10 Things That Surprised me about NYFW . . .

If you're super knowledgable and hardened to the life of a career fashion-focused individual, you can go 'head n' stop right here. 

(Mom, that's not you)

If, however, you're still curious about fashion shows and blogger behavior and fancy hotels with $9 coffee room service - then stay tuned, because I have a whole bunch of fully irrelevant commentary to insert below. 

Cue title card: 

THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 

1. The importance of hotel lobbies. 

The Empire, from my experience last fall, and The Hudson Hotel, where I resided this time, serve as places to see and be seen - hubs for the entirety of fashion week. Bloggers, celebs, editors, bloglebitors-- the gang's all here.

Which makes the fact that I face-planted TWICE (once with a full cup of coffee), while alone, in said lobby, pretty cool. 

#no

'Tis strange, though, and almost feels like celebs are up in your own home. 

2. Everyone is late.

..if they even show up at all. The shows start late, dinners start late, meetings start late- being on time is not cool, and choosing not to show up is the coolest of all. Coffee dates are canceled, evening arrangements are ditched - it's just accepted that everyone's too busy to keep up with plans. Anyone worth meeting will probably only be met via spontaneity, so be flex. 

3. You change. A lot. 

Best part of NYFW? The outfit changes. It's real, folks. Go to a show, change, go to lunch, change, go to coffee, change, go to a presentation, change. Brownie points if you can get pictures of yourself in each of the different outfits. Wish you kids could have seen how many I wore in a day. Think I went through nearly all of my 80lb plus suitcase. Also I bought stuff so . . . 

I definitely have a problem. 

4. Seats mean nothing. 

Frankly, if I were just a tad bit pushier (read: not from Wisconsin), I probably could have gotten myself into the front row at nearly every show. Everyone's so obsessed with themselves, it's rare that you can't find a chance to slip through the cracks. Getting in's the tough part. Once you're in, just put that $3,000 braces-begotten smile to good use, and voila. 

5. Bloggers are anti-social. 

Interesting phenomenon here. Understandable, but interesting. 

I guess when you consider that the majority of us started our blogs as an escape from reality, 

it's not so surprising that we're not ace at making new connections. 

Bloggers stick to their kind. They pose for streetstyle pics with each other (follers X2!), tag each other on Instagram (the new name-drop), go out to cute brunches with each other (nobody judges the ceaseless syrup-laden instagrams), take each others' blog pictures (smart, really), and just generally fraternize amongst themselves. 

It's a bit incestuous, but then again, they'll make beautiful babies. 

6. Instagram followers are currency. 

People don't ask for names, numbers and e-mails anymore. They literally ask for Instagram accounts. 

It's like the handshake of the fashion folk. 

And if you want to be taken seriously, get yourself some Instagram followers. It's always a fun* awkward moment when someone big (not me) Instagram-looks-up someone little (me), and then pretends to care about the conversation for like, 2.5 seconds more, before turning the other direction while simultaneously standing on their tiptoes to look for someone more important. 

*(footnote: actually not fun at all.)

7. Everyone is interesting. 

No matter where you are, who you're sitting next to at a show, who is sharing your table at a cafe - you can rest assured that they'll be interesting. Not once did I strike up a conversation with someone random near me and fail to be intrigued. It's like this cripplingly overwhelming sea of enthralling people. Almost too much to handle. In the best way possible. 

8. Superstars are not intimidating. 

I've spent my whole life thinking that I'd be the exact kind of person to get star-struck, but surprisingly, I'm not. 

Joe Jonas, Hilton sisters, Carrie Underwood, Solange Knowles -- they're all very . . . human. Something about being in the exact same space, walking on the same ground, sharing the same air - makes them that much smaller. 

9. If you stand still, you're not important. 

Rarely do photographers ask you for your photo if you're standing still. They only want important people, and important people are, apparently, always moving. Blogger celebs are always walking fast, looking at their phones, staring at their show invites, or just frantically hobbling from place to place - always slightly "inconvenienced" by the inevitable street style photog. It's a fun little game. 

10. Just be yourself. 

Through it all, I consistently had to reassure myself that being slightly goofy and fully naive was OK. 

As much as people may belittle you, it turns out that's better than feigning importance. That usually backfires- getting you caught up in some faux name-drop web upon which you can't elaborate and from which you can't escape. 

Nod, smile, compliment and can the manufactured self-importance.

Cheers.