For every fashion lover, Fashion Week is the biggest event that only comes around twice a year. And for all you new bloggers and influencers out there, I'm here to give you some tips on getting invited to fashion week!
Step #1:
Start planning everything about 2 months beforehand!
Book your plane ticket and hotel first so that you know which shows you'll be able to attend. Asking for invitations to shows and then having to decline your invitations last minute is a no-go!
Prepare yourself to run around frantically for a week straight, trying to fit eating into your schedule, getting ready in 10 minutes, and dealing with NYC traffic.
Step #2:
Make sure your blog/social media reflects your interest in the fashion world - this means having plenty of fashion posts uploaded so that brands can tell you're serious! If you're very new to blogging and don't have that many posts up yet, start making as many fashion posts as you can on your blog a few months before so that PR has content to analyze.
Fashion Week isn't something that you can just decide you want to go to a month before and expect to get invitations. It takes hard work and persistence to become a blogger/influencer that brands will want at their shows! Show them how much you want to be sitting front row by creating content they'll appreciate!
Step #3:
Don't expect to get invited to Tom Ford or Marc Jacobs on your first go-around - keep your expectations realistic.
Now, once we've cut out unrealistic expectations, we can get to business! Researching which brands you think you'll have a good chance of getting an invitation from, is most of the heavy lifting. For bigger shows that are open to the public, you can check out Fashion Week Online. For others, you can search through Eventbrite and email the designer/brand - make sure you filter out your results by putting in the days you'll be there.
GPS Radar by Launchmetrics is another platform that you can receive invites to bigger shows from. However, it's definitely a hit or miss when it comes to this platform because you won't be allowed onto the site/app without an invitation. It's definitely worth the wait though because there are tons of shows on GPS Radar!
Step #4:
Crafting your email - this is perhaps the most important part to the whole shebang!
To start off your email, introduce yourself and your brand to your press contact; they need to know who you are and what you represent. Next, tell them why they should invite you to their show - essentially, why you deserve to be there and more importantly, what's in it for them? You should specifically tell your contact what you'll be writing about, what your goal is, and which platforms you'll be promoting their brand on.
Keep in mind that this is the busiest time of the year for the fashion world and brands have a lot to do and read through - so keep your message/request short and sweet! Also, know that not every request will get answered, or you may be initially overlooked. To keep this from happening, send a follow-up email about 1-2 weeks before the show, so they know you're serious and so you can get your invitations!
With all of that in mind, make sure to be patient - you'll often hear back from people a week, or even days before the show and you'll even get invitations to shows a couple days before they happen.
Step #5:
RSVP "yes" and "no" to every show you've been invited to. When brands make the effort to reach out to you and give you an invitation, make sure they know they're appreciated. Taking the time to tell them that you won't be able to make it to their show is vital in keeping a good relationship with them so that you'll be invited back next season. Even if it's a last minute cancellation, communicate with the brand afterwords to tell them you weren't there, so they aren't expecting posts from you that you never deliver.
Try not to overbook your schedule. I know it's hard to say no to fashion show invitations, but at some point, you'll have to choose which shows are the most important to you - you can't be in two places at once! And with that said, make sure you leave time to eat food and use the bathroom. I know these are pretty obvious, but once you're changing in cars and literally running late to shows, eating will be put on the back burner in terms of importance.
Step #6:
After fashion week is officially over for you, make sure you crank out those press releases ASAP for the brands you worked with! Nothing is worse than making false promises to brands and simply using them for free invites to shows with nothing in return.
My last tip of advice for you is to have fun! You've probably already been stressing about this week for the past few months, so make the most of it. #NYFW only comes around two times a year, so make sure you bring your A-Game and go get 'em, girl!
Until next time,
xoxo
"'Vengeance is mine, says the Lord'. In order to rid ourselves of hatred and not seek vengeance, nor bear a grudge, we must forgive."
Frances Taylor