It’s September next week!? The only reason I can keep track of time is because of New York Fashion Week. I’m both looking forward to it and secretly wishing it never existed. The excited part of me teamed up with Melis of Fashion Mews to bring you a guide to the street style experience and a posing reference.
Related: Check out fashion modeling poses in the resource library.
For fashion bloggers, NYFW is the holy grail of all that exists in the fashion world. Everyone looks like a Henri Bendel holiday window display, and you get to whore out your latest designer duds for street style photos. I’m looking forward to that.
For photographers, editors, and buyers, it’s a month of work you can’t skip out on no matter what. It’s the epitome of obligation and responsibility. (And I think we can all agree, when you HAVE to do something, it becomes a little bit less fun.)
What to Expect When You’re Expecting (To Go to NYFW)
This September will be my 8th season prancing around the shows. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things. My show experience is a bit scattered over the last decade. And things changed a LOT since Bryant Park. Some people complain it’s all awful now; others say they’re glad new media is getting in on the action.
It’s a healthy mix of both of those.
I’m obviously new media (aka, a blogger) so the news of blogger acceptance at NYFW is fantastic. However, there are a LOT of bloggers out there, so PR agencies are handling a lot more requests for show seats every season.
If you’re a blogger looking to go to NYFW, you should have sent in a request at least a month before the shows. Don’t do it too early or too late. A month to month and a half is a good timeframe to keep in mind.
The Real Reason You’re Here
Whether you’re going to big shows or not, one of the main reasons you’re going is basically to be seen. Let’s not beat around the bush too much. We all love fashion. We love seeing the clothes, yadda yadda. At the end of the day, I see a MUCH better level of detail from the live streaming videos when I want to review the clothes.
Why? Because as a small blogger, I’m not sitting in the front row of every show. That means that my face isn’t in the fabrics like Anna Wintour’s. Plus, she gets personal previews anyway. The shows are just, well, for a show. It’s a PR move. They’re here to make a statement and make us more prone to buy the pre-season collections (which account for the significant percentage of brand sales).
Related: This is my typical day as a blogger at NYFW.
I’m getting off topic. Let’s get back to what you’re doing at the shows. You’re there to be seen. So are thousands of others fashionistas. You’ll see a lot of people dressed outrageously, and you’ll feel underdressed. Other times you’ll feel overdressed. You’ll wonder why photographers aren’t taking more pictures of you. Then you’ll wonder what you did to make everyone flock to you.
It’s the ultimate emotional rollercoaster experience. It’s an exercise of resilience, ego, and self-esteem.
How To Get Noticed At NYFW
All that said, if you’re going to get noticed, it’s best not to peacock too hard.
Rule of thumb is to wear what you normally wear, except spiced up a bit with some interesting accessories. I look for a couple of things when I’m shooting street style:
1. Cool details
Intricate jewelry or accessories that catch my eye will get photographed. The entire outfit doesn’t need to be crazy, and just a few details need to stand out. In fact, I tend to walk away from overtly crazy getups unless they’re clearly from a famous runway collection. I want to see things worn in an interesting way.
2. Prints
I’m not a print person, but if you wear a bold print, my eye will get drawn to you. It’s just how it works. Bright colors catch my attention. This isn’t to say neutrals and muted outfits won’t get photographed, but if you’re 100% looking to get some eyes on you, bright prints will do it for you.
3. Textures
Lots of different textures work very well in photos. I gravitate toward outfits that will pop on camera as much as they pop in real life, so if a certain fabric has a funky sheen in the light, I’m more likely to try and capture it.
4. The obvious
I’ll choose a celebrity or model to photograph over anyone else. Sorry, it’s the truth. So, if you’re hanging around a super popular and packed show and you look fabulous, but Anna Wintour, Leandra Medine, and Zoe Kravitz are heading to the show, I’m going to be on the lookout for them (aka, you won’t have my full attention). There’s a likelier chance I’ll photograph you when there’s a lull in entrances/exits from the show. On the other hand, if you wanna get inadvertently captured photobombing, here’s your chance.
How To Pose for Street Style Photographs
Keep things fairly natural and practice in the mirror to check out your best angles. I’ve talked about how I pose in front of the camera in my previous articles, and Melis actually expands on the topic in her blog post. So head over and check all the deets before dressing up.
See you on the streets!
