my NYFW diary: september 14.

today started out on a very interesting note with the style360 fashion show on 18th street. i will spare you the details! i ventured back up to lincoln center to see the 100th anniversary showcase for women's wear daily, presenting a display of limited-edition pieces by eleven designers who have re-created iconic looks from the last hundred years of fashion.  the exhibition offered a glimpse into the design process, including sketches, fabric samples, life-size ensemble cutouts, and the final creations themselves. some of the selected designer participants were adam, alexandre birman, doo.ri, jason wu, marchesa, prabal gurung, proenza schouler, and thakoon. from this point on, fashion was done for the day. i was in desperate need for some nature! i took a jog over to central park after taking a swing through co-op and found new places that i had yet to discover...one of those being the path along the reservoir (one of the most beautiful sites of the big apple). rabbit trail for a minute: for some reason, it feels like you are in a music video when you run in this city; it feels like you are in your own world, while so many lives pass by you. it exists as a way to retreat from people while in the midst of thousands of them. after a long run, i took a stroll back through the shady trees and found the perfect bench next to the canoeing pond to take a nap. i took off my ipod to soak in the sounds of different languages, animals, and sometimes a glimpse of silence. it was the perfect sleep in the midst of the following forecast: sunny. no chance of rain. high of seventy-four. i forced myself up after a while, as i could have stayed there forever, and took a slow tread back to the apartment just in time to get ready for the new york city ballet. me and terry enjoyed a patio street side dinner at rosa mexicana, ate the most delectable homemade guacamole, fantastic meals, laughed, and talked about the ins and outs of life. as the sun was setting, we walked over to lincoln center for the opening night of the ballet. it was absolutely breathtaking, graceful, and enchanting. i never wanted it to end. tomorrow is a new day!

my NYFW diary: september 13.

today was like a good book that ends up completely highlighted because every part of it was just as wonderful as the other. the climax of my morning was bumping into eric daman and sami (my bosses and friends from gossip girl) outside of the tents. they always brighten my day, and it was so great to catch up with them. next up for the monday line up: a stop by the victoria's secret suite. getting my nails manicured, undertaking a massage, snatching a sneak peak of the fall and holiday collection, and sipping on some organic peppermint tea was the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of nyfw. lunch time arrived with a trip over to the bon appetit cafe, full of featured recipes from world renowned chefs...my avocado steak salad was oh-so-savory! then lindsay, annie, and i made our way to the net-a-porter luncheon where we enjoyed stunning fall line previews from various collections. with an hour to spare before monique lhuillier, we had a little pow wow in the courtyard...fun times. the long awaited show was beginning before we knew it, and the dresses were UN.BELIEVABLE. absolutely jaw dropping. finally, i met a friend in central park, sat on a bench under an umbrella in the raging rain, wondering about the possibility of getting struck by lightning, and talking about life. the day came to a close with meeting katie for some fro yo (tasti-d-lite style of course!) and deep conversation. this city is alive!

my NYFW diary: september 12.

come rain or shine, fashion week still carries on in full force! what a fun filled day with new adventures around every corner, from the instant i woke up to the moment i stepped back into my sweat pants and t-shirt. this morning, i grazed down to the derek lam show to shoot some model street style. little did i know who i would run in to. i was approaching back stage, and i saw a white bob in the near distance...it clicked with me--abbey lee kershaw, AKA one of my favorite models. ever. i met up with the normal crew, who i see everyday (it becomes such a small world), one of which is craig from altamira (my most adored model blog!). snap shots of freja beha, anja rubrik, and karlie kloss, amongst many others, were taken captive by a flash, and the energy only seemed to crescendo as the rain started to fall. music video anyone? no one seemed to notice; we were having too much fun delgating mini photo shoots. i took the rest of the morning off, and by that i mean going to urban outfitters. i don't know why, but they are just better in nyc. the clock hit three. back to lincoln center! i took a breather at the itty-bitty cafe to people watch, succumbed to some pop chips and muscle milk giveaways, and sparked up a convo with two filmographers about organic beauty products and my distant relation to earl scruggs. random. checked in for trias. the show was fun, but the clothes were so-so. nothing seemed to really strike me. from here, i caught the subway and headed over to my old stomping grounds for church at apostles. it was wonderful. then, me and my sweet friend katie scavengered through trader joes since my refrigerator is looking a bit lonely, and then walked over to spice for a scrumptious din. we split some seafood dumplings and lemongrass chicken over amazing conversation. so encouraged and thankful for her friendship. the subway ride home was full of funny stories that will be saved for the imagination, all to end up at square one--recapping the doorman, terry, and michael about my day. it amazes me how much occurs in one twenty-four hour period in this melting pot of a city. i heart nyc.

