showroom. You can also reach out to brands separately and go to their showroom. Most brands WILL have a showroom in NY during fashion week, so contact the ones you love most. Especially try to contact PR firms you have already worked for. It is great to meet them face to face. They will remember you later on when their client is looking for someone!

Pack clothes that will stand out. Don’t look to see what everyone else is wearing. Put together some funky stuff that you love. There are photographers everywhere. If you are wearing a cute sweater and jeans they ARE NOT going to stop you. If you are wearing an amazing polka dot ensemble, like my friend Fashion and Frills, you may even find yourself on E!. Be colorful, edgy, and trendy! You never know who is videoing or shooting around you. Next time I am definitely not going to be as safe with my outfits!

Pack flats!! You don’t want your feet to ruin your trip! Pack some flats you can fold up into your purse and carry your heels if you have to. When you are about a block from the event, that is when you change back into your heels!!

Tip 6: Get the GPS Fashion Radar app (in app store) AND sign up for a Fohr Card. I recommend doing this TODAY and working on increasing your stats. I have been contacted many times by having each. I JUST got contacted for a campaign with H&M!!! GPS and Fohr is a great way for brands to see who all is coming to Fashion Week. You need to have them downloaded a couple of months before in case they are getting their seating charts/guest lists ready ahead of time.

WHILE IN NYC

Tip 1: Take ubers to and from the airport and take cabs everywhere else. The surge rate for uber during a busy time in NYC is around 2.8 and they ask for a minimum ride of $22. You can take a taxi a few blocks for about $5.

Tip 2: Traveling with a bunch of people? Keep track of everything yall are spending. Take turns getting the cabs and food and divvy it all up at the end. Just use the notes in your phone to keep track of who you owe, and why (or who owes you). Trying to split the bill at a restaurant or in a taxi is very time consuming and time is not your friend in NYC.

Tip 3: Eat at a restaurant that is close to your event. Don’t eat by your hotel or by the event you just left. GET THERE FIRST. You never know what kind of schedule the restaurant is on. You don’t want to have to rush out without finishing your meal. You need whatever nourishment you can get while you are there. Traffic is also unpredictable. It is much easier to pull up Yelp when you jump out of the cab. You can see how much time you have left, and decide on a place to eat based on that. So many people missed shows this year. They aren’t at Lincoln Center anymore. Get there first, and then use whatever time you have to freshen up, eat, take photos, etc.

Tip 4: Be Social. Don’t be on your phone all the time. Your surroundings are much more important. I talked to and met with everyone I could. No one is better than you and you aren’t better than anyone. Being friendly leaves a huge mark on people in the blogging world. Just be yourself and introduce yourself. I made some amazing relationships while I was there and I cannot wait to see them again and make more next time! Being stuck in your own click and not talking to anyone else is the worst mistake you can make!

Tip 5: Prioritize. Most likely you will be running behind while in NYC. Make sure you prioritize. I had to skip some meetings and shows because getting across town wasn’t going to be worth me being late for another event.

Tip 6: Enjoy the moments. I love New York City and I tried to enjoy every spot I was in. If you don’t, the week will fly by in a flash and you won’t remember any of those amazing places you were at.

AFTER NYFW

Tip 1: FOLLOW UP. Most of the people you met with met up with tons of other people after you. You probably are not on their mind after a crazy week. Follow up as soon as you get back! Thank them for whatever they did for you and tell them you look forward to working with them in the future, or meeting them again. This goes a lonnnggg way. Send a quick email or a long hand note with a cute card. 🙂

I hope these tips helped! I would love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions you may have! Also, if you have been to NYFW and I left something out, please leave a comment below!

The Outfit:

This is the outfit I wore to the Reward Style party 🙂

Dress: C/meo Collective, BKNR

Shoes: Nordstrom

Purse: Amazon

Lipstick: Mac (dark side)

Earrings: Wren & Glory

Bracelet: Kendra Scott