New York Fashion Week
How to get into New York Fashion Week: It's not easy, but here are some options
Among the questions I get asked the most is, " How can I get into a show at New York Fashion Week?" Even after attending America's premier fashion event twice a year for more than a decade, I can safely say, it's not easy.
In fact, with the next edition set for mid-September, it's getting harder.
With so many new fashion bloggers and a change in venues (from Lincoln Center to two new locations in midtown and lower Manhattan), the competition is fierce as organizers try to figure out who really belongs. Getting into a show often has more to do with building a relationship with a designer over the years than anything else, although sometimes exhibiting a real love for fashion can charm a member of a designer's normally hard-edged PR team.
If you are an American Express cardhold, there are opportunities to attend fashion week in a first-class way.
If you're a regular customer at Saks, Neiman's or a specialty boutique like Elizabeth Anthony or Tootsies and have a strong preference for a designer that the store carries, the sales associate can sometimes pull some strings to get you into a New York show.
Or if you are an American Express cardholder, there are opportunities to attend in a first-class way. The company has a long-standing relationship with New York fashion week and currently opts to support up-and-coming designers who will likely be tomorrow's big names.
On September 9, AmEx is hosting top jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher’s first-ever New York Fashion Week presentation. Card members will view the spring 2016 jewelry collection at a presentation with champagne in a hip space in New York's Meatpacking District and take part in a private question-and-answer session with Fisher and renowned fashion designer Prabal Gurung.
The cost is $50 per person and can be purchased online.
The company also sponsors the American Express VIP Card Member Lounge at MADE Fashion Week, the gathering spot for up-and-coming designers located in MILK Studios. Many of the shows are sold out, but a few tickets remain for shows featuring Telfar on September 14, Gypsy Sport on September 15 and Parsons MFA Fashion and Design Society on September 16. Tickets are $160 each and include include backstage access, designer meet & greet with a question-and-answer session, hair and makeup tips, with beverages and light bites served in the American Express VIP Lounge.
But one thing to remember about any fashion show that surprises most first-timers: It's over in 12 minutes or less.