NYFW:Through My Lens
By Anna Saviolakis
Attending NYFW has always been one of my lifelong dreams. Ever since I was a little girl, I followed the event as closely as I could. From scrolling through some of my favorite fashion blogs to devouring the pages of Vogue, I kept aloft.This year I had the opportunity to properly attend New York City’s prime fashion event and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. The runways were spectacular, the street style inspirational, and the memories I’ve flown back home with, unforgettable.
THE FACES
Anyone familiar with my work knows how much I love faces. There’s something so breathtaking about a person’s regard and the ways in which it offers a microscopic window into one’s entire universe.
The Looks
Though the UK is known to be the birth place of Street Style as we know it, NYC and it’s people’s individualistic fashion is without a doubt one of the most accurate depictions of the term. NYC IS the street and the looks aren’t restricted to the industry’s elite. In fact, some of the greatest looks I’ve gathered were worn by those unaware that they were going to be photographed that day. That, to me, is the true essence of Street Style. The nonchalance of it all , yet the perfect execution of an outfit.
I was not surprised by the sheer volume of styles I was able to capture, but one thing did catch my attention ; the colours. New York fashion is distinguishable to Paris’ or Milan’s , for the sake of argument , by it’s somber and edgy vibe. Lots of blacks, greys, and the occasional print. Though the Big Apple staples were present, so were bright prints, pastels, and Prada-esque f/w 2018 neons. All of which were reminiscent of this year’s European summer looks and very highly inspired by the Italian fashion house’s Fall winter advertising campaign.
Korean aesthetic Meets NYC Street Style
One of my favourite looks of the week
Scroll through the album to view some of the week’s looks
THE SHOWS
Runways are always the most hectic, stress inducing events. You wait for hours, waiting to be lead into the exclusive, invite only venues only to be rushed right back out once the 30 minute runway has ended. Though the shows themselves are usually incredibly inspiring and have viewers gazing in awe at the garments making their way down the runway, the fantasy really only lasts a fraction of a second. What I find to be even more appealing, as a photographer, is the madness going on backstage. Dressers rushing to get their assigned pieces steamed in time, makeup artists touching up the already-perfect models instants before their feet step onto the runway, designers trying to keep their cool as they know the next half hour may make or break the collection’s success. Bref, it’s an organized mess I’ve learned to enjoy through and through. Below is a collection of shots I’ve gathered both from behind the scenes and in front of them.
IN SHORT
Now sitting at my laptop as I write this post, reminiscing about the past few days, I’ve come to realize how lucky I was to attend an event as monumental as NYFW. Though fashion weeks are far from being as glamorous as they may seem on the fashion blogs, they are truly representative of the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into creating a garment. We often forget about the artists who pour their hearts and souls into a collection. We just purchase the items once they’ve been watered down time and time again until they’ve reached affordable fashion outlets such as Zara and H&M without recognizing where it all comes from. Being able to be backstage standing alongside the designers and truly experiencing it all as both a viewer and participant has given me a totally different outlook on the fashion world. Art is art and art is love. Now onto the next!
Anna xo
New York is always the first of the “Big 4” cities to showcase designer’s collection biannually during fashion month, followed by London, Milan, and finally Paris. Being the only North American city to have an official fashion week, New York always distinguishes itself from it’s European sisters in an almost stereotypical - yet accurate - way. And there’s no denying that this year’s NYFW was a clear example of just that.