Do you remember my friend Brent, of Urban Fieldnotes? He managed to score tickets with a plus one to a NYFW show. Aaaand guess who he asked to be his plus one?
I obsessively starting planning My Outfit.
But there was a catch: Brent is a street style photographer, not a fashion blogger. So his plan was to attend the show, but then spend the rest of the day outside doing his street style photog thing. And since I was tagging along for the day...."Shana, dress warm" said Brent. "It's going to be 30 degrees, and after the first four hours of being outside, you'll really get cold."
oh. Wait - four what?
And that's the story of how I ended up at my first NYFW in a puffer coat. I did, however, wear a pretty dress underneath (as well as three layers of tights & leggings). I felt...you know, cute and comfortable, if not photo ready.
I think "photo ready" is over-rated anyway. From what I could tell, it involved way too much bare leg for 30 degree weather (says the mom).
What Not To Wear to Be Photographed at NYFW
I'll be honest, Mamas. I was a bit disappointed with much of the street style. I was really hoping for some amazing examples of cold-weather dressing. Something inspiring, something fresh perhaps? Instead, the majority fell into one of three camps: Crazy, Cold or Wearing the NYFW Uniform.
Brent captured some amazing shots - see him in action, below? Also, go check out his post here for examples of both the crazy and the cold.
But the unofficial uniform of NYFW? Ah. Well.
New York Fashion Week, aka, Girls In Faux-Fur. Extra points for brimmed hats and cool bags.
Isn't that funny? They all look fabulous, of course, but after a while I started to get excited if I saw something really novel like pink faux-fur, rather than tan or black. (eyeroll)
Anyway, in my day-long stint as a street style photographer, I learned something about myself: I am a terrible street style photographer.
Mamas, I was seriously a disaster. Not only did I spend the majority of the day severely tongue-tied around my photography heros (Ummmm....Scott and Garance were there, Bill Cunningham(!!), Phil Oh, Eddie Newton, Adam Katz Sinding - who Brent introduced me to and was really, really nice)...but I felt like an idiot. And it didn't help that almost everyone was vying for the same shots and the whole thing started to feel like...paparazzi? Brent actually just published an article on the blurry line between street style photographers and paparazzi. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought these crowds of photographers were, in fact, paparazzi.
But given the environment they're working in, it completely BLOWS MY MIND that photographers like Adam Katz Sinding are able to capture the artistic, often hauntingly beautiful shots that they do. Despite the mad frenzy, skill makes a big difference.
Which was, I think, the heart of my problem. In those instances I was able to get over myself and go for a shot, I'd try to take the picture and realize that my camera wasn't on. Or I'd remember to turn it on, but I'd leave the lens cap in place. Or a few times, things would happen so fast that I'd be startled and hit myself in the face with the camera. Sigh.
I was much (much, MUCH) happier inside the show. We attended Nina Skarra's RTW Fall/Winter 2013 presentation, and it was fabulous.
Nina Skarra is a Norwegian designer who uses only 100% eco-friendly fabrics, and has a completely sustainable production process.
She crafts in silk, wool, bamboo, soy, eco leather, and organic cotton. Despite the green label, her clothes are stunning, the fabric detailed and interesting. This was one of my favorite looks from the collection:
Also? THE SHOES.
What did I take away as inspiration? Well. That monochromatic dressing is going to be around for a looong time, for one. That I need a pair of truly interesting shoes, and that purple is fun and unexpected with white.
I loved the combo of irreverent make-up (teal eyeshadow, coral lips) with finished hair. And lastly, if environmentally-conscious design looks this good, there's hope for more in our future. Yay!
xo,
S
ps. We'll be back to our regular scheduled programming tomorrow, Mamas. I'll be talking about something totally normal...like t-shirts.
