Runways & Ribbons: An Insider’s Guide to Fashion Week

While huge events like New York Fashion Week gain international attention every year, there is a new trend in the world of fashion: local style. One such occasion is San Francisco Fashion Week, located at multiple chic venues throughout the city and held in the last week of September. I was lucky enough to attend a few of the shows and parties, even gaining VIP/Press privileges by the end of SFFW.

It was a wonderful experience during which I met a ton of awesome people, and though it was my first time at a legitimate fashion event I felt right at home.

Fashion + Tech

The first event that I attended was the Fashion + Tech Panel, which was sponsored by StyleTag and featured influential leaders of fashion technology from sites such as 360 Fashion Network, Poshmark, Copious, Bonfaire, and Threadflip. It was an amazing learning experience and hearing from people who have succeeded in the fashion industry taught me a lot! Another amazing aspect of this event was the networking opportunity; the entire space (a co-op art loft called Citizen Space) was set up like a marketplace, except instead of buying items you were able to test out site betas, try drinks and food from sponsors, get bags of free swag, and meet new people. Printing out business cards was the smartest move I ever made- I ended up running out before the night was over!

Menswear

The next night, I found myself at a launch party and runway show for The Dapperhood Styling Network. There, I mingled with male models, photographers, and even a featured fashion designer. Held at the R State Store in one of the trendiest areas of San Francisco, the runway show made me hopeful about the future of menswear trends. I spotted many styles of leather, lots of distressed metal accents, a fair share of glasses and horn-rimmed frames, and loafers. The Bellwether Project (a dynamic duo of male fashion bloggers from the Bay Area) styled the show with pieces from the store itself. After seeing the looks that they came up with, I almost wished that I could take some of the pieces home for myself!

Ready-To-Wear

The final night of my fashion week experience was the Ready to Wear Runway show. Of course, as a trendwatcher and pseudo-fashionista, this was the event that I was most excited for! By some stroke of luck I was moved to the reserved front row for prime viewing, allowing me to drool over next season’s new looks from a closer distance. The first portion of the show featured the Alyssa Nicole line, which captured an edgy-yet-sweet vibe in the dark plaid, cutout silhouettes, and flowy sleeves. As I told the designer after the show, I would wear every single piece that was shown on the runway! To be honest, I’ve been lusting over the ensembles for sale on her website since SFFW came to a close. The other featured lines included GreenBlackDress, InLush by Biviana Lazo, Ray Oliver,  and R State San Francisco.

Experience It Yourself!

Bright colors, structured apparel, and cutout accents seemed to be universal trends at the San Francisco Fashion Week runway shows, not to mention the trends I saw on the trendsetters who attended the events. The people that I met throughout the week were so wonderful, which took me by surprise after countless viewings of The Devil Wears Prada convincing me that fashion people must be horrid. The experience of attending this exciting affair was one that I would not trade for the world, and if there is anything similar scheduled to happen in your area I would absolutely recommend going! And for those looking for work experience, there is always a need for interns at occasions such as these, so don’t hesitate to send in a resume. You’ll meet great people, see amazing clothing, and have the time of your life.