NYFW Chronicles: My Street Style Features!!

As mentioned in my previous NYFW post, some photographers captured my "street style" when I was at Lincoln Center.

Below are two of the features. Make sure you click the photo to see the entire article, one of which breaks down my entire outfit.


TypeF.com
Yes! I made it on Tyra Bank's new website about all things fashion and beauty.

ConcreteLoop.com
My "sleek and scholarly" look is featured on one the most popular black celebrity entertainment blogs.

Click HERE to view my full photo

Thanks to the above sites for featuring me! This has made my first Fashion Week trip even more memorable.

NYFW Chronicles: A day at Lincoln Center with Nicole Miller and Concept Korea

My first Lincoln Center experience was indeed a great one! To be able to attend the Nicole Miller runway show during my first visit to Fashion Week was insane!

When I arrived at Lincoln Center, I just stood there to soak it all in. The energy in Lincoln Center is electric. Street style photographers canvassing the area looking for well-dressed subjects while show goers are either chatting it up with their fashion cohorts or darting across the plaza to catch the next show or presentation.

Upon my arrival, I ran into Gabriel who was actually enjoying a day off from his action-packed, behind-the-scenes Fashion Week internship. ChiTown Fashionista was definitely representing Chicago well.

Then, it was time to catch the Nicole Miller show. As I was heading in, I was stopped several times by street style photographers and interviewed briefly regarding Fashion Week and my personal style (more to come on that). For my style to be appreciated at THE epicenter of fashion was surreal and certainly unforgettable.

Then, it was time for the show.

In the front row, I spotted Jennifer and Ashley Tisdale, Alexis Biedel as well as ELLE's Joe Zee and Keith Pollock.

I loved seeing Joe Zee capture moments with his cell phone.

I enjoyed the collection, filled with stripes and bursts of neon (click HERE to view the slideshow). I can't wait to see Nicole Miller's journey and hear more about the inspiration for the collection on the upcoming season of All On the Line.

After the show, I headed back to the main area to relish in the moment. Inside the "tents" was even more glorious. Prominent fashion figures, from editors to stylists, were reuniting with one another, recapping the shows and synchronizing schedules. The blogging community was also represented quite well. I felt right at home.

I had an opportunity to chat with celebrity stylist, June Ambrose.

When I asked how to get a petition started for her to have her own reality show (have you seen her YouTube videos?), she informed me that it is actually in the works and filming has already started. Move over, Rachel Zoe!

After pinching myself, I headed across the plaza to the Concept Korea presentation where 5 of the best emerging Korean designers were being showcased.

After seeing J. Alexander (a.k.a. Miss J) run past me like a flash of lightning, I headed up the stairs where I was welcomed by a sea of innovative designs. The Concept Korea collective consisted of Doho, Lie Sang Bong, RESURRECTION, SON JUNG WAN and Steve J & Yoni P.

Here are some of my favorite looks:

Lie Sang Bong

Steve J & Yoni P

Talk about a fun-filled day! As you can see, so much happened within a 2-hour time frame. And my one day in Lincoln Center was only scratching the surface. I can't wait to get back to New York Fashion Week to spend more time at Lincoln Center and attend more runway shows.

Onward and upwards!

NYFW Chronicles: A Crazy, Lazy Fashion's Night Out at Macy's

When I realized that I would be in New York for this year's Fashion's Night Out, I eagerly mapped out every location that I would visit for what is now considered the biggest shopping celebration in the world.

Being overly ambitious and eager, I generated this map on the Fashion's Night Out website to help me determine my course of action.

I included every store from Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue to Manolo Blahnik and Coach. How I figured I could get to so many locations in a 3 - 4 hour time span is beyond me.

After all the strategic planning, the night began and ended at Macy's. This is due to the fact that A) it was the closest destination to my hotel, B) there was a boatload of celebrity and designer appearances and C) by the end of the night, my feet were aching and all I wanted to do was change into my flats and explore Times Square.


Here's what went down...

Raijean of Swa-Rai.com arrived at my hotel and indicated that she heard Rachel Roy was already at Macy's making her appearance. We agreed that we would ditch the idea of visiting the Target for Missoni popup shop first and instead headed straight to Macy's.

GREETED BY MODELS AND GOOD VIBES:
We arrived at Macy's and stumbled upon a crowd of people surrounding models who were wearing INC gear and snapping photos of all the onlookers. The DJ was pumping out upbeat vibes that had models and consumers dancing throughout the store.

I spotted this stylish chap in the aisle.

Don't you just love his Kente cloth bowtie and cummerbund? I would later find out that his name is Sureme and he works for Alvin Ailey.

