A By-The-Minute Recap Of What It's Really Like To Attend New York Fashion Week
Featuring designers like Prabal Gurung, Jonathan Cohen, Tibi, Tanner Fletcher, Nanushka, and Allina Niu.
Welcome to B List’s first official behind-the-scenes look at New York Fashion Week: B Roll! Inspired by the name for the bonus clips that often supplement a video, film, or documentary’s main footage, B Roll will give B Listers a backstage peek at what NYFW is really like for me.
I’ll still be covering the shows, noteworthy trends, and what I’m wearing on my socials (and a bit on here, too, I’m sure) but B Roll will be a place for all the extras. And we’re getting nitty gritty with it! I’m talking hour by hour, day by day. My honest thoughts and my in-the-moment schedule.
My most jam-packed days this season are Saturday (which this newsletter will cover) and Tuesday (5 runways, 1 breakfast event, 1 fashion symposium and 1 party), but I may end up covering Monday’s shenanigans (2 presentations, 2 previews, 1 runway) as well, should I have the bandwidth.
So, let’s dive in. Expect more B Roll to come, along with more traditional B List coverage after that. (Plus, a humble suggestion to follow me on Instagram to view my NYFW posts in real time!) Happy Fashion Month, folks.
7:10AM - I wake up early despite setting a luxurious 8:30AM alarm. I peel the Loops Beauty Dream Sleep slugging sheet mask I slept in off my face, and am immediately faced with a sense of dread. That’s high cortisol for you, baby.
7:15AM - I take a supplement that helps with my cortisol levels (God bless Thorne!) and slap on some Peter Thomas Roth Hydra-Gel Eye Patches. Then I spend the next few minutes scrolling socials and seeing what everyone else was up to yesterday. I press Post on Friday’s vlog that I edited last night.
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7:30AM - I wake up for real! I drink an apple juice for an immediate boost to my blood sugar levels and start steaming my outfit for the day.
8:00AM - Two boxes arrive from Zara SHWRM, an app that allows select editors and creators to borrow Zara pieces for shoots and occasions. I make a snap decision to switch my look from this matching plaid dress and top from Mango, to the same top with a contrasting plaid skirt from Zara.
I accessorize with a Bottega bag on loan from Vivrelle, my ponyhair leopard flats from Prada, my new Morgan Cuff in Burgundy from my RPZL hair accessory collection, and some sunnies Collins left in my purse last weekend. Loves it!
10:00AM - I get a call that my car is outside and I run downstairs. I’m filming a brand deal today with Subtl Beauty, and they’ve arranged for a driver to take me from show to show — the dream! Oscar, my driver, is a total peach.
10:30AM - I arrive backstage at the Prabal Gurung show to check out the beauty look. KISS Products is in charge of the manicure (KISS and Prabal go hand in hand! Remember the partnership I did celebrating their recent collection collab?). I used to go backstage all the time as a beauty writer, and it really is an experience unlike any other.
For this show, every model wears the same pair of Bare but Better nails in Nude Drama, with the coffin shape filed into a stiletto. Then, the artists used blooming gel to create bursts at the tips for a subtle statement that gave a smoky quartz effect to the nails.
Also backstage: the Wella team perfecting hair (I spot my favorite product, the Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue) and the Peach & Lily team giving models the spa treatment. No makeup for this show, just glowy glass skin courtesy of products like the iconic Glass Skin Veil Mist, which I make a mental note to start using again.
I chat with P&L founder Alicia Yoon in a peachy sequined gown and decide that she is the ultimate ad for her own brand. Her skin is beyond flawless.
11:37AM - After finishing up backstage, I realize it’s too early to take my seat for the show (nothing ever starts on time during Fashion Week). I walk over to Variety Coffee and grab an iced latte, then mosey back past the street style photographers.
12:01PM - A few photographers snap my photo (nothing hits like the first Getty of the week!) and head into the Prabal show. I see creator friends and editor friends alike, and we commiserate, compare schedules, and catch up. Our camaraderie really is the best part of this very long week.
12:24PM - I take my seat and wait for the show to begin as I finish up my latte. I text my friend, Kendall, and our assistant, Emma, to let them know that I might be late to Jonathan Cohen, the presentation I’m supposed to hit before 1:00PM.
12:27PM - Prabal Gurung begins, outside at The Archway. Backstage, I’d been told that the collection was inspired by Holi, with emphasis on a celebration of color and the light of hope. A large orchestra plays as models strut down the open-air runway.
The looks sway from bubblegum pink to black-and-white, with pops of icy blue every now and again. I notice an emphasis on dots (as we discussed) and trains fastened to everyday attire. Perhaps I need to attach a swath of fabric to the inside of my own blazer for a little drama when I walk.
At the end of the show, the models reappear in all-white ensembles and release colorful gulal powders as dholak drummers play on. A superb start to my day!
