New to blogging? Want to attend your first New York Fashion Week? I gotchu. Before blogging became accepted in the industry, bloggers had to sneak in to shows. Luckily, getting invited is much easier now than you think. My first fashion week was in September 2013, when I had just been blogging for four months and barely had any followers (back then I paid more attention to Twitter than Instagram). Not only did I get to attend several shows, but I also met several bloggers. Actually, meeting bloggers is probably my favorite part about fashion week. This fashion week, Nikki Arnold of The Fashionable Accountant and I are hosting a blogger brunch Sunday, September 10 (DM on Instagram for info!) for Style Collective and non-Style Collective members. So yeah, you don’t want to miss NYFW.
Here’s a simple guide for how to get invited to the shows:
- Check out the New York Fashion Week schedule and create a list of shows you want to attend. The ones on my wish list are Tibi, Alice + Olivia, and Tory Burch. Remember, it’s much easier to get invited to an up-and-coming designer’s show, so don’t limit your requests to designers you see in major department stores.
- Visit Modem to find the PR agency that represents the designers whose show you want to attend.
- Email the PR agency; keep your message professional and concise. If you’ve written about fashion week or about the designer, link to your work. Include links to your blog and Instagram. The best time to email show requests is about 2-3 weeks in advance. Don’t feel bad if your request to the Oscar de la Renta show was denied; this happens to the best of us. At the very least you’ll be on the PR agency’s press list for invitations to other shows.
- Download the GPS Radar app to find NYFW shows and events to request an invite.
- Connect with other bloggers! There have been several instances when I couldn’t attend a show and gave my invite to another blogger and vice versa.
And that’s pretty much all there is to it! As I mentioned above, don’t feel bad if your request to a show is denied. I’ve wanted to attend the Anna Sui show for years and have yet to get an invite. But once you’re on a PR media list, you’re bound to get invited to a show or three, and it’s never too early to start building your NYFW portfolio.
Comment below if you have any questions! xx
