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Everything You Need to Know About my NYFW Fall 2018 Trip

Living in Boston, I’ve finally had the chance to go to NYFW. I went in spring and I was able to go to these NYFW Fall 2018 shows too. It’s almost difficult for me to describe what this meant to me. Since I’ve been an adult, I’ve been dreaming of going to fashion week. It really is a cool experience. But ironically, it has lost it’s appeal now that I’ve been a couple times. Don’t get me wrong, being in NYC is like no other and getting to watch all the fashion is really amazing. What I don’t like, well, I don’t like all the pretentiousness around it. I have to say that this NYFW fall 2018, it just felt more pretentious and I’m not about that.

As someone who spends her days helping create equitable educational opportunity for all people, I am not sold on being a part of a system that purposely excluded people. Unless you’re at a certain level of cool, a certain level of followers, a certain level of fame, you’re not good enough to go to the shows. Now that I have quite a lot of followers on Instagram, I found it easier to get into shows. This actually annoyed me, to be honest. My photography, my blog content, my person, none of that has changed. But my social reach number has. So now I’m special? Nope. I’m not.

All of this hit me while I was standing in line waiting for one of the shows that I attended. Don’t get me wrong, the show was amazing. The designer did a fantastic job and it was pure art. But what annoyed me about the whole thing was the way people seemed to ignore each other, to seem so aloof and above it all. We are all humans, sitting here, watching a fashion show. There are so many horrible things happening in our society and I’m standing in line to watch models walk down a runway wearing clothes that the average consumer either A) would never wear or B) probably can’t afford.

After I had this epiphany, I actually stopped hustling so much to get to more shows. Originally, I had a packed schedule and planned to go to shows nonstop. Instead, I spent some time with a few friends, took in more of the city, and even enjoyed some downtime in my gorgeous hotel.

Although I am not sure if I’ll go NYFW again, I am still very grateful for the opportunities. My love of fashion hasn’t changed, but I think my desire to be a part of the designer fashion scene has. I can’t say I’ll give up all my designer items, but I do plan to prioritize resale (which I’ve been doing since the mid-2000s with my eBay side hustle) and also look for companies that are doing good for society. For example, I had a chance to hear from Kate Spade CEO. She talked about their sustainable production and also charity work to help people with mental illness. Those are the types of companies I want to support. I don’t want to contribute to a system of waste and wealth and excess. I want to be a part of something bigger – something that prioritizes equality and good business practices.

If you followed me on IG during my trip, I’m sure you would have never guessed this is what I was thinking about. But it is. I love fashion, I love runway shows, but not if it makes me feel bad or guilty or gross. I don’t want to be a part of a pretentious system of excess and exclusion. So we’ll see if I go back next time.

6 Comments

  1. LaTasha N Black says:

    I enjoyed reading this blog. Thank you for being honest. This was really good!!!

  2. Sadly I’ve seen the same thing with regards to follower numbers, and now gravitate towards partnerships that appreciate my content, and don’t focus so much on the numbers.

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