Day 1 of NYFW SS20 started bright and early!

My first order of the day was backstage at Self-Portrait with Bumble & Bumble.

Self-Portrait Backstage with Bumble and Bumble

Bumble and bumble master stylist Jimmy Paul (who is responsible for several of Self-Portrait’s past runway looks) was leading the hair vision.  Inspired by the singer Sade, Paul prepped the models’ hair with Hairdressers Invisible Oil (which makes hair feather soft – it’s amazing!) before pulling it back into a single tight braid. For the girls with short hair, he slicked it back with a handful of Bb gel (it will never flake) for a sleek look.  The result was super glam and fit the it-girl vibe of the collection to a “T”.

Self-Portrait

The Self-Portrait audience is always just as fun as the Self-Portrait runway.  A who’s who of fashion bloggers and the fashion elite, Mr. Self-Portrait knows how to bring the crowd.

For spring he focused on cotton poplin separates.  Some had bustier-style tops, others had eye-catching wide collars.  A soft palette of khaki and white turned into lilac and sky blue.  There was even a pop of tangerine, which I absolutely adored.  London-based milliner Noel Stewart was responsible for the all-weather oversized hats, which I thought was a brilliant pairing (especially for the beachside looks).

The show ended with Self-Portrait’s signature lace in the most stunning orchid maxi dress.  The teardrop lace pattern was topped with a massive bow, making it girly but also oh-so-glam.

ADEAM Backstage with Bumble & Bumble

For ADEAM, Laurent Philippon (who I would go on to see multiple times backstage at fashion week) dreamt up a girl who wants her hair to have life in it.  This translated to a classic s-wave style achieved through Bumble and bumble thickening spray (a must to start any great hairstyle) and finished with their sumo spray.

ADEAM

As a first-timer to ADEAM, my standard fashion week-level excitement was definitely brought up a notch.  Designed by Hanako Maeda (ADEAM is her surname spelled backward), the brand epitomizes east meets west style.  In this case, east is Tokyo and west is New York.  Talk about my style dreams come true.

The port city of Yokohama was the inspiration for the collection. The relaxed vibe of a seaside town was definitely noted in her garments thanks to the nautical stripes and oversized knits.  I loved how the sweaters buttoned at the elbows and could be worn done or undone for a different kind of look.

Just when I thought the collection would stay casual in knit layers and seersucker ruffles, it transformed into a parade of ethereal gowns.  Embellished with pearls, crystals and the most delicate tulle, the models resembled mythical sea creatures.  It was enchanting and so glamorous.  ADEAM was one of my favorite collections of NYFW SS20.

Rebecca Minkoff  

To my surprise, my next show was only a 5min walk from ADEAM.  Walking is something I rarely do during NYFW (it’s more like frantically running from show to taxi to show) so this was actually a nice reprieve.

Rebecca Minkoff held her SS20 presentation at Chelsea Piers and boy, was it popular!  The presentation space was so packed it was literally shoulder-to-shoulder.  As someone who’s not a fan of tight quarters, I made my way quickly through the space, but thoroughly enjoyed the eye candy along the way.  In bold pops of fuchsia, cobalt, crimson and baby pink, Minkoff’s fabulous separates were accented in faux fur, feathers and metallic pops.

Her accessories were on point – I loved the lacquered look of her patent handbags with coated chain straps.  The footwear sparkled.  The whole vibe was maximalism at its best.

After running all morning with no food, I was glad to have a break for a couple hours.  My friend Lee from LegalLee Blonde and I headed over to the Mejuri pop-up and did something I haven’t done since I was 13 years old.

We got our ears pierced!

I’ve been wanting to re-pierce the third earring in my left ear since it closed years ago and now was the time.  I was surprisingly very nervous!  I told Brandon, who would be doing the honors, that if I can make it through childbirth, I could make it through this.  Jokes aside, it didn’t hurt at all!  New ear candy!

Bevza

My last show of the day was the Ukranian brand, Bevza.  I’ve attended her shows in the past and love that the brand is getting more and more exposure in the US.  You can find the entire SS20 collection on pre-order at Moda Operandi.

The brand is known for 90’s minimalism, and that signature style rang true for SS20.  In a palette of white and black offset by wheat and sage green, Bevza showed silk dresses and woven knit separates.  I loved the fan clutch bags (yes to the return of oversized handbags!) and the midriff cutouts on dresses and sweaters amped up the collection with a sexy twist.

Although Bevza is a luxury brand, they offer fabulous price points.  Check out this silk column dress (total spring staple) and this green fan clutch, which are both under $500.

After a marathon day, a marathon evening began.

First up was drinks at The Soho Grand, followed by a yummy Creole-inspired dinner a cute spot in Soho.  By the end of the night, I felt like I had lived a thousand lives in the time span of one day.  But happily.  Completely worth it.

Stay tuned for my NYFW SS20 Day 2 recap tomorrow!