#FlancakeGoesToNYFW

As some my have realized, I’ve been missing in action for a little bit! SO sorry about this-I’ve been crazy busy the past few weeks, especially this weekend, for I was at New York Fashion Week!?!?!
Wait, WHAT!?
I NEVER in a million years thought that I would get the chance to go to NYFW and start my own hashtag #Flancakegoestonyfw (like one of my favorite bloggers does for every trip she makes!), so this really was a trip of a lifetime!

So I’m sure all of you are oh-so-curious how I got this AHHMAZING opportunity, so I’m going to spill! And of COURSE tell you ALL about it-so sit back, relax-this might take a while!

How it all started:

About a month ago, my Aunt Jamie (who is oh-so-fabulous) told me about a girl (Anna Taylor) who had just graduated from the UofA and had started a clothing line, Judith & James that was going to be debuting at New York Fashion Week. My Aunt wanted us to meet up and possibly have me help! Which of course I couldn’t say no to! About a week after that, Anna, her mother and myself met up at Arsaga’s for some tea and to discuss NYFW! Anna told me her story-which is INCREDIBLE, and she wanted to know all about my fashion adventures and all the things I had done. She also wanted my opinion on how the clothes should be styled, how the models should wear their hair, and of course what accessories there should be! I explained how I thought since Judith & James’ brand was classic with a funky edge, the accessories should complement the clothes, how I thought that the hair should be au’natural, and the jewelry should have a funky edge too. Anna said that she wanted some big earrings that were colorful and possibly had things hanging off them. As some of you may remember, I posted a few months ago about some earrings that I made using colorful beads and fringe, so I showed these to her but explained that I made them so we could look for some that were possibly better. But Anna LOVED them!! So of course I said that I could make them for the show! We decided that I would help spread the word about Judith & James going to NYFW, make the earrings and help with odd jobs! 
-and that’s just the beginning!

Leading up to the weekend that J&J was to be showing, I told all of my sorority sisters about them and I helped spread the word all around campus! Then Sept. 5th came, and I was on a plane headed to NYFW!!! (With my mom and one of her friends in tow). 

 

As you can tell, I did some in-flight reading of Vogue, researching upcoming trends for the fall and spring, which I’ll post about hopefully tomorrow! (Stay tuned!) 

We arrived in NY late Thursday night and I met my fab roommates-Lilly from Arkansas, who goes to Baylor and Amanda, from Texas who goes to UofA also! The next day was definitely jam packed with model fittings all day!

The roomies-Lilly, Amanda and I!

 

FRIDAY

Friday Lilly and Amanda and I walked over to the venue for model fittings, where the models could come at anytime from 8am-6pm, since they were also walking for other shows. Our first model came at around 10, and this was QUIET the experience. 
Throughout the day models filed in slowly, sometimes one at a time and other times we had up to 3 models! Ashley Little, who owns Material Concepts was Anna’s seamstress for the weekend, and she did an incredible job fitting the clothes perfectly to the girls tiny bodies. This entire time I was helping pick out which earrings to go with each outfit since every earring is unique, and I took pictures and documented everything that was happening.
One of the last models we had for that day was actually from Africa-Sudan to be exact. She was being fitted for another designer and she was looking at J&J’s clothes and she told Anna that her and her mother both had dresses made out of the same African fabrics back home, which was too cool-so of course Anna wanted her to model for her-so she did!
(pictured below is Anna on the left, the African model in the middle, and Rachael(the stylist!) on the right)

 

Later that day, Amanda and I were talking about our love of fashion and how we SO wanted to see all the models/bloggers/editors that went to the big shows, so we decided to try and get a peek at them leaving the Rag & Bone show, so we walked down to their venue. As it was ending, we were watching it on live stream so we knew when it would actually end-when it did, there were TONS of people everywhere, especially paparazzi! As we were done, we saw a few famous bloggers/models (since I obviously love fashion, these are my “celebrities”). As the people cleared out, R&B was giving out popsicles to their guests, so obvi Amanda and I wanted one-and we scored! Mine was lemon juice, and actually very tasty. 

First is a preview of what Rag & Bone’s Spring 2014 collection looks like:

 

With my yummy popsicle! 

Outside the show! (Wearing BCBGMaxazria and DV shoes)

and the model we saw on the runway and then off! 

 

 

 

And another supermodel we saw after the show, Monika Jagaciak!

Sadly I didn’t get to snap a pic, but we also saw Hanneli Mustaparta, a blogger/model leaving the show in some fabulous white overalls and checkered shades, with a popsicle of course. 

 

Lilly, Amanda and I!

 

Later that night, the girls and I went to a super yummy sushi place ( got fried rice-lame, I know) 
Here I am with Rachael and Anna
(I’m wearing a F21 dress and Chain Crochet jewels)

 

 

SATURDAY

The next day was very relaxed-it was actually a free day! Mom, Mrs. Caroline and myself went shopping!
(Of course I had to post an #OOTD)
Wearing a J.Crew shirt and a BCBGMaxazria leather perforated skirt with Sam Edelman’s.

We mainly stayed in the Soho area, stopping in at my all time fav store LF, Burburry, Rag & Bone, Sam Edelman, and a few other shops. 
Later that night we sent to see Jersey Boys on broadway, which was SO good! After the show I got to chat with 3 of the main actors, and of course Mom had to snap a pic-so cheesey.
Jared Bradshaw- 

Matt Bogart who played Nick Massi-

And Dominic Scaglione who played Frankie Valli-

SUNDAY

Fashion show day!! We were up early this day, steaming and sewing the finishing touches on the garments. The show started at 2, so before Amanda and I went to probably my favorite restaurant in NY, Cafeteria to grab some brunch. I just HAD to share a pic-since outside seating in NY is SO rare.

 

then off to the show!!!
We had front row seats of right when the models came out, so we had the perfect view to see everything! 

This was taken at the end of the show when all the outfits came back around-

 

After the show wearing Savoir Faire shirt and pants and Sam Edelman mini heels. My FAV for walking around the city!

Anna and I after her show! (don’t mind my hair-it got crazy so up it went)

 

Since Anna was a debut designer, meaning that this was her first time at fashion week, she got to show with other designers. Here are some other looks from the shows that I liked!

 

The show was AHHHMAZING!! The audience LOVED Judith & James, it was such a fresh and original collection compared to the others!
After the show, we wanted to grab a bite to eat so we went to Eataly, owned by Oscar Farinetti who is on The Chew! It was seriously the best italian EVER-the desert wasn’t too bad either…

 

And sadly that was the last day I had in the city (insert extremely sad face).  
To read the complete Judith & James story, go to their facebook-and like them on Insta and twitter- @judithandjames

And here are some looks from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection-shot in NYC.

 

This opportunity was seriously SO AMAZING and I’m SO glad/lucky/humbled that I got to be a part of making Judith & James a known brand. I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures-it truly was an opportunity of a lifetime!
Don’t worry though-I’m not done posting about NYFW-tomorrow I’ll be posting and discussing all of my favorite looks from the week, because there have been some fabulous ones! 
One last though-if you haven’t already, check out this awesome article my good friend Meridith wrote about me on HerCampus!

Until tomorrow loves,

XX Flancake