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New York Fashion Week: Diary Entry no.1

September 11th, 2009 | Published in Blog

New York Fashion Week has just begun, leading the way in the parade of fashion shows that are to come throughout the next two months around the world. One of our String Magazine insiders is on the scene this very moment, relishing in the shows and events that are part of this coveted event. For the duration of NYFW she will be giving us a taste of what she is experiencing through her diary entries, the first of which she shares with us here:

The First Spurt
September 9th, 2009
Words by Annabell.

New York Fashion Week Day 1 Before I came to New York I had this idea–this picture–in my mind of how it would be. Google images and stories from other people painted a gorgeous skyline and billions of well dressed CEOs. This is my first time in New York and I didn’t want to have any expectations, so I deleted everything I had heard and went in blind, thinking nothing great, and nothing bad–just to experience, for that was the purpose of this trip.

Waiting at the airport I thought I would be a little more excited about the shows, the designers, about meeting people. But I kept thinking, “It will hit me once I land, once I am there I will feel this New York Vibe that everyone talks about.”

I landed, went through Brooklyn, transferred trains: streets filled with people, hip hop music. I smiled and thought, “This is Brooklyn,” the movies were dead on.

Into Manhattan: three days to explore before fashion week. What to do? Where to start? Begin at Barneys outlet sale. Half a block line-up, racks and racks of designer shoes and ready to wear pieces. $113 Chrtistan Louboutins, $100 Prada dress, $300 Giles evening dress, $190 Balanciaga shoes, $150 Balenciaga knit dress. The whole time I thought, “This is the New York everyone speaks of.” Six dollar cab ride, left with nothing but a cheese pizza.

Times Square, a graphic designers dream–or nightmare. Ads everywhere, flashing lights, videos, the biggest Diddy I will ever see. It was beautiful. But I still thought to myself, “Yes it is gorgeous but I have seen this before, just in a flat printed picture.” We turned in for the first night in a New York hotel.

Next day visited Soho, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Chinatown… it all started to blend together. Then, after all the neighbourhood visits I wanted to take a day and just chill out and not walk for miles and miles: Central Park and the Upper East Side. All of a sudden I felt it. I felt the “New York Vibe”. The people were not dressed any better, there weren’t any more cabs than midtown, there weren’t any more or less real New Yorkers. I just felt the buzz, that “New York Vibe” that everyone speaks of. This city is an old, gorgeous place, that has held so many different walks of life, and yet–it’s surprisingly quiet. The nights are peaceful, but lights are always on: it never stops, it doesn’t quit and twice a year the world migrates to an event at Bryant Park. Tomorrow Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York will begin.

New York Fashion Week Day 1

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