FASHION WEEK FOR DUMMIES

It's almost February 7th, which means Fashion Month is almost here. Editors, bloggers, buyers, stylists, photographers, and other fashion people are flying as if it were a school trip from New York via London to Milan and ending in Paris. As you know, Amayzine is going to New York. After that, Jet and I will also visit London, and finally, I'm going on a spontaneous road trip to Paris with a friend. Now, it is true that many magazines or bloggers like to pretend that everyone is just as important as Anna Wintour and that everyone runs from show to show, but that's really not true. Sure, it does open doors to work for Amayzine.com, but it's not like we sit front row hand in hand with Anna or Suzy at every show. Getting tickets for New York, for example, is already quite a hassle. Roughly speaking, there are Those Who Are Invited and Those Who Are Not Invited, and the latter group has to apply for accreditation. TWI are buyers from important stores and department stores, editors-in-chief, and fashion directors, and of course, a whole list of celebs who provide beautiful pictures. TWNWI must seek their fortune in the accreditation system. First of all, you need to register, which in the case of New York usually can be done a few weeks in advance. Registration costs around $80, and in principle, anyone can do that, but of the thousands of people who do, only a very small percentage is accepted. If you are one of the lucky ones who gets accepted, you are actually still nowhere, because the only thing you can do now is contact the respective brands for their permission to attend the shows. With a bit of bad luck, you end up 80$ lighter, a week plus a lot of nerves later, and you are still standing on the street. For the other cities, it goes about the same with Paris as the ultimate highlight in terms of difficulty. Now, it is true that besides the official program, there is also a lot to do for which you do not need an invitation, which we call the Downtown Program here in Amsterdam, for example. So, if you happen to be in one of the fashion cities during fashion weeks, be sure to note the following events. Maybe we'll run into each other somewhere.

1. In New York, from February 14th to 16th, there is Couture Fashion Week New York. For $150,- you sit in the front row, and for $65,- you get a seat assigned elsewhere. The shows last a lot longer than the ‘real’ shows, between 30 and 50 minutes, and are spiced up with many performances. Fair is fair, the website looks incredibly non-Couture and more like it just became 1994, but who knows, the event itself might be very fun.
2. A good way to get to many places is to sign up as a volunteer. For New York, you email mdfw_volunteers [at] cfda.com, and for opportunities in Milan, check this page. Prefer to go to London? Here job vacancies are posted at the British Fashion Council, the organization that handles all matters regarding the fashion shows.
3. In department store Lafayette in Paris, fashion shows were held every Friday last September. For 30 minutes, six models showcase “the latest trends by the most famous designer and couturier collections.” It is not clear to me if they are doing that again, but it is definitely worth a try. Galleries Lafayette is actually quite a nice place.
4. If you just stay home in front of the TV, you can also get quite far, as many of the shows are broadcast live. You can check the program for New York here and London here. The schedule for Paris is not yet known but will appear here soon, as well as the schedule for Milan.