It all started with a hectic rush to the airport in Tampa in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday after barely 4 hours of sleep and still feeling unprepared, even though I had two weeks to fantasize (and agonize) about every aspect.
I was taken over by the most incredible excitement of my life and it reminded me of the old days when I lived in Europe and I used to rush pack in under two hours and catch the plane to Amsterdam to go to music events.
This thing was better though because I was part of it, not just a simple bystander. And it was what I was waiting for my whole life. “New York City, I’m coming to slay!!” Or at least that was what I was telling myself to pump myself up.
I get to the plane right on time for takeoff (it’s my way of “living on the edge”), I wrap myself in an oversized sweatshirt while I slide in my window seat and I let the music in the headphones soundtrack my trip. This time it was a colorful melangé of Sofi Tukker, Cashmere Cat, G-Eazy, ZHU, dark techno and the most upbeat jazz I could find. Yes, I know… Just like the city, my playlists are totally random and eclectic.
As I approached my destination, New York welcomed me with a hazy, foggy, skyline just like a scene from a mystery movie and made me remember – once again – how infatuated I am with fog. Picked up my bag real fast and off I am into the Big Apple.
Of course that as soon as I step foot outside, rain started down pouring (seriously!) but I couldn’t let that put a damper in my day. The fact that I could actually walk everywhere instead of having to drive was bringing me an immense feeling of joy. Plus, I expected way worse, like 20F degrees temperatures and snow storms.
Even though I got a little lost, I never felt more found. Everywhere in Manhattan there were fashion bloggers taking streetstyle photos, plus tons of photographers and people talking about fashion. Hello cultural capital of the world! I was already hooked for life.
Sunday was a day filled with fashion shows, so naturally I had all the best intensions to wake up early, get breakfast and stroll around Manhattan until the first show.
But the rain was again making it a bit hard to jump out of bed, so instead we skipped breakfast (like I usually do anyways ) and decided to take photos inside the hotel room.
Highly caffeinated, with no mascara on (because of course I had to forget something essential at home!) and perfect hair just waiting to be ruined by rain and humidity, my friend and I decide to WALK to the first show, which was held at the Mercedes Benz in Manhattan. After all, 0.8 miles is really a short distance, right? Wrong!
We arrive there semi-soaked and while I was having a mini-meltdown in my head hoping I won’t trip and fall down the stairs on my way to the coat check, I meet a few fellow bloggers having the same issue with the weather as we did, so we naturally start joking about it and I start laughing at the thought that after all this IS Style Unsettled and life would not be a great adventure if everything would be perfect.
One of the things I love the most about being a fashion blogger is discovering new designers and being able to feast my eyes with unique pieces that just exude art, creativity and freedom of expression.
While we all love big name brands, I think it’s very important to support up and coming talent and to foster their growth because after all this is where progress and culture is being formed.
Gemma Hoi is one of these young talents that stole my breath with her incredible FW18 collection inspired by the 1940’s. Her pieces featured a lot of asymmetrical cuts, blue denim and crispy white cotton, all edged with cyber futuristic accessories.
Gemma Hoi
Gemma was born in Macau, China. Started to learn fine art when she was 12 and worked as a fashion designer at 18. In 2017 she had her first exhibition at One World Trade Center New York. The same year, she founded and established her own designer label, located in NYC and Shanghai as a Chinese-born New York-based fashion designer. She believes that the beauty of couture fashion should belong to everyone. This new type of fashion she called “STREET COUTURE”.
In between shows it is an absolute must to stop for refuel and recharge of thy mighty phones and cameras. Unfortunately due to time and distance constraints, as much as I would’ve loved to hit up a local cute cafe, we ended up at your normal Starbucks.
This time we Ubered because I didn’t want the wet look to become my trademark for this season’s NYFW. One tip about New York: Uber will almost never pick you up where you need them to (aka in front of whatever building you’re in) and 99.9% of the time the car is going to be a Toyota Camry. Black. So better get good at your guessing game, otherwise you’re going to end up in some random stranger’s car.
New York, New York!
The second show was Lavanya Coodley and Seven Crash
I must say that Seven Crash was my absolute favorite designer out of all Fashion Week shows. The edgy style combined with space elements and dark techno just totally floored me. I wish I had more words to describe how amazed I was about all the pieces, but I think it would just fall short.
SEVEN CRASH
7crash was founded in Taipei. Crash aims to enlighten people’s imagination and unbound existing framework. Break the rules!
Lavanya Coodly
For Lavanya, designing was a quietly nurtured passion that segued into a full time career in 2013. After spending many years in the world of science, it was time for a big change. Re-tooling with a degree in business, developing her women’s wear label became the obvious second career of choice. Thus, a company was born. And with it, the opportunity to own, create and develop a brand built on new ideas.
Lavanya Coodly is a brand designed to resonate with the urban woman who is bohemian at heart. It speaks to the curious minded woman who is open to new experiences and confidently expresses her personal style. She dresses to please herself.
Another show over and the rain was winding down, leaving room for a cool refreshing mist to take over Manhattan, just as the dusk was clawing its way to swallow the last bits of sunlight.
There’s nothing comparable to a walk at night in the city after the rain. Everything seems finally put to rest and peaceful. The day has been long, with a lot to take in, so despite all the coffee, I was getting tired. Yet I didn’t want the night to ever end, and kinda like Cinderella, the spell to break and return to “normality”.
The last show of the night was a collective show from designers like Sonia Olla – who made an incredible entrance dancing and singing flamenco, ARANYANI – who presented a collection infused with Eastern and Indian vibes, VITRUVIUS who sported edgy and eclectic pieces and last, but not least, SIJUN who delighted us with colorful elements.
Sonia Olla
Hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”, Sonia Olla was born and raised in Barcelona when she earned a degree in Spanish Dance and Flamenco at the famous “Instituto de Teatro y Danza” in Barcelona. As a bailaora (dancer), choreographer and director, Ms. Olla has toured the world, and has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, among many. Along with her own shows, Ms. Olla choreographs for stars such as Madonna (Rebel Heart Tour) and Ricky Martin (Flamenco choreographer for Lola Lola in All In!) Ms. Olla now explores the art form of fashion to express the passion and strength she exhibits when she dances. Growing up among artisans, which include close family members, she saw first hand the rich culture and beauty brought to life by traditional Spanish crafts. She now combines these elements to create a luxurious, yet distinctly modern take on femininity and style.
VITRUVIUS
Vitruvius is a collective student brand founded in 2015 by M. Pollio Education Group Inc., the holding company of Green Apple Art Center based in the beautiful city of Vancouver, Canada. Vitruvius is an embodiment of young designers’ bold creativity, authenticity, exploration, and distinctive self-identity. Every child has the chance to influence the world, and it is only possible to nurture them by providing an open learning environment fused with opportunities for challenges and advancement. Vitruvius was born under such vision, bringing young designers to experience the process and thrill of fashion world.
ARANYANI
ARANYANI is part of the PT Sainath Group Indonesia, and it is owned by the Group’s company in India Said Lakshmi Industries Private Limited. The Group has been in business since 1978 and has serve large US clients. But one of the family members had a dream to create a brand that empowers youth and communities in India to impact their economic development through their art.
ARANYANI was founded by Haresh Mirpuri, after years of research and working with different communities and projects in India and Nepal from a social impact perspective, the brand ARANYANI was launched in India.
Twinning with this beautiful lady. We both had the same style earrings
And then of course, there’s this Mercedes…
All in all, being at Fashion Week and being in New York has been one of the best and happiest
