Fashion Week Diaries

Hands down, some of my favorite moments of being a fashion blogger have been the people I meet! Even though Fashion Week will likely never be the same, relationships remain. For this Fashion Week Diaries post I wanted to highlight some of the women I met. It’s by no means a complete list! I hope to continue to incorporate other amazing bloggers, fashionistas and editors and have them share their diverse POVs with you here.

The bonds you form at these shows, much like a dance team or grad school biosphere, are strong! Usually, the people you meet have worked hard for a similar goal as you. Very, very hard. This is probably the common denominator in forming these special bonds at Fashion Weeks. Everyone there is obsessed with Fashion and probably dreamt of being there as kid. Otherwise, they’re just very lucky (in our eyes anyway). I’m excited for you to meet some of the ladies and hear their Fashion Week Diaries. And along with that perhaps, gain inspiration or knowledge if you wish.

Chicama Style

I met Chicama at Paris Fashion Week Sept. 2019. We were at the same venue and I noticed her and her good friend, founder of Snazzy Closet. They were dressed to CRUSH. I was tripping around in a borrowed white designer gown and sweating profusely but they caught my eye. While we didn’t chat then, Nick and I went to dinner later in the area and saw them again. The server happened to seat us right across and I went over to introduce myself. I was relieved and so happy that they were American! I had not seen a ton of Americans at Paris Fashion Week, so it was like home. They were so kind and reacted well to me basically crashing their dinner. We exchanged contact info and off I went to finish date night. 😉

Later that evening I checked out Chicama’s profile more closely and was like O.M.G. She is an icon. Of course I was already following her, with over half a million followers and accessories and dresses this girl can only dream of, there she was. I was floored by how down to earth, sweet and almost quiet she had seemed. Because on her Instagram this girl was on FIYAH.

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020

Fast forward to 2020. Chicama and I plan to head to NYFW the same days and stay in the same hotel! Although our schedules were really different, I was excited to go with a “bud” because I usually am lonesome when I go. The shows and events are packed and social but at night you need someone to eat and gossip with. Ironically, we didn’t see each other that much because that’s how insane Fashion Weeks are, but I got to know her a lot better.

I was so impressed with her drive and work ethic. Chicama is one an OG fashion blogger and has seen a lot of people and trends come and go. She shared a lot of self-less tips with me and we exchanged industry horror and happily ever after stories. I think that one of the best ways to get to know someone is to share a meal with them and I’m glad I got to share one with you goddess, Chicama. Thanks for being my NYFW buddy for the most memorable one I’ve had.

Megan McQueen

Oh my goodness you guys, Megan, from Bloom To Beautiful! I met Megan months after talking to her on the phone. We met because I got some of her blogging courses, which by the way, are a must for aspiring or “stuck” bloggers. I loved speaking with her and learned a lot! Therefore, when the opportunity to meet her came up in New York September 2019, I stalked her. 🙂

Megan is one of those people that has a calming force, beyond wise and always listens to you. She’s a lot younger than I but I always feel like her little sister around her. Some of my best laughs at NYFW have been with her and her BFF Erika, whom you should check out for love & light.

Megan’s New York Fashion Week Diaries

Favorite NYFW show: Rebecca Minkoff presentation.

Favorite NYC spot: Lusardis (Italian)

Must have accessory: A good clutch!

Tips: I teach a NYFW course on how to attend, get into shows, set up meetings, etc!

What she loves the most about attending: Being in such close proximity with people you admire – designers, celebs, and high scale influencers!

Raquel Gerlani

I happened to sit next to beautiful Raquel at Front Row Zhang Toi, I believe. I was hosting with Fashion News Lifestyle and I wanted to interview her! Unfortunately, we ran out of time and I couldn’t get the interview but at least I got to know a little bit about her and connect with her. Luckily, I’ve been able to keep in touch with her a bit and enjoy her beautiful content. She’s also a New York City girl! A Getty images favorite, Raquel is also extremely down to earth and if you ask her for feedback or help, she is truly self-less. Get daily fashion inspo from her here.