RACHEL ROY AND AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE:

Rachel Roy and Amar'e Stoudemire were in the building to promote their newly launched collaboration collection. There was no opportunity to chat with either of them but I was able to snap a couple of photos.

After explaining to someone, "No. I don't mean Rachel RAY. It's Rachel ROY, the designer whose name is on all the signs in this section we're standing in", I realized that the frenzy may have been more for Amar'e than Rachel.

I did get a chance to check out the collection which appears to be targeted to Juniors. Here's my favorite look from the night.

CLAIRE OF FASHION BOMB DAILY:

I'm a fan of Claire Sulmers' blog Fashion Bomb Daily and was excited when I met her briefly at the IFB Conference.  We ran into each other again at Macy's, near the Rachel Roy department.

After chatting for a bit, she asked to photograph me and Raijean.  To our surprise, the photo shown below ended up on her website the following morning. SCORE! (click HERE for the entire article)

KELLY ROWLAND... OR LACK THEREOF:

We headed upstairs to catch a  glimpse of Kelly Rowland. The line for fans waiting to meet her was beginning to extend the length of the store.  With no intention of standing in line, I decided that I would be happy with just a photo. But after waiting a few minutes (at that point Kelly was already an hour late) AND receiving word that Anna Dello Russo was on the 2nd Floor, I bolted.

ANNA. DELLO. RUSSO.  #iDie:

Japanese Vogue fashion director Anna Dello Russo was at Macy's along with model Karolina Kurkova promoting the Fall/Winter I.N.C. collection for which she is guest editor. Due to the chaos, no one could get close to the fashion icon. But I managed to photograph both Anna and Karolina enjoying the evening's festivities, which also included a surprise appearance by Grammy award winning Hip Hop Violinist, Miri Ben Ari. Being that close to the woman whose style I greatly admire and whose closet I highly covet, was certainly the highlight of the night!

 

My crazy, lazy Fashion's Night Out at Macy's was a memorable experience. New York sure knows how to throw a shopping party!

Thinking, "THIS should be big enough to fit Anna in."

So how was your Fashion's Night Out? Did you find any great deals or meet any amazing celebrities or designers? Do tell!


Special thanks to hubby for tagging along and playing the part of paparazzi. I am grateful for his sacrifice, especially since I'm sure the Fashion's Night Out mania has left him scarred for life.

NYFW Chronicles: The IFB Conference Photo Roundup

In addition to all the note-taking (click HERE for the complete rundown), I snapped quite a few photos at the IFB Conference.

Check out some of my favorite people, outfits and moments!

IFB founder Jennine Jacob kicking off the conference

Model Coco Rocha capturing everyone's attention...as usual

With Aimee Song of Song of Style

Aimee's ridiculously fabulous "arm party" | Leandra Medine of Man Repeller (the creator of said term "arm party")

Dru of The Colour Blog | Amy of Chicago Street Style

Jessica of Styloteque | Shainna of A Thick Girl's Closet 

Naja of NajaDiamond.com (l) | Another stylish attendee

Even the oversized Target for Missoni doll was stylish

Sidenote: So...the jury is still out on whether or not the Target for Missoni doll is cool or creepy. The lifelike movements (she was faux tweeting the whole time) were a little too real for some but we couldn't stop staring at it.  To read her tweets, follow "her" at twitter.com/marinawithstyle.  Yes, her name is Marina.

NYFW Chronicles: Highlights from the IFB Conference 2011

Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) is a mentorship network, created by Jennine Jacob of The Coveted, that provides an infinite amount of resources to fashion bloggers, including user-generated content, group forums and the ever-popular weekly community link round-ups. The IFB Conference brings together hundreds of fashion bloggers anxious to gain insight and knowledge from their peers and industry insiders.

This past February, I was able to view some of the conference via livestream. It was so enlightening that I made a vow to attend in person if I was in New York for Fashion Week.

It was a pleasure being in a room full of like-minded individuals.  And with a room full of fashion bloggers, you must know the day was filled with networking, outfit pictures, power socket monitoring (for recharging all of the gadgets) and downright fun! Click HERE to see my IFB Conference photo roundup

Between tweets (see Exhibit A), I took a few notes.

