Lights, Camera, Fashion: Behind The Scenes of NYFW

The models and a guest at the show

Last year I was the girl walking around Lincoln Center during NYFW intending to sneak into the shows, but got too nervous and just stood outside like a frightened squirrel with the eyes of a deer in head lights. When I was offered the opportunity to work a Patricia Field presentation during NYFW ‘15 I jumped at the chance. I knew little to nothing about her or the event, except for the fact that her style is a bit shall we say…out there.

The event was held at the Patricia Field Boutique in the East Village.

Designer Natalya Nyn (center) with models

I was completely prepared for the boring work that needed to be done before the event started. For example, sweeping, rearranging furniture, running out for supplies, etc. What I wasn’t ready for was the broken AC. It was a tedious three hours but totally worth it. Of course I wanted to look cute for the event, so I showed up in cute clothes. That was my first mistake. The first assignment for the other interns and I was to move all the heavy metal features, cramped with too many clothes, downstairs. Let me tell you that it was not easy.

Once completed, we were told to sweep the floors and proceed to move all the features back upstairs…“What?” I thought in my head, “This girl is crazy.” But she didn’t stop there. “Then you can move them downstairs in 2 hours and back up again after the event is over?” no one said anything, but everyone was dripping sweat from the first haul. This was going to be my hardest work out all week, and I was wearing leather (second mistake) and heels (third mistake).

Lynn Yaeger at the show

It wasn’t too long before the event began and my first task was to work the front door and check each guest in. I felt special. People seemed to show up in large crowds and it was overwhelming to stand my own and make sure they didn’t slip through. No one of much importance had come yet, mostly friends of employees. Then lone behold Lynn Yaeger, contributing fashion editor to Vogue.com, walks by like she owns the place. Doesn’t even bat an eye at me or the other girl checking in guests. I was more star-struck in that moment than I was when I saw Julianne Moore outside of NYFW last year.

Lynn Yaeger was in and out of the event before I even got the chance to embarrass myself by trying to speak to her. Once my shift at the door ended, there was about an hour left. I was able to go inside and take it all in. There was so much sweat, not just mine but everyone else’s because the AC was still broken and there was not one inch of wiggle room to get through. Yet, I embraced it. There were so many great characters and wild personalities it was hard to not have a fabulous time. I wouldn’t change it for the world. It was a long day and night, but this is just my beginning and everybody has to start somewhere. 

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