Highlights From My First New York Fashion Week

         I had such an awesome time at New York Fashion Week and I'm so grateful to my internship at Papercut Magazine for sending me. I got to interview emerging designers, meet cool people, see celebrities, get to know the city, and look at beautiful clothes! I conquered my fear of what I thought would be a complicated subway system and discovered that getting around wasn't nearly as overwhelming as I thought. I only got lost once!

          While I'll be writing individual posts about the shows later, here's an overall look at everything I did and the people I met last week!

The street style was exactly how I imagined it would be.

I learned that it's impossible to take good runway pictures if you don't have a professional camera. The models walk way too fast and the lighting completely washes them out!

I met Robert Verdi at my first show and he taught me how to take a selfie the celeb way!

I met designer Samantha Pleet and was mesmerized by her mountain stripe print.

Mary J. Blige brightened the models' days at Catherine Malandrino.

I snapped a photo of these three Teen Vogue elites looking fabulous in Chelsea.

I met super cool jewelry designer Heidi Gardner and fell in love with her and her amazing designs. Girl crush!

I hung out with my cousin Maddie and her boyfriend and they introduced me to the delicious artichoke pizza of a pizzeria called Artichoke. Who would've known!?

I also met their friends Jose and Sarah (not pictured).

I had a backstage pass at Mordekai by Ken Borochov and watched the models get hair and makeup done like a true fashion week reporter!

I sat front row at Daisy Fuentes and got a swag bag of free clothes and accessories.

I introduced myself to Teen Vogue writer, Andrew Bevan, who I'd taken that street style photo of the day before. He's such an inspiration and was incredibly nice to talk to! I don't think I stopped smiling for an hour after that!

Went to perhaps the coolest fashion party of the year. It was in a pier warehouse, everyone was dressed super fly, and it looked out on an awesome view of the city. 

And ended my fashion week experience with artfully abstract designs at a Parsons grad student show in Made's Milk Studios.

          Last week was definitely one of the coolest times of my life! I had the opportunity to go to NYFW much sooner than I ever dreamed and I experienced it with a fresh, optimistic outlook...something I realize goes away after you've seen hundreds of shows because it's your job!   Everyone I met was really friendly and I'm happy I got to see more sides of the city than I have in previous trips. A huge thank you to Maddie Allen for letting me stay with her and to her friends for making me feel welcomed in a sometimes overwhelming city!

Brunch at Foothills

           This week has been one of those first fall weeks when it isn't quite cool enough to start wearing sweaters, but there's definitely a chill in the air. I've felt the need to make a slight transition from the carefree clothes I wear in the summer, yet I want to wear sandals for as long as I can. I recently added a lot of black to my wardrobe, although it was completely accidental. I wanted to add leather, edgier pieces to my fall wardrobe and it just happened that everything I brought to the register was black!

 Top - TJMaxx

Skirt - Charlotte Russe

Sandals - TJMaxx

Clutch - vintage

Ring - H&M

            This top was a recent purchase. I love it because it's casual and comfy but has leather at the shoulders to make it a tad bit more intriguing than a typical tee.

           These sandals were a $7 steal at TJ Maxx. I won't be able to wear them for long before they go into spring storage, but I sure wasn't going to let them slip away at that amazing price!

           I found this vintage, beaded clutch quite a few years ago and it's been the perfect little bag to take out whenever I need some extra class in an outfit. I've been looking for a chain ring like this one for a while, so I was happy to add it to my ever-growing ring collection.

View my outfit on Lookbook:

White After Labor Day

          I'm a firm disbeliever in the "no white after Labor Day" rule. While I do think that there are certain clothes, colors, and patterns that just aren't appropriate for cooler months, I don't think any one characteristic should be singled out. Plenty of spring/summer clothes can be transitioned into fall, including white. It all just depends on what you wear with it.

Lace top - TJMaxx

Jeans - PacSun

Pumps - BCBG Max Azria

 

          I wore this white lace top with dark jeans and black pumps to give it a darker edge that is more suitable for fall. Plus, this top has leather details that make it more versatile, as leather is usually worn in fall and winter.

           My t-strap pumps were a new purchase for my birthday. I'm not normally one for pointy toes, but I was very impressed by the way these elongate my legs. I figured they would not only be a great basic to have, but would also be the perfect shoe to dress up casual pieces like jeans or tees.

Check out my outfit on Lookbook:

My Current Obsession: The Bucket Bag

          I've fallen in love with one of this fall's biggest accessories trends -- the bucket bag. I really haven't seen it around much since the 90s versions of my childhood, but now it's been reinvented as a modern carry-all. I spent all my birthday money on clothes, but I'm still determined to get one of these bags in the near future...hopefully before New York Fashion Week! Oh yeah, I'm excited to announce that I will be attending some of the shows at NYFW SS14, thanks to my awesome internship at Papercut Magazine! Anyway, now that I have all my new clothes, I just need a leather bucket bag to top off my fashion week wardrobe! Since my funds have run out, I'm hoping to come across a lucky vintage find during my next thrift venture.

Boden - Leather Pouch Bag - $178

           While the classic black ones are sophisticated, these drawstring bags also come in all sorts of fun colors, patterns, fabrics, and textures to fit anyone's style. There are woven and fringe ones for the bohemian, studded and embellished for the edgy one, sleek and simple for the minimalist, perforated and color block for the sporty one, patterned and ombre for the artist, and bright whites and colors for the socialite.

Classic Black

Chanel - Black Lambskin Drawstring Bucket Bag - $2,600

Marc by Marc Jacobs - Too Hot to Handle Drawstring Pouch - $198

Piero Guidi Linea Bold - Black Canvas Bucket Bag - $485

The Row - Bucket Bag - $3,400

Kate Spade NY - Valentine Pebbled Leather Bucket Shoulder Bag - $378

Gryson - Ryland Bucket Bag - $510

Hermes - Black Leather Drawstring Bucket Bag - $3,360

The Bohemian

Sara Battaglia - Jasmine Fringe pouch - $1,180

Stela 9 - Ganesha Bucket Bag - $105

Joie - Mabel Bucket Bag - $388

The Edgy One

Guess - Seun Drawstring Bag - $118

Alexander Wang - Black Studded Diego Bucket Bag - $850

Free People - McFadin Stone Ryder Bucket Bag - $378

The Minimalist

Baggu - Drawstring Purse - $140

3.1 Phillip Lim - Scout Textured Leather Drawstring Bag - $750

Tory Burch - Robinson Bucket Bag - $495

The Sporty One

Linea Pelle - Perforated Color Block Bucket - $225

Cole Haan - Linley Perf Mini Drawstring Bag - $165.99

Dooney & Bourke - Patent Drawstring - $139.99

 

The Artist

Wendy Nichol - Embroidered Eye of Horus Bullet Bag - $1,225

Free People - Old Trend Atlas Leather Bucket Bag - $298

Free People - Jagger Leather Tote - $428

The Socialite

Vince Camuto - Janet Drawstring Bag - $132.99

Tila March - Romy Bucket Drawstring Bag - $1,095

Louis Vuitton - White Perforated Leather Noé Bag - $2,243

For those of us who can't afford several hundred dollars on a new handbag every season, here are some more affordable options from stores like Nasty Gal, Asos, and Mango. 

Forever 21 Shoulder Bags · PacSun Teen Girls' Clothes · Mango Shoulder Bags