Fashion Week Survival Kit

My first-ever Fashion Week was 7 years ago this week. I was 18 years old, a freshman at Parsons, and along with my partner-in-crime Jordan, we ventured up to Bryant Park and somehow managed to get a hold of coveted seats at Anna Sui and Cynthia Rowley, John Varvatos, and later, to Marc by Marc Jacobs and smaller shows of independent designers. We found ourselves in the middle of model-studded after parties in the Meatpacking District and basically fawning over the reality of our lives in NYC.

Some years later, getting real, physical invitations to fashion shows - from Burberry Prorsum to Christopher Kane to Catherine Malandrino, still doesn't seem entirely real. That said, I've had a few seasons under my belt to know to come prepared. Fully charged batteries, a between-show snack, and an organized calendar are absolute necessities, as are super-tall-yet-comfortable shoes.

Bag: Miu Miu, Bag Charm: Laduree via Colette (for a little levity), Notebook: Moleskine, Planner: Kate Spade, Sunglasses: ASOS, Hand Creme: Bliss, Lip Gloss: NARS

1. A huge bag! A little sequined clutch might be cuter, but how are you going to lug everything around in one of those? Where will your barcode print-outs go?
2. Media Tools - I'd be lost during NYFW without my iPhone, Leica point-and-shoot, and my Flip camera.
3. Notebook and Organizer: I keep my dates and appointments meticulously in my trust planner, and love to take notes during shows in one of my moleskine notebooks (this season: pink). The notes come in handy when I'm doing write-ups for Vogue.it or my blog later.
4. No time for makeup touch-ups, but a nice bright lip gloss or stain (NARS Bougianville is my go-to, right now) and a hand creme are necessary - it's cold out, and if you're like me, you're making lots of introductions and shaking hands during fashion week.
5. Snack. My snack of choice is raw almonds, they're full of protein and keep me going when I'm running from Lincoln Center to Milk Studios downtown.
6. Business Cards! You never know who you're going to meet. I developed a correspondence with a Vanity Fair Italy editor after meeting at London Fashion Week, and have even gotten freelance gigs by making friendly conversation at shows.
7. Chewing gum and/or breath mints. This should be self-explanatory.
8. A spare pair of black stockings and/or clear nail polish. I'm a strictly skirts & dresses type of girl, and last season I got a pretty tragic run in my tights. Not good looks!

But really, the most important thing you can have in your NYFW arsenal? HUMILITY & APPRECIATION. You might be tired and stressed out, but remember that the people who are producing these shows and presentations - from designers to public relations people to models to interns, have been preparing for this week for months, and foregone nights of sleep and social outings to make sure everything is perfect so you can enjoy their events. I've seen people throw little tantrums at shows, and trust me, that's something that is NEVER in style. Thank you goes a long way.