What It's Really Like at Fashion Week, From Someone Who Just Went

I prepared seven days' worth of looks by choosing pieces I had never worn (that faux fur coat) or ones that would look good on camera. It was hard. Several times, I actually thought about stopping by Topshop to buy new outfits styled on the mannequins. I ended up giving myself a few hours on a Thursday night to fully go through my closet and think about what shoes went with the top or what coat matched the jeans. I spent a good hour creating "fashiony" looks, something I don't have time to do on a daily basis. (I would probably never make it as a stylist but, hey, I did a good job for Fashion Week!)

On the very first day of New York Fashion Week, there was a blizzard. I chose to wear a suede skirt and boots that day. I definitely would have received a few "What was she thinking?" stares on my morning commute had the trains not been empty because of the snow storm. For the rest of NYFW, I didn't really dress for the weather — wearing slippy shoes was just the start. When you're hailing a taxi to and from shows, however, you can get away with not-so-practical Winter looks (yes, that's the secret of street style). I don't regret a single outfit or cold finger.

Once I actually made it inside the venue and found my seat, I sat down, read the show notes, and waited. Most shows run 20 to 30 minutes late because of last-minute run-throughs or because (VIP) guests are still arriving. At Chromat, guests packed into the Skylight Clarkson lobby, waiting for the doors to open as models practiced their runway walks on the other side.

And because it's Winter, the heated rooms often became hot and stuffy — plus, you're nestled between strangers and you're all wearing puffy coats. Once the show began, though, I forgot all about my discomfort. As a hush fell across the room and the music died down and lights dimmed, my attention went straight to the clothes.

Ah, the most coveted seat at all shows. On a few occasions, I sat front row and I can say this is the best spot from which to see every runway look, model, and celebrity. You might even receive a little memento from the show (what felt like three-pound candles were given out at Noon by Noor). Sitting front row meant I got a close-up view of all the details on a garment without craning my neck over people's heads or having phones block my peripherals. (That's how I snapped this cool boomerang of Christian Siriano's "People Are People" t-shirt from his Fall '17 collection.)

The front row is also where you can do some pretty major celebrity-spotting. I walked by Clueless's Alicia Silverstone and Orange Is the New Black's Danielle Brooks at Christian Siriano and that alone made me stop in my tracks. I watched them pose for photos — FYI, those camera flashes are blindingly bright — before casually making my way to my seat.

I have yet to spot Anna Wintour, though — we keep missing each other! Perhaps I'll have better luck next season?

And that's simply because you're right there in the action. A show is just as much about the atmosphere as it is about the clothes — an experience you can't replicate through livestreams or an Instagram story. Take Alexander Wang, who crafted a perfect narrative for his Fall '17 collection by having guests trek to an abandoned theater for his show. Beer was handed out and the vibe was like that of an underground nightclub as models walked down the runway in edgy, all-black outfits. I got to see the actual RTW pieces before they hit stores and that's pretty damn special.

As close as you can get to the clothes on the runway, you can get even closer at presentations. Some brands like J.Crew and Kate Spade opt for this instead of a runway show. I took my time to circle the room to examine the clothes, noticing the texture of sweaters and glittery designs on shoes. Because the brand brought back "friends and families" to debut its Fall collection, I also witnessed sweet interactions like this girl twinning with a model in tulle skirts.

Myself included. I was all too eager to shed my puffer coat for a quick photo, and it's a miracle I didn't catch a cold. Every season, New Yorkers pull out all the stops, which I completely understand because it is the time and place to show off your style. Photographers, too, will go to great lengths to snap a celebrity or get a good outfit shot. I've seen photographers run after Leighton Meester, aka Blair Waldorf, outside Kate Spade and get honked at or nearly run-over because they're in the middle of the road taking a blogger's photo. It's a chaotic scene for sure, though you'd never guess it looking at the photographs.

Even before a show starts, you can expect a 'gram, tweet, or snap about the event. Social media has become part of Fashion Week's DNA, letting a once exclusive and private event become open to the public. As soon as a show starts, iPhones and even iPads snapped away. I had to actively remind myself to put away my phone so my eyes were glued to the runway and not to my camera roll. The shows were much more satisfying when I didn't miss a runway look because I was busy looking down, trying to come up with a witty photo caption.

Though a majority of designers still featured slender models, I noticed firsthand Christian Siriano and Chromat featured curvier women on the Fall runways. Familiar faces like Iskra Lawrence and Denise Bidot popped up on the catwalk while Ashley Graham made history as the first plus-size model to walk in Michael Kors. These special instances are something I hope will, one day, become the norm.

My first Fashion Week ended as quickly as it began. I was left with show notes, a camera roll full of photos and videos, and enough outfit inspo to last me until next season. I didn't have too much time to dwell on NYFW as London, Milan, and Paris shows came up, and you know there are plenty of memorable moments from those cities, too.