As I'm sure you noticed, fashion week was a little bit different this season - many of the biggest designers, including Tom Ford who always closes NYFW, decided not to show due to COVID, and the invites were much more sparce.
However, we did not let that stop us from having a good time in New York for fashion week so here is the run down on everything I did, who I saw, and what I wore to New York Fashion Week FW22!
February 10th
The night we landed in New York was probably the best night of my trip - I had the chance to see my favorite band, The Criticals, perform live and it was exceptional to say the least!
For a little backstory: I was supposed to see them perform in Phoenix, where I live, back in November but they had to cancel their west coast tour due to COVID. I wasn't sure if I was going to go to their New York show because I would have to go alone but I took the chance and I'm so glad that I did!
Luckily, they are in the midst of rescheduling their west coast tour so I will hopefully be able to see them again once they're on this side of the country.
February 11th
The next day is when NYFW officially began.
I started my day off with shooting content for a Fenty Beauty campaign that I'm a part of for the next few months. Fenty Beauty recently launched their newest lipstick, the ICON, which comes with a lipstick case that is truly gorgeous!
I wore shade Board Memb'r which is a semi-matte burgundy color that matched my outfit on this sunny day in New York. On Friday, the 11th, I wore a red Dickies jumpsuit that I miraculously thrifted at my local Goodwill and paired it with my black platform combat boots, my colorful crossbody bag from Urban Outfitters, and this bright puffer that was gifted to me by my friend Colleen.
Although it was bright outside, it was still a little chilly so I layered my black Monse long sleeve under my jumpsuit for extra warmth.
Later in the day, I visited Spring Studios to view The Talks with Rodarte, hosted by Maude Apatow of Euphoria. The designers spoke about their experience starting out in the fashion industry, including their first encounter with Anna Wintour, and their love for the trees in their hometown.
For The Talks, I wore this statement blouse by Abigail Love and paired it with a ruffled green skirt by Mare Mare. To tie it all together, I wore my Ted Baker bag that was gifted to me by my friend Daryl and these Jessica Simpson cobalt blue heels.
For makeup, I decided to add a bit more blue to my look with blue eyeliner by About Face Beauty, a blushed lip by Fenty Beauty and accented my hair with blue earrings gifted to me by my friend Daryl as well.
February 12th
Saturday was a very relaxed day - I met up with my friends Colleen and Brenton to have brunch at A Pasta Bar in SoHo. Their outside seating featured gorgeous tents with florals and speakers so that you could hear the music being played inside of the restaurant.
Saturday's street style look included my trusty Revice Denim jeans, an oversized black button down that I thrifted from Goodwill, my blue shoulder bag, and one of my favorite pairs of platform boots from Gianni Binni.
Later in the day, I decided to take a much needed nap and stay at the hotel to rest up before my busier days as well as catch up on some admin work that I needed to get done.
February 13th
Talk about a snow day!
Although you can't tell in the photo, it was snowing for a majority of the day on Sunday and there were a lot of bloggers simply skipping out on their shows or sprinting inside after taking their photos. (P.S. I was the blogger who was sprinting inside after getting the shots)
This was probably my favorite outfit of the week - I wore this Selkie dress and paired it with even more color from my tights, my ear muffs, and my vintage Coach bag. For extra warmth, I wore black fuzzy leggings under my tights and brought the look together with a black fur coat, white vintage gloves and my black platform boots from Gianni Binni.
As for my makeup, I decided to add some extra color to my look with yellow eyeshadow and blue eyeliner by About Face Beauty by Halsey. I added more earrings to my hair for this look to bring the pizzazz I was looking for!
After shooting content in Bryant Park, I went over to Spring Studios in The Sunken Living Room to view he Nalebe presentation. When I tell you I was in awe of each and every shoe I saw, I mean it! Nalebe is an up and coming designer who brings her background into her work with vibrant colors and animal prints.
The new collection features mules, platforms, pumps, and a new take on the classic pump with an embellished block heel. Every single shoe was a hard hitter and I encourage you check out the new collection!
After the presentation, I met back up with my friends Colleen and Brenton to do a little shopping around Fifth Avenue because this was their last full day in town.
It was quite a bit colder on Sunday than the other days so I had to keep my outfit filled with layers if I didn't want to freeze! I kept my hair and makeup the same as my earlier look and changed my outfit to something much more casual but still fun.
I wore a vintage denim vest that I had been dying to style over a black button down shirt with my Monse long sleeve for extra warmth. On top, I wore a leather jacket that I borrowed from my friend Daryl and paired it with my leather boots from Aldo and a leather bag I thrifted from Goodwill. I also wore black leggings under my Revice Denim jeans so that I could stay warm.
After stepping back outside for about 5 minutes, I decided I had to change up my outfit a bit to suit my comfort levels in the weather, so I put on my Converse and bought a black beanie from Zara to keep my head warm.
February 14th
Monday was my last full day in New York. We started off by going to the Art of Rodarte exhibit at Spring Studios where I ran into my friend Daryl and he caught me on film for Blerr Mag where the street style photographers were.
I cannot explain to you all how cold I was in this picture - there were probably 15 street style photographers in front of me in this moment and it was a whopping 18 degrees outside while I wore an open-chest dress. However, I was going to do what it took to get the shot!
This dress is a vintage find from ThredUp featuring a bow enclosure in the front and is made of velvet material. I paired this dress with a disco ball bag, my black kitten heels from DSW, and a silver necklace from Arsis Jewelry.
For makeup, I decided to bring a bit of color to the look and wore red eyeshadow with blushed lips. For warmth, I added the black leather jacket and my black fur coat to the look so I wouldn't fall apart from the cold.
The Rodarte exhibit featured around 10-15 extravagant dresses. I was amazed at some of the pieces in the collection, particularly one that had a pink ball gown silhouette and sleeves that resembled roses. They also showed scenes from the Black Swan movie where Rodarte worked on costume design.
After the Rodarte exhibit, I viewed the AKNVS presentation in The Sunken Living Room at Spring Studios. Once again, there were a lot of bright colors in the collection, which made for a very bright room!
My favorite piece from the collection was this bright green fur coat - I adored the texture of it and it was paired with an entirely green look. If there's one thing that I saw a lot of from the looks at fashion week this season, it was monochrome. Something about monochrome looks just draws so much attention and you can never go wrong with it!
AKNVS is definitely on its way to becoming a huge brand in the fashion world with its versatile basics and elevated statement pieces.
After the presentation, I of course had to make my final stop at Laduree and shop around Madison Avenue. Laduree is certainly my favorite place for French pastries, particularly macarons, so I made a few stops there during my trip to New York.
For shopping around Madison Avenue, I kept my makeup on from my presentation and changed my outfit to something a bit more casual and that fit the weather. I wore my Revice Denim jeans with leggings underneath, my black platform combat boots, two long sleeve shirts, a comfy scarf, and my leopard print fur coat from Mango.
Overall, my fashion week experience was a great time and I had a lot more down time to relax and not rush around so much, unlike previous seasons. Although, I'm definitely ready to take on next season like a champ and hope for a much more densely packed schedule!
Thank you so much to everyone for making my trip a great time and a special thank you to the designers who allowed me to view their new collections - it was an honor.
You can check out my YouTube video to get an inside peak of what my days looked like more closely and check out my Instagram for real-time updates from me!
"(5) It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. (8) Better it is the end of a things than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (9) Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools"
Ecclesiastes 7:5, 8-9
-- Faith Blackshear