For years, New York Fashion Week would roll around in September and for years now, I would tell myself “Next year is the year”. Not only was attending NYFW a dream of mine, It was a goal…and a goal I had no issue working towards year after year.
Now here’s the thing about NYFW that people sometimes tend to miss, or maybe Im just the only person who sees it this way: It’s more than just the shows and events. It’s the experience. It’s a humbling sense being in the city when everyone is dressed their best and the streets are flooded with creativity, art, fashion icons, stylists, photographers and designers. Its a moment I’ll always treasure.
My favorite part of this experience was meeting the amazing creators I’ve connected & bonded with over the years via social media and getting dressed in some of my favorite looks to strut the streets of NYC. There were so many amazing vibes and the styling was impeccable. I honestly wish i took more photos of other peoples looks that I liked because there were so many!
Anyhow, Heres the NYFW recap y’all have patiently been waiting for. From the hotel I stayed at, to the outfits I wore each day.
**TO SEE ALL OUTFIT PHOTOS WITH OUTFIT DETAILS & LINKS, GO HERE**
HOTEL
A few weeks before leaving for NY, some other influencers and I started pitching to hotels for complementary stay in exchange for content. Because I worked with Yotel in the past, I was able to reach out and secure some rooms for us at YOTEL NYC.
10:22 am 9/9/21- Checked into my King suite with a Beautiful Terrace!
The hotel was in a great location which made Ubers very inexpensive since there were ever only about 10-15 minutes long. And no, I didn’t consider walking, My feet were bleeding and blistered after day one!
Some poeple asked me on Instagram how I got to NY. Boston is only about a 3-4 hour drive but because I knew parking might be a hassle during NYFW and I knew I would be exhausted after a long week, i decided to take the train in with Amtrak. Honestly such a good call cause it allowed me to rest on the way there
Day One
Brunch @ Baby Brasa
After checking in, I had thirty minutes to change, slap on some make up and head to my first thing…brunch with the girls. Hannah got us collab with Baby Brasa and the food was amazing. Of course Emily and I under estimated how long it would take to get from the train, to the Hotel to the Brunch spot, so we were a little late. But it all worked out perfectly.
11:25 am 9/9/21 – Brunch with Hannah, Cheridan & Emily at Baby Brasa
The brunch menu had something for everyone but you know I couldn’t refuse the pancakes with strawberries and bananas! Literally so good and i ate every single bite…very rare when I eat out.
REBAG
1:00 pm on 9/9/21 – Picked out bag at Rebag Soho
Straight after a great brunch, Hannah & I had to stop at REBAG, a designer consignment store, to pick out a bag to shoot content with. A few of the bags I wanted weren’t available so I ended up going with this vintage Chanel…
We walked around Soho for a little while after this shooting some content. I didn’t really love my outfit on day one so I was looking forward to getting back and changing. Around 3:30pm, I got in an Uber and headed back to the Hotel.
4:00 arrive back at Hotel
By the time I got back, showered and relaxed for a little bit, I was hungry and bored. I was ready to head out again. I met up with my Boyfriend once he was done with work and we headed down the street to time square to do some shopping and grab an early dinner
Time Square
6:00pm – Dinner at Dallas Barbecue in Time Square
Im not the biggest fan of barbecue to be honest, but I got a chicken sandwich. Wasn’t terrible, and wasn’t amazing either. The mac & cheese though, I would deff recommend. Even though I cant have dairy, I did cheat and had a bite or two of Kai’s and I knew I could have killed that whole bowl myself. So yummy.
That night, at 9:30 we were supposed to attend a rood top after party. We headed straight back to the hotel around 7:30 to get ready and head out. As soon as i finished getting ready and was about to leave my hotel room, I got this text…
Sooo…plans changed very quickly. I wasn’t going to let things like this bother me so since I was already dressed and ready, Kai and I made the most of the night and explored the city. We even did one of those cliche drawings of us in Time Square and then enjoyed the lights and energy of the city for a few hours before heading back and calling it a night.
Day Two
Brunch @ Nomo Soho
10:00 am – Brunch at Nomo Kitchen in Soho
What can I say? I’m a brunch kinda girl. This time the girls and I headed to Nomo, which ended up being my favorite spot. I got an iced latte and the nutella french toast with bananas…10/10 recommend! The aesthetics of this location were perfect. So beautiful and elegant with a little bit of street intertwined with the design. Can we just admire the entrance…
Friday morning I wore one of my favorite outfits so I definitely had to shoot my brunch look before heading to the Revolve Gallery at 12pm. Im kinda sad I didn’t get to wear this outfit a little longer, but glad I was able to capture some great photos.