Exhibit A

Here are some highlights from each panel:

BLOGGERS TOOL KIT

Moderator: Christen Rochon, Divas & Dorks
Panelists: Leandra Medine, Man Repeller; Alisa Gould Simon, Pose.com; Lauren Kolodny and Erica Chan Coffman, Honestly WTF; Sammy Davis, Sammy Davis Vintage; Vahni Georgoulakos, Grit and Glamour

"Outside of trends, the best thing you can wear is self confidence" - Sammy Davis

1. Stay relevant. The blogging world is so saturated, you have to be unique.
2. When working with brands, don't dilute your name. If you typically work with high end brands, it doesn't make sense to also work with discount chains and vice versa. Partner with the brands you appreciate.

IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA INDUSTRY BROKEN?

Moderator: Tony Wang, post.fashionism
Panelists: Mark Beeching, Digitas; Meghan Donovan, Wit & Whimsy; Bryce Gruber, The Luxury Spot; Yuli Ziv, Style Coalition; Carol Han, Milk and Made; John Jannuzzi, Textbook

"Just because you love what you do, doesn't mean you shouldn't get paid for it" - Mark Beeching

1.  Have editorial standards. Just because you get something doesn't mean you should write about it.
2. You can add value to a brand with your own creativity. Bring suggestions to the table. That's how collaborations develop.
3. When joining ad networks, make sure it is a 2-sided agreement. The ads and brands should benefit you and relate to your blog content.
4. Agencies are beginning to narrow down their focus (which bloggers to reach out to, how many, etc.), eliminate blanket pitches, and use blogger networks to source bloggers. Therefore, having a distinct voice and joining a good blogger network is increasingly important.

BALANCING ACT: BUSINESS AND BLOGGING

Moderator: Grechen Cohen, Grechen's Closet
Panelists: Natalie Suarez, Natalie Off Duty; Annie Tomlin, BellaSugar; Aimee Song, Song of Style; Kristina Medhus, Pretty Shiny Sparkly; Ari Goldberg, StyleCaster; Coco Rocha, Oh So Coco

"Find a brand you love and study it! When making decisions, ask yourself, 'Would they do that?' If not, then neither should you" - Ari Goldberg

1. Your blog is your online reputation. Keep that in mind when creating content.
2. If you want to monetize, think about what your hourly rate would be. Understand what your value is.
3. Write down your mission statement and vision so that you are prepared to have those discussions with brands, new contributors, etc. This will explicitly inform others what you do and don't stand for.
4. A media kit is extremely important and should include monetization options and your blog's demographics.

EVOLUTION OF FASHION MEDIA

Moderator: Ann Colville Somma, HolierthanNow
Panelists: Mary HK Choi, MTV Style; Claire Sulmers, Fashion Bomb Daily; Ari Seth Cohen, Advanced Style; Mr. Mickey, PaperMag; Joyce Chang, People Style Watch; Christian Remrod, Fashion Networks

"When writing a review, be clear. Don't just say it is "awesome". Explain why it is awesome." - Joyce Chang

1. Magazine editors look for niche bloggers, i.e. those with a specific area of expertise. Translation: Get A Focus!
2. Fashion can be exclusionary and elitist. If your blog gives a voice to those that are typically excluded (eg. Plus size, older age group), you can quickly gain a cult following.
3. More bloggers are starting to use Viddy. It is the video equivalent of Instagram and a great way to share video content.

KEY NOTE SPEAKER: JOE ZEE

Interviewed by Tina Craig of BagSnob

"I consider myself a content provider. It's not Elle Magazine. It's Elle, the brand" - Joe Zee

1. Social media has made fashion much more democratic and accessible.
2. The quick turnaround with social media is not too fast. It is great. Magazines and blogs may cover fashion differently but they both get the word out.
3. Be genuine. Have a point of view. Focus on what you do best.
4. Just like any industry, in fashion and blogging, those that are really good will rise to the top.
5. If your blog has more text than images, it's better to make it "140 characters or less". Translation: When you're writing on the internet, be concise.

Joe also provided us with a few details about his reality show All On The Line.  He is one of the producers and enjoys being involved because it allows him to validate the authenticity of the show. He revealed that the second season will have a tightened format and more behind-the-scenes footage. It will also showcase some big names (including Nicole Miller) and tackle the topic of plus size fashion.

When asked about the future of magazines, Joe stated that he doesn't believe magazines will go away as long as they do something great and different. He believes that traditional media may experience some growing pains along the way but will always continue to be around.

Joe also mentioned that he will be launching a Tumblr site that he will use to share his 20 year photo portfolio. I think everyone in the room was more than delighted to hear that. With that much history captured in the form of photographs,  his Tumblr will be #MAJOR.

It was such a pleasure hearing from Joe Zee, Creative Director of ELLE. He has 20+ years experience in the fashion industry and is one of few in traditional media that has fully embraced social media.



As you can see, there was a lot to learn from this season's conference! I'm certainly looking forward to the next one.