Raquel’s New York Fashion Diaries

First show: My most memorable experience was walking during a NYFW show. I love to cover backstage too. My first show was Elie Tahari.

Best part of living in NYC:
To me there’s no other city on the planet with an energy that can compete with New York. The fast pace, the buzzing traffic, the hustle and bustle of the people, the 24-hour life, and the creative spirit make NYC one of the most vibrant places in the world.

Must have accessory for NYFW: Hair accessories, bags and sunglasses.

Adeola Adeosun

If you had to describe Adeola (obsessed with her name) in 2 words, I’d say PURE SUNSHINE. This girl does not stop shining. Even when she’s not smiling, her eyes are smiling. I encourage you to take a look at her Instagram for endless ideas on how to style tights, inspirational wisdom and that face! She’s also a flight attendant! Thanks to Chicama, I met Adeola at a show. I forget how or why, but we all ended up in the Front Row, which is damn near impossible to do as a “group”. We kept running into each other last season, and she always had this amazing energy, I look forward to her posts and positivity so so much!

Adeola’s New York Fashion Week Diaries

My fav show so far is going to be Flying Solo because there’s so many talented designers they showcase and Fe Noel she’s amazing!

NYC favorite spot: For Fashion Week, Spring Studios because you get to take a lot of pictures and photographers that want to take your pictures too. But in terms of general spot in NYC, Chinatown or Koreatown have so many food spots to eat at. LOL

Must have accessory: Make sure you’re comfortable in a nice walking shoe because Fashion Week can be stressful and walking from one show to another is something you will do a lot!

As well as Instagram, you can find me on YouTube where I showcase how to style tights and pantyhose

Julie Chez

I met Julie Chez in 2017 when my sister and I “hired” her to be an influencer for MaZi Dance Fitness! She felt like our long lost sister, the same love for fashion and fitness. Julie was really encouraging and helpful when I was getting my blog off the ground. That’s not super common, by the way. 🙂 Since then, she’s one of our beautiful instructors teaching Ballerina Bum Body! One of the things that’s been hardest about quarantine is not taking class with her and doing our own weekly Fashion Ted Talk in the studio.

Julie could’ve gone to Fashion Week a long time ago and this year she got to go! The thing we love about her style is that it’s equal parts sweet feminine girly and rockstar chic. She blends the two flawlessly! I call Julie a blogger’s blogger because she’s so passionate about her craft. The first one to identify and get you a trending accessory, I own custom barrettes thanks to Julz. Here’s her story!

Julie’s Fashion Week Diaries

NYFW has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. This year my dream came true, and I popped my fashion week cherry! Naturally this fairytale came with multiple canceled flights, which led to multiple missed fashion shows…yet it was still a stellar experience, with zero regrets. The show that really pushed me to make it happen was Rebecca Minkoff, a longtime favorite designer of mine that I have had the good fortune of working with in my blog life. The RM experience was super cool and showcased fabulous styles, but the presentation style format was a bit underwhelming to me. My favorite show was Hellessy. The venue was small and intimate, and the rockstar runway show was beyond chic and inspiring. Watching the show I felt creative electricity running through my fashion loving veins, and it was magical!

The SCOOP

NYC hot spot: I loooove a great NYC rooftop bar. I have only scratched the surface, I have so much more to see! But for now… the rooftop at the Standard hotel is my main NY squeeze!

Must-have accessory: When I first began contemplating my fashion week looks, I felt the pressure to roll high end designer all the way. After my experience, and reflecting on my personal observations of the looks I saw, I am confident it does not at all matter what label you are wearing! What matters is that YOU feel great in the threads you are sporting. The best accessories I would recommend: bombshell shoes that don’t kill your feet, and a killer bomber or statement jacket. Bonus points for rad sunnies.