As I was shooting these photos, I requested my Uber to head to the Revolve Gallery event with Kayla. We got there a little late but there wasn’t an issue since I had a Partners Invite. We were let in as soon as we got to the door and didn’t have to wait in line…Thank God!
Revolve Gallery
12:30 pm 9/10/21 – Revolve Gallery Event
Had no choice but to strategically change looks in my Uber. All Im gunna say is Its a talent and we got it done. The Revolve event was amazing. Was able to meet some instagram friends in real life and walk through a bunch of different exhibits featuring what’s to come for revolve.
2:20 pm 9/10/21 – Back to my Hotel
Im going to be honest here. I didn’t spend as much time out and about as I wanted to due to covid restrictions. I am not vaccinated and a lot of places in NY, including restaurants, were checking vaccination cards at the door. As much as I would have loved to go to new spots and explore more, it wasn’t that easy. Finding cute and new places to eat that allow you in was difficult and wasted more time than necessary so I found myself just heading back to the hotel when I had down time and chilling there. Although the Vaccine mandate technically didn’t start till 2 days AFTER I left, things were still pretty strict. You couldn’t even sit in the hotel lounge area If you weren’t vaccinated.
During this time after the Revolve event, I shot some photos on my Hotel balcony and just enjoyed some quiet time before heading out with my boyfriend to walk the highline & shoot content for our shared page.
There were many times we could have gotten frustrated and moped around because the aggravation surrounding the mandates but we really focused on making this a memorable experience by making the most out of it. After Shooting, grabbing some Vegan Ice cream and walking around for a little, we headed back, changed and grabbed dinner.
Day Three
8:00 am 9/11/21 – woke up and got to work
Day three was a chill day. I woke up early to shoot around the Hotel room (the photos you saw at the beginning of this blog post) and clean up the room. I was checking out at 1pm and had brunch at 12, so I wanted to have my bags downstairs in storage before heading out. Luckily for me, the hotels baggage storage was full so they checked me into another room (on a higher floor) to store my bags till I left for Penn station at 6pm. Look at the views from that room!!
I was excited for day three though because I got to shoot the last two of my outfits and enjoy the city before catching my train back. I started off by visiting Nomo Soho for brunch again since I knew they wouldn’t require vaccination cards for seating then shot my absolute favorite NYFW look in Soho.
A little story behind this outfit: If you follow me on Instagram (and actually keep up with my stories), you probably remember me talking about being invited to the Coach event. Well…I didn’t end up going. Two days before I left Boston for New York, I got an email with the actual invite and on it, it read…
This obviously broke my heart for a second. I had a negative covid test and was ready to go. Excited to make connections and be a part of a moment I’ve dreamed about for years. Not going to lie, I shed a few tears after reading this, but I picked up my boot straps and decided to make the best of it. This was the outfit I had planned to wear to the event. The bag was perfect!! Its the Jean-Michel Basquiat x Coach collaboration with NYC detailing and his iconic works of art. I was obsessed!! Of course I couldn’t waste the look, so I still got all dolled up and shot the look in Soho. Beyond happy with how the pictures came out.
2:35 pm 9/11/21 – Shot my Coach look in Soho
3:00pm 9/11/21 – changed & started walking to Brooklyn Bridge
No matter what Im in NY for, it’s not a NYC trip without visiting the Brooklyn Bridge. There was no way I was going to be able to walk another step in heels so I quickly changed in the Nomo Hotel bathroom to a comfier fit with sneakers and walked 15 minutes to the Brooklyn Bride. There I was stopped by a photographer who snapped a few pics of my look and I was SHOCKED at how beautiful the pics came out. Here’s a few of them here…
The Brooklyn Bridge completed my NYFW experience and I’m not one bit upset about how it went. I had a great time, Met great people and spent time in a city I absolutely love and gather so much inspiration from. Yes, It was difficult to navigate the city as someone who isn’t vaccinated but no, it did not make me feel like I need to rush to get the vaccine. I had a blast and am looking forward to the next trip I can make into the City.
Other Random Pics:
If you want links to any of the outfits, please refer to this blog post solely dedicated to share my NYFW outfit details with you!!
Thanks so much for reading and supporting me through out this journey. You all are so greatly appreciated, If you’re not already, make sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my daily outfit posts.
xx- Tayla S