Were you able to attend this year, either in person or via livestream? If so, what was the highlight for you?


P.S. Special thanks to MADE for hosting the conference and to all the sponsors (KMS California, Pose, Magnum Ice Cream, Unilever and ALDO) for making the breaks in between each session eventful.

NYFW Chronicles: A Fashion Intern’s Dream Come True

Gabriel Charles Tyler is one of four interns working with FIJI Water at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 (September 8-15, 2011). Here's an update from FIJI Water's blog of his time working in New York. View the original post here: http://www.fijiwater.com/2011/fashion-intern-gabriel-tyler-on-mercedes-benz-fashion-week.

I was born and bred in Chicago, so I am no foreigner to what can happen in a big city like New York. I’ve learned to be prepared for what every new moment may bring and, thus far, this trip to Fashion Week has proven that that notion is the only way to live.

Who would have thought that I would be in New York City attending and working behind the scenes at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week? I remember a little over a year ago, I sat in my apartment watching a few clips on YouTube from the season’s runway shows. It was at that time that I determined that I would be in New York City the following year for Fashion Week, no matter what I had to do. Well, a year later, I can finally say I made it. I’ve been very fortunate. 

I cannot express how honored I am that FIJI Water has given me this opportunity.

Here are a few things I experienced and learned in the concrete jungle.

1. Fairy Tales Do Come True

Kelly Cutrone tweeted a photo of Teghan and Gabriel in the People's Revolution NYC office.

I love People’s Revolution. I fell in love with Kelly Cutrone when I watched her show on Bravo, Kell on Earth. She was everything I wanted to be, and I understood why she took herself and her business so seriously: Kelly loved what she did. It wasn’t a job for her, it was her life.

I submitted my resume to People’s Revolution two years in a row, but I never got a reply. I chalked it up to fate and moved on, hoping that one day the planets would align and I would get my chance with Kelly Cutrone.

On the first day of the internship, I took an early-morning flight to New York and just so happened to walk past the People’s Revolution office in SoHo while I roamed the city with Teghan, another FIJI Water Fashion Week Intern. We both felt like destiny had put us in the right place at the right time.

I called the office and asked could we come up for a visit. I was put on hold, then five seconds later the buzzer rang, letting Teghan and me into the building. We ran up the stairs and, as soon as we opened the door, Kelly was right there smiling at us. I’ve never had celebrity shock until that moment. She took pictures with both of us, chatted with us for a long time, allowed us to tour the entire office and even invited us to an exclusive fashion show! We couldn’t make the show because of prior obligations to our internship, but we were both shocked and grateful that we were even let past the door. To get invited to anything by Kelly Cutrone, the PR machine herself, was the highest of high honors. Like I said, dreams do come true. I hope I get to see Kelly again.

2. Fashion Is More Than Clothes, Style, and Good Taste — It’s Work

My advice to anyone who wants to get involved in the fashion industry is don’t be fooled into thinking the industry is all fun and games. When you’re in this life, it’s the only life you have. It’s fun, but you have to do it because you love it, not because you want perks.

All of us have received the perks, including a new wardrobe from TopShop/TopMan courtesy of FIJI Water, exclusive access to the BCBG runway show, the first show in the Theatre at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and a great lunch from Ed’s Chowder House at The Empire Hotel.

However, we have all put in a lot of work, including a long acceptance process, early-morning meetings, and long hours of standing, working, and sporting a FIJI Water style. It’s work, and work is work, but in the end it’s all worthwhile.

Everywhere I go, people ask to take my photo. I guess Noelle and Paul really knew what they were doing when they helped the TopShop/TopMan stylist choose my outfits. I’m beginning to feel like a celebrity. I’m meeting new people all the time, talking with people I would have never gotten a chance to meet outside of this opportunity, and getting skills and exposure to an industry I hope to one day dominate. I wouldn’t trade this chance for anything.

The FIJI Water fashion interns (l. to r.) Marco, Kristie, Teghan and Gabriel.

3. Dream Big and Take a Chance, or Go Home

People say that dreaming is for children and that dreams never come true. I guess they’ve never been to New York. If you want to make it, you have to take it. No one ever gets anywhere by fitting in and wishing they’d make it. Do like I did — say who, what, and where you want to be, and make it happen. It takes a lot of work and time, but if it’s truly what you want, those things won’t outweigh the fulfillment you’ll get.

Make sure you check out my Tumblr for a step-by-step play to my life in New York during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. You can also follow me on Twitter @MisterTyler. I’ll be updating consistently throughout the day for the entire week.