New blogger tips: I am always quick to make the distinction between my career in fitness, and my fun creative outlet as a fashion blogger. But why do I sell myself short? Social media is an incredible platform that has provided anyone with ambition the power to create their own voice and business. And so….why not go for it? The wide world of bloggers can be overwhelming, no one should feel intimidated, no one is better than anyone! Some of my very favorite bloggers I follow have under 3,000 followers. Follow your passion, and enjoy your creative journey!

Fashion Week Diaries SURPRISES

NYFW surprises: I was not shocked, yet bummed, to see so many babes glued to their phones. I understand they were doing their job capturing content, but the visual was very un-inspiring! Trust me, and my hubs, I spend plenty o’ time on my phone. But for my short lived first time at NYFW, I am proud to say I kept the cell-y in ze handbag as much as possible! Get that content, but seize the moment darlings! Life is too short.

Sara Di Salvo

I met Sara last Season at New York Fashion Week at the Pamella Roland show. She’s a good friend of my fashion mentor/boss man Rocco Leo Gaglioti. We were thrown together into many fun amazing experiences, including that crazy Laquan Smith show I spoke of here! Sara is a fashion designer and a New York City girl! She seemed relaxed and confident during the entire show.

Sara’s New York Fashion Week Diaries

I’m not sure I remember my first show, but one that I really liked was Christian Siriano. I think he’s one of the best designers in NYC and his shows are always full of VIP’s.

The best part of living in NYC is that in an absolutely unpredictable series of circumstances you can find yourself from being home alone to a rooftop drinking cocktails with fashion photographer and legend Ellen Von Unwerth. I’ve also met Leonardo DiCaprio in a similar situation and and photographer David Le Chapelle.

My must have accessory for fashion week is comfy shoes to move to go from one place to the other!

Tips for aspiring fashion designers: Instead of focusing on an entire collection, it’s better to come up with a single product that people like. If it solves an issue or for a niche group of people, success rate can be higher. I’m currently working on designing a dual side coat.

Savion Ron

Savion lives in New York and one of the coolest girls I know. I love telling the story of how we met! A year and half ago for NYFW 2019, BH Photo, the company she works for sent out an invite for an exclusive event! The event was a Photography Workshop with Tezza, another blogger’s blogger. I knew it would be impossible to get into and she told me that by replying to my request and saying I was on the waiting list. A couple of days later, she emailed me back after I emailed her a few more times, and said that she was gonna squeeze me in! We connected on Instagram, met at the event and have run into each other every since!

Savion is the real deal, an artist, really! Everytime I bump into her she’s got a posse but always makes time to chat, and has generously invited me to her events since then. When I posted that MaZi Dance Fitness had gone digital, she was one of the first people to support me and repost in her groups. That type of friendship means the world to me.

Savion’s Fashion Week Diaries

Most memorable experience is having my husband preform in NYFW, it was so cool having home be part of my passion.My first show was Rebecca Minkoff, I loved that she featured all sizes models. 

Best part of living in nyc are the the people. No one is from here but we are all a ‘real New Yorker’, especially after the pandemic. 

A must have accessory for nyfw is everything with color ! And try to have it be comfortable. It’s a few long days !

Fashion is changing. Maybe for the best? I’m excited for what is about to come. I always look at the fashion industry for innovation and trends as it’s the fastest to change.

I think Savion’s point is a wonderful way to wrap this up. Fashion’s the fastest to change. It has messed up in a lot of ways but shapes our world in more ways than we can imagine. Like her, I’m excited to see what is possible and what can change to preserve the Earth.

I recommend that you follow and watch Fashion News Lifestyle Network for what’s next in Fashion. They’re launching International Fashion Week, where designers can still show their collections and reach the entire world. Download the app to see interviews including the New York Fashion Week episode I hosted and the shows in Milan, Paris and so much more! I hope you loved getting to know these amazing women. Love, Zi