12:50PM I leave the show and almost walk right into Anna Wintour! It’s a rare sighting for me, and I can confirm her bob was indeed bobbing. A few more photogs snap my photo and the team at High Snobiety takes a video of my look. I find Oscar and the car, and we head over to Jonathan Cohen.
1:00PM - I make it to the Jonathan Cohen presentation just as it’s meant to wrap up, but I decide to try my luck anyway. Inside, I discover I’m too late — but there’s still complimentary Blank Street coffee to enjoy. Emma and I take two matcha lattes to go and head back outside.
[Please enjoy some snippets of Cohen courtesy of my pals who made it on time.]
1:10PM - Oscar drives us to Tibi while we shoot a portion of today’s campaign with Subtl Beauty. Their stackable makeup kits really are game-changers for gals like me who like to carry around a full face on the go. I make a mental note to buy a few more products so that I can make multiple stacks for my beach bag, gym bag and daily tote (the one shown here is from the new Abbode x L.L. Bean collaboration).
1:47PM - We arrive at Tibi and head upstairs. The energy is great! This is my first show of the season at Starrett-Lehigh, NYFW’s new-ish home as of last season, and Tibi is one of my favorite ready-to-wear brands. I know founder and creative director Amy Smilovic will not disappoint.
2:32PM - The Tibi show begins, and I fall in love with a dangerous number of pieces. More pops of icy blue like at Prabal, plus buttery yellow and vivid red. I notice an emphasis on gold chain accessories, from belts to jewelry to hair accents, as well as a few must-have handbags like the brown totes and the gorgeous XL red pouch below.
I make note of a particularly delicious burgundy and mint color combination and vow to try it this fall. Tibi pieces are always wearable but special, and getting creative with the color wheel is one of the key ways to get the most from their offering.
2:50PM - Rejuvenated by an inspiring show, we decide to walk the block to Tanner Fletcher instead of taking the car (how pedestrian of us!). I see my friend, Will (@collectiveframes), in the sea of street style photographers and he snaps a few photos of my look.
2:57PM - We arrive at the Tanner Fletcher presentation and head straight to the bar, where I grab a prosecco-and-whiskey cocktail courtesy of Basil Hayden that reminds me I need a snack after this.
The duo are masters at turning each look in their collection into a vintage vignette, and this time around is no exception. Amongst memorable characters include TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney with an artist live-painting bows onto her gown, and creator Christina Grasso as a “Victorian Woman Polishing Silver.”
I also noticed one model sewing bows onto another’s suiting (the bow suit is a Tanner Fletcher signature at this point) and my personal favorite, a would-be bride plucking flowers as if to ask, Does he love me? Does he love me not?
Some of my top looks included a cameo-covered white jacket and a white lacy rain trench, two kitsch-enhanced staples I never knew I needed.
3:37PM - I invite a few girls to my car and we drive over to the Nanushka show. We snack on two of my new favorites — Purely Elizabeth Cookie Granola and the new Bloom Energy Drink in Peach Mango. The combo provides the perfect boost to carry me through my last two events of the day.
At this point, timing conflicts prevented me from making Alice + Olivia and Son Jung Wan, and I’ve already mentally decided to skip the Tibi afterparty later this evening. I know it will be amazing, but so will sitting on my couch.
4:17PM - We arrive at Nanushka in the pouring rain, and our gem-of-a-driver Oscar escorts us one by one into the venue with an umbrella. Inside, the runway is crowned by a canopy made of sheets of paper — fitting, given the collection is titled “Paper”.
4:26PM - The Nanushka show begins. Gorgeous leather separates and the brand’s signature origami-esque handbags tone down pieces made from poplin strips that look almost like straw (or paper!) as they moved down the runway.
Just like at Tibi, I noticed a lot of gold chain accessories, particularly belts and necklaces. This was my first Nanushka show, and as a big fan of their ready-to-wear, I’d say it lived up to the hype.
My favorite look was this black tank with leather bra-esque detail up top. I just love the textures at play.
4:42PM - Kendall and I depart Nanushka and I see Karya (@karyastreetstyle), another stellar photographer, who takes a great clip of me for this reel.
We find Oscar to head to the last stop of the day, the Allina Liu presentation at St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery. I’ve seen a few shows here over the years, and I love the concept of a church as setting for fashion. A true religious experience, if you will!
5:11PM - We arrive at Allina Liu and check out the collection. The models stand in a circle and face out towards the crowd, while one woman at the center of the circle contorts herself into Olympic-level gymnastic positions. A skirt in particular with a bevy of cut-outs fastened with bow-tied closures catches my eye.
5:33PM - We leave Allina and Oscar drives me home! I make it back by 6:00PM and immediately veg. I place a burger order on Uber Eats, put Emily in Paris on the television, and place my feet immediately into the foot massage contraption Pat got me for Christmas last year. All is well.
I then proceed to shower, clean my apartment, edit and prep content, and write this here newsletter, but I’m choosing not to dwell on that after such a lovely day of fashion and fun. Until next time!
x BG
Ahhh love this!!