The Countdown to NYFW has begun. And the closer it gets the more excited I become! Every fashion week I’m praying that I get into a good combination of shows. Many people wonder how to get into the shows since most aren’t open to the public. Well, the bad news is that you do have to be invited to attend these shows. But the good news is that you don’t have to wait until you become a famous celebrity or a well-known name in the industry to attend. Although this makes it much easier to get invited. It’s not the only way. With a lot of networking and preparation, you can be a special part of NYFW too.
Now, I will tell you that you do have to be somewhat involved in the fashion industry to be invited. And the more involved the better. But if you didn’t know, many of NYFW invitees are invited as press, an influencer, or media. Many of these people including me, send out requests to a long list of press and public relations contacts asking to be invited to the show. The email should be a short paragraph highlighting how you’re involved in the industry and why you should go to the show. Be sure not to sound desperate. And be sure not to be cocky. Write the paragraph as if you heard a colleague was having an event and you would like to attend because attending would be beneficial for both of you. And be sure to put the links to any poppin’ website, blogs, or social media platforms you own.
It’s best to start sending these emails out a month and a half before NYFW but late is better than never. You also want to make sure you join Fashion GPS radar by Launch metrics. You do have to be accepted to join but it’s not too hard to get into. GPS radar posts many shows during NYFW with the contact to RSVP. And after attending several shows, you’ll start to receive invites that you never even requested. This site allows you the opportunity to attend even more shows.
So now, that you’ve gotten invited to several shows, created your schedule, and picked out your outfits; It’s time to go to NYFW, have fun, take pictures, and most importantly NETWORK! Not only will you meet so many different people and make many new friends, but you’ll start to become noticed and maybe even gain new opportunities. Networking is what will make getting invited to NYFW shows a lot easier the next go around.
Now it does take some research to get the press contacts. But they can be found in the brands about, footer, or contact section. However, many of these companies have PR agencies and companies handle their RSVP’s so the contact won’t be listed. In this case, you’ll have to do more research.
OR to get my official press contact list with the contact for every single show. PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING: SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW @ALWAYSPRAI & @JAMAICANCHINK_ ON INSTAGRAM, THEN SEND AN EMAIL TO ALWAYSPRAI@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR @NAME & “DONE”. YOU’LL RECEIVE THE LIST WITHIN 24 HOURS TO THE EMAIL YOU USED TO CONFIRM.
Use my event calendar which consists of the official CFDA shows, Fashion week online shows, and independent designers