i had the honor of being present at approximately ten shows during my first new york fashion week. it would be totally crazy to recap each specific show, so i’ve decided to recap the one that had the biggest impact on me (and on what i’ll be wearing during the spring/summer 2018 season!).
being a new style blogger on the nyc scene, i am thankful for all the help i received – whether it was advice, contacts, opinions on outfits, or even extra tickets and ‘plus ones’ – thank you to everyone who helped to make this week so special and so exciting! the fashion week buzz really starts happening 2-3 weeks in advance. one week out, things are really bustling. everyone is receiving their acceptance or rejection emails to shows that they’ve pitched all while putting the final touches on their showstopping looks. i was in an uber, on my way to see lady gaga in concert at cifield, when i got the email that i was accepted into one of the biggest shows this season – a brand that i’ve loved and admired for literal years…. alice + olivia. i stopped dead in my tracks and screamed in excitement. my driver thought i was crazy.
for those of you who don’t yet understand how fashion week works, as a newbie, i went into it knowing it would be hard to get into any of the major ‘name brand’ shows… simply because of capacity. so i pitched to many of the “lesser known” designers as well, so that i could fill up my schedule seeing all the beautiful clothing that i possibly could. to this day i still don’t know exactly what worked – i’m thinking and hoping it was my colorful, bold aesthetic – but the team at alice + olivia wanted me to be in the room that day.
the difference between a+o and all the other shows i attended as that, instead of a ‘runway show’, this was called a ‘presentation’. it was really cool. instead of the models walking the runway, you – the spectator – walked around the space, from scene to scene, admiring the clothing on the models. you could even ask them “can you show me your shoes?” or “can i see the back of that jacket?” and they’d turn and pose for you. it was interactive, you could take your sweet time soaking it all in, and it was also jam. packed.
it took nearly an hour of waiting in line to get into the actual presentation, because they basically fill the space up to capacity and then filter more guests in as the first flock filters out (and so on and so forth)… so it’s a constant turnover of spectators. when i finally got into the space, i legit got so excited that i saw a woman who looked just like a+o founder stacey bendet, thought it was her, and told her through the crowd that she was a genius. (LOL! rookie move! if you’re that girl… sorry… i’m sure you’re super cool but maybe not stacey bendet level cool. stacey, i still think you’re a genius. someone, relay the message… would ya?)
cut to the real stacey (pictured below) being interviewed right before my eyes! i made my way around slowly and was so impressed by the retro scenery, the natural 70’s vibe to the models’ hair and makeup, and the use of bold florals and denim. i’m loving the embroidery trend that we’re seeing this fall in baroque-style booties, velvet blazers… it seems like ss18 will continue that trend (i.e. the embroidered jeans below). and that reminds me — bell bottoms! alice + olivia ss18 is ‘that 70’s show’ with an injection of glitz & glamour. it’s not quite ‘hippie’… but it’s vintage as hell.
stacey threw in some palm prints (thank god!) and some graphic pieces (my favorite being a jacket that reads ‘BE THE STAR THAT YOU ARE’ – need!!!) this brand is wearable, it’s fun, it’s young. the quality in fabric and texture is insurmountable. alice + olivia will always be one of my favorite brands. i am so looking forward to my next new york fashion week – and i hope to be a spectator at alice + olivia time and time again! what’s your favorite piece from the a+o ss18 collection? comment below – and follow me on instagram to stay in the loop!
