For the first time for five seasons: I will not be attending NYFW this year.
I’m not gonna lie. It feels bizarre, and I’m starting to get a bit of FOMO seeing some of these show/event invites roll in. But you know what? I needed a break, for several reasons. Here’s why I’m skipping New York Fashion Week this season (and how I hustled in NYC last week!)
Dress: Opening Ceremony | Shoes: Dolce Vita | Bag: Tory Burch | Earrings: ℅ Kendra Scott | Lip: ℅ Bobbi Brown ‘Burnt Cherry’
Let’s be clear: Fashion Week has its pros and cons. I had the time of my life last NYFW because I stopped caring. I only went to shows that I wanted to go to, hung out with people that I genuinely adored, and stopped being so concerned if I had the best outfit in the world. News flash: I am a normal person with a modest budget. Of course I’m not going to be the best-dressed person at NYFW, and that’s okay. I wore pieces that I loved and that were attainable for me and had the time of my life last season.
Trust me; I’ll most likely be back in September. But here’s why I’m taking a breather this February!
Why I’m Skipping NYFW This Season:
I’ll Be Vacationing With My Family
Well, the number one obvious reason why I’m not going? My mom and I are headed on vacation to Hawaii in February, and I’ll be overseas for the first three days of NYFW. For years, I’ve turned plans with friends/family and put my life on hold because of this sacred week, but this time, I decided to spend time with loved ones. I travel a lot for my blog, but I don’t actually “vacation” very often — so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to actually unplug for once!
It’s Expensive AF
Between the hotels, the Ubers, the meals — NYFW is not cheap, my friends! And honestly? I want to travel the world! Since I’ve attended NYFW several times in the past, I’d much rather take those funds and travel somewhere I haven’t been before. I took the money I would have used for NYFW and booked a trip to Argentina instead with Tom for my birthday in early March…SO pumped!
Fashion Isn’t As Large of a Vertical For Me
A little background: I was initially a fashion merchandising major in college, and I always envisioned myself growing up to be a hotshot fashion PR girl in NYC. Welp, I spent six months in NYC interning in the fashion industry…and quickly learned that it was not for me. At all.
I launched my website after my disappointing experience in NYC, and I focused solely on fashion when I first started blogging in my early twenties. Now that I’m almost 30, I’ve introduced other verticals on the blog, and I consider myself to be more of a lifestyle blogger than a fashion blogger since I like to cover a variety of topics.
I love drawing inspiration from the higher-end brands that I see at NYFW and predicting trends based on what I saw on the runway. However, over the last year, my travel posts have been pulling the most traffic for me, and my fashion content isn’t as evergreen as I’d like it to be. I’m going back to the drawing board and seeing how I can rework my original vertical for you guys, but until then: it might be best for me to bow out of this season’s NYFW.
It’s The Worst Week to Network
Influencers from all over the world descend upon NYC for Fashion Week, and while I manage to get a few meetings on the calendar each season, I don’t get to network as much as I would want to because it’s just so over-saturated. NYC is only a quick train ride away for me, and I’ve been able to land way more meetings when I visit outside of NYFW. Plus? It’s a lot easier to meet with brands when you don’t have a bunch of shows/activations on the schedule!
I headed up to NYC this past weekend for the New York Times Travel Show, and I was shocked: one, hotel prices were super cheap and two, I had a lot more opportunities for face-to-face time with my favorite brands. It was honestly a magical experience! My goal is to start coming up to NYC at least four times a year for meetings and leisure — it was a treat to experience the greatest city in the world outside of the craziness of NYFW
Don’t Worry; I’ll Be Back
As I said before, NYFW isn’t horrible and deep down, I’ll always love it. There are definitely cons, but in some instances, the pros can outweigh the cons and it can be a great opportunity to network and create content. However, I think it’s perfectly fine to give yourself a break, spend more time with your family/loved ones, and regroup for next season! NYFW: this isn’t goodbye, it’s just a see you later.
