A lifelong dream come true….to be in the glorious New York City during one of the most prestigious times of the year. It was an exhilarating yet overwhelming feeling to want to do everything possible but not have a true plan of action. As timing would have it, it was also All Star Weekend and Valentine’s Day. What does this mean? That means that even though the temperature was 8 degrees (-16 wind chill), snowing, wet and absolutely FRIGID, the streets of New York had even more crowdedness, more chaos, and more action…..the city was buzzing and bustling like crazy!!
Because this was not a truly advanced planned trip I opted to use Airbnb which has proven to be an excellent resource for past trips. I found a quaint little spot only blocks from Times Square and about a 5-10 minute drive from Lincoln Center, the headquarters of all things Fashion Week. This was my first time doing a shared residence whereas I would only have a room and not the entire home to myself. Although apprehensive, I could not beat the price and as it turned out it was a superb choice! If you haven’t tried Airbnb, I HIGHLY recommend it especially for extended stays and if you are traveling on a tight budget.
Private room with private bath….
Shout out to my girl Ze-Enna….who is now a NYC resident by way of Dallas. Z and I had worked together when I first moved to Dallas. She was one of the first models I was given the opportunity to do a creative shoot with as I was just starting out in the industry. Naturally I thought of her being in the city and her possible connections in the industry. She was such a gracious host and I’m very grateful that we were able to reconnect and share this experience together. What I did not realize is that Fashion Week events are not only very exclusive but hard to penetrate. Luckily Z got word of a benefit show hosted and sponsored by Naomi Campbell to raise awareness for ebola, Fashion For Relief. Tickets were inexpensive and to our surprise we were actually able to get seats as opposed to being herded to standing room only. Although this was the only show I attended it was a PERFECT culmination of fashion, celebrity, glitz, and glamour. I still can’t believe I actually stepped into that coveted black draped tent with the shining headline, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!!
Despite purchasing a fancy new phone for the purpose of taking great photos and video, a vast majority of my images from the show were horribly bad. I am in dire need of a user tutorial. I did manage get a handful of decent pics and the video footage below. Check out the photo montage to see what celebs graced the stage in support of Ebola awareness.
NYFW 2015 by PaperDolls Makeup & Hair via Slidely Slideshow
This trip was lots of fun and very rewarding. I got to reconnect with a dear friend as well as meet some movers and shakers in the fashion industry, two of which are right here in DFW. Meko Krout-Cole is creator of Accessories in the Nude which hosts the annual AIN Cocktails & Competition. She is also co-founder of Shades of Success, an event honoring minority women who have excelled in leadership and entrepreneurship within DFW. Vanna Collins is known for her popular talk show and blog, The Vanna Collins Show. Vanna has never met a stranger and is always on her p’s and q’s when it comes to fashion. Together these two are responsible for helping bring the latest trends in fashion and pop culture to Dallas.
Well this can’t end here…..I still have more to tell about New York Fashion Week 2015 in Parts 2 & 3. Also to come is a look at my first destination wedding of 2015 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. And guess what? Spring break is right around the corner….where will I be traveling? You have to come back to find out!!