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On the Eve of New York Fashion Week, I sat down with my good friend and former editor Caroline Vazzana to discuss the one of the most most exhilarating week's in the fashion calendar year.
Can you briefly describe your previous industry experience and current job?
After I graduated from Albright College, I started working on Teen Vogue’s fashion team assisting our editors and fashion director. In 2015, I moved to the digital side of publications and wrote for InStyle.com. I left InStyle last September and now work as a freelance fashion editor, stylist, writer and consultant. I'm also the contributing Fashion Editor-at-Large for Global Glam Magazine.
What NYFW shows are you usually invited to?
Since my job is so diverse, I usually attend a wide variety of shows and presentations. I always enjoy attending shows like Alice and Olivia and Anna Sui because the designs are so colorful and really on brand for me. I also like to use fashion week as a time to discover new designers! My favorite emerging designers right now are WHiT and PH5
My non-industry friends and family members ask, "Are you going to fashion week?" all the time. Why do you think there is this misconception about the public's access to designer shows?
Movies and television shows like Sex and the City and The Hills make fashion week look extremely accessible to the public. In reality, shows are usually filled with top editors, buyers, bloggers and high-profile celebrity clients.
What do you wish "outsiders" would understand about New York Fashion Week?
People just assume it's a very easy week, but it can become exhausting—especially if you don’t plan ahead. I want to attend as many events as I can around the city so I can support my friends who are publicists and designers, so a lot of planning goes on before hand. By the end of fashion week, I'm running on pure excitement!
In response to the question "Are you surviving fashion week?" Leandra Medine once answered, "This isn't a war zone, there is nothing to 'survive,' we are just looking at clothes!" Do you agree with her commentary?
I love her! And she is totally right! There's nothing to really survive, and there is definitely no war to win. I think the question is just in reference to how jam-packed your schedule is and if you're able to manage it.
With a number of celebrities and other "influencers" getting to sit front row for big-name shows, the week/ month has evolved into a FOMO social race. What are your opinions on that idea? Do you think it has any long-term value?
Social media has definitely changed Fashion Week significantly since I started working in the industry four years ago. But for me, whether I'm in the first row or fifth row, I am genuinely happy to be there. I truly love this industry and what it stands for, so being in the presence of all of the magic is always exciting. I think at the end of the day, the people that are most passionate about the shows and the new collections will take priority.
And to end on a more positive note, what is your favorite thing about NYFW?
I love the feeling of just sitting in the middle of a very packed venue and watching the clothes go up and down the runway. I am living my ten-year-old dreams, and it's moments like those that still feel so surreal. And within those packed venues, I love bumping into industry friend having mini-reunions, the energy is always so inspiring!
Here are some Caroline-approved pieces for New York Fashion Week:
Milly // Kate Spade // Furla // Guess