Things we have learned so far in New York

At the time of writing, it is Sunday afternoon and we are halfway through our second day of NYFW. Not even halfway yet. But already full of newly gained life and modeling lessons that we, of course, share with you. Here they come.

Bold people have half the world.

I am quite the coward type who prefers to stick to the rules, even if it means missing out on unique opportunities. I know someone who just talks his way into every show with a straight face, while I get weak knees just thinking about it. The same goes for taking photos; I quickly feel like a dumb annoying tourist, but man, I would have loved to tap Carine Roitfeld on the shoulder when she stood next to me on Friday to ask if I could take a photo with her. May-Britt is usually not much braver than I am in that regard, until this morning. She was backstage at Victoria Beckham and tadadadadada, who was there? David Beckham. And yes, suddenly a David Beckham selfie just rolled into our WhatsApp group. A few hours later, after The Event, she texted me that she was still shaking but still, that photo exists.

Our hair is flat and straight with a parting.

We saw it at Carine's party and we saw it with the models and with many Hip People On The Street: hair neatly pulled back with a straight, tidy parting and then a low ponytail. I am a fan, at least.

People refuse to dress according to the weather.

When we were in New York in February and it wasn't much warmer than -10, most women refused to dress appropriately for it. As in, people casually wore bare legs and climbed through the meters of thick snow on the street with bare legs. But now it’s not colder than 30 degrees and I kid you not, we see people in thick wool sweaters, big sweatshirts, and even a duo wrapped in a large Burberry-sized poncho. Now I ask you!

As a smoker, you are totally screwed.

I always say that I am a party smoker, but that's not really true, because even during the day, I can easily smoke a cigarette or two (or more). But here, that is really totally impossible. New Yorkers hate smokers (and rightly so) and I feel like a kind of pariah when I light a cigarette. I long for a cigarette combined with a glass of wine, but you can't smoke on terraces and you can't drink outside the terraces, so there arises an impasse that I can't get out of. I don't want to choose; I want both, at the same time. Damn.

Models are extraterrestrial beings.

Not because they are so beautiful (yes, that too), not because they are so thin (yes, that too), but mainly because they are completely tireless. At least, that's how it seems. Anyone who thinks that modeling is mainly about walking a bit on a catwalk and occasionally pouting for the camera is really completely mistaken. Modeling is top sport. For example, Maartje Verhoef starts her days around 07:00 or earlier but is really not done before 01:00. And that goes on for a MONTH. Total madness.

There is nothing more fun than New York in the summer.

Really, the city blooms and buzzes, everyone is cheerful, looks great, the terraces are full, and you can feel that famous NEW YOOOOOORK feeling in everything. That flutter in your stomach, that feeling that you are really in the capital of the world. Are you planning to book a trip to NYC? Sure, snow is nice, but do yourself a favor and go in the summer or spring. Trust me on this one.