Harris Wharf London coat // Vintage track jacket (similar here) // Ih Nom Uh Nit Stranger Things t-shirt
Tibi track pants // Amelie Pichard boots (similar here) // Prada bag // Quay sunglasses
Celine alphabet necklace ($15 version here) // Love Tatum choker

Every time I touch down in NY for another fashion week I immediately play Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind.  Like my months of window shopping, incessant overpacking, and stay-up-late marathon sessions preparing for the trip, it’s tradition.

This ain’t my first rodeo.  But the giddy childlike excitement never dies.

This NYFW would prove to be very different.  For one, I covered the shows without my partner in crime (he stayed home with baby) and for another, it’d be the shortest time I’d ever spend at fashion week.  Normally, we attend five full days, but this trip would be three.  Gotta get home to baby!

After arriving late into the city and catching up with two very dear friends, I checked into my hotel near midnight.  You know how every hotel has one room that is positively dismal?  Well, I got that room.  Cramped, smelly, loud – I got maybe three hours of sleep.  Not a great start, but NYFW isn’t for the faint of heart.  Suck it up buttercup!

First on the agenda was a photoshoot to capture my OOTD’s.  Normally the hubby and I photograph these in real time, day by day, but due to my shortened trip, I knocked them all out at once.

Over Christmas my sister and I found a treasure trove of vintage pieces in my dad’s closet.  I’m talking Le Coq Sportif tracksuits from the 80s, perfectly lived in Levi’s and lots of glorious neon.  Of course I knew something would have to make it into my NYFW routine, and his red Andre Agassi track jacket did the trick.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember this being the impetus for my version of athleisure.  When I stumbled upon these Quay glasses, the look started to take shape.  Part mad scientist, part lady of leisure, I mixed comfortable and over-the-top in what reminded me of something Frank Costanza would wear.

Crazy?  Yes.  But that’s what I love about fashion.

By the time I finished shooting, my hotel room looked like it had been hit by a tornado.  And since I asked to switch rooms, I had to repack!  For anyone who hates packing as much as me, you can only imagine how painful this was.

Packed and checked into my new room, I hit the ground running to Collina Strada.

Collina Strada

Collina Strada images 1, 2, 3 © IMAXtree.com

If you’ve followed my previous NYFW recaps, you know that Collina Strada is a brand known for extremely symbolic collections.  Each runway always incorporates some type of performance art (there was a wedding and then a sound bath in previous seasons).  For fall 2019, a spoken word piece and rap were performed by artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez.

F/W19’s show was dubbed Low Carbon Diet and focused on reducing our footprint – more sustainable living that is kinder to the environment.

Designer Hillary Taymour used hand painted and tie-dyed fabrics made of 75% deadstock material and recycled plastic ocean beads to create the collection.  As the models descended the runway, they drank out of reusable water bottles, ate from recycled food containers and in the finale, took a centerpiece from the runway: flowers encased in repurposed bottles.

The Clothes
Layering and texture mixing is a Collina signature.  I adored the oversized tie-dyed hoodies (so 90’s), easy burnout velvet and vibrant daisy lace pieces.  It was statement-making yet comfortable – a balance Collina Strada is excellent at striking.

When a model appeared with her baby in tow in matching sunshine lace my heart soared.  A reminder of my baby back home, plus an infusion of my passion right before my eyes?  Fashion week couldn’t have started any better.

As I left Collina, street style photographers snapped my look.  I was flattered to find out Style Caster and AOL Fashion published the look on a best-dressed list.  Check it out!

I had about a nanosecond to make my way to Tadashi Shoji, which started in less than 20min.

Tadashi Shoji

Tadashi Shoji images 1, 2, 3 courtesy of Linda Gaunt Communications; Image 4 © IMAXtree.com

Inspired by his travels through Southeast Asia, Tadashi didn’t hold back for F/W19.  While you always expect extreme glamour and elegance from Tadashi, I was pleased to see a bit of edginess incorporated into his fall 2019 collection.

Demure lace was cut off-the-shoulder and paired with tiers of burnt ombre tulle.  His signature draping took a nod from Buddhist monks.  Voluminous and flowing then nipped in all the right places, the models floated down the runway.  From subtle sultriness to va-va-voom sexiness, sequins gowns closed out the show.  I loved how he exercised a trained mastery of restraint.  Sky high slits were paired with mandarin necklines; shoulder-baring pieces remained oversized instead of fitted for a heightened air of mystery.

Another major win at Tadashi?  Diverse model casting.  Every shape and size descended the runway, showing how sexy and elegant his designs are on every woman.

NYFW Day 1 only accelerated from here.  I had so much going on the first day I’ll continue on with my Day 1 recap tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more chaotic creativity!

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OOTD photos by Andrea Ceraso Photography