my NYFW diary: september 11.

the likes of diego binetti started off my day in lincoln center. it was a full-sighted pleasure where embroidery, lace overlays, and beaded crystals merely cracked the surface of the spectacular detail and embellishment in this collection. after snapping some photos, i filled my free afternoon with some catch-up writing left over from the insanity of yesterday, and caught up on some rest and relaxation by hanging around lincoln center for a bit, people watching and taking in the myriad of exciting creative things happening all at once. as i was walking to the backstage area to grab some snap shots of the models, i bumped into a photog friend that i had met when picking up my credentials, and we had a fun little mini photo shoot on the street (credit to my current elliots:)) as another camera jumped in on the action. little did i know, it was elle.com and wwd. theme of fashion week: you never know who is standing right next to you. this happenstance occured with topshop uk to boot--i was quite excited about that. i love learning from these fantastic artists. next up: one of my favorite past times: pit stop at whole foods food bar and lunch on a shady bench in central park. it was the prime day for this. fashion break over--my friend jayme (a pro show crasher, might i add) and i headed to pier94 on hudson to attempt an entry into alexander wang. it was full, but the people watching outside the show was almost as good as getting in. astonishing style. spotted: bloggers hanneli mustaparta and tavi, maggie gyllenhal, erin wasson, and rachel zoe. wanting to soak up every last minute in this riveting crowd, my alarm reminded me that i had to get going to the charlotte ronson show. brisk walking turned into a jog with seven short blocks, two long blocks, and five minutes to spare. i bumped into tim gunn on the way in and made it to my seat all to be once again inspired by this high energy collection. done.for.the.day. cheerio darlings!

my NYFW diary: september 10.

today started out at the guli show, which was not to my liking, but the day got better and better from here. i attended the tadashi shoji presentation which displayed a myriad of dresses that were wonderfully earthy yet elegant. i continued onto BCBG, where flowy fabrics in every shade of neutral walked the runway. stunning. not to mention, one of my favorite parts about the shows is watching the highly interesting people walk into them, wondering what their stories are--some well known editors and bloggers, but what about the rest? the outfits are uber-creative, not one looks the same, which is so refreshing! from here, i took a break in the lincoln center courtyard outside of the karl lagerfeld luncheon, met some fellow photogs/reporters, and awed over the over-the-top fantastic chanel-esque ensembles. from bright red turbans to foot high flowered hats, this event was superfluous in a keen taste for style, each walking out the door full of character, life, and drama. from there, i took the subway down to the meatpacking district for the lorick presentation. i turned onto little west 12th, and on the quaint little brick road, i ran into a mini photo shoot that had formed to capture the models of jason wu. what a find! hanneli mustaparta was among the few people shooting some style-files for their blogs. it was fun to work next to them. i then made my way to lorick a few doors down, by which the only impression i had of this line was that it was mrs. waldorf's collection on gossip girl. who knew we would all be in for such a treat? this presentation was my favorite of the day--natural, feminine, and organic. i made my way uptown once more to cover whitney port at the tresemme lounge in the tents. so great getting to see her in person. ports1961 awaited me...such an anticipated show every season. it did not disappoint. the fabrics flowed so perfectly. not to mention, it was astounding to watch lindsay ellington, freja beha, amongst many others walk. also, i had the chance to meet olivia palermo, and she was so shockingly sweet. i guess that's how reality tv mutates reputations! after the show, i went to the backstage entrance, and on my way back bumped into erin wasson. i could not imagine this day getting much better.

fashion night out was a mad house. the city was packed out. i first went to the soho victoria's secret store where i had the privilege of meeting adriana lima, doutzen kroes, and chanel iman. they are all such wonderful people, and the event was a success--proven by the line stringing a block long to get autographs. i then went to the phillip lim 3.1/rag and bone block party where the tunes were blarring and the crowds were swarming. spotted: halle berry! finally, i headed back uptown and finished the night with a tasti-d-lite and some writing. cheers to fashion!

go here to see my exclusive interview with adriana lima and chanel iman: http://bit.ly/9ZYz8K

my NYFW diary: september 9.

today was all about work and play. woke up to open windows with 70 degree weather--absolutely perfect. first show of the day: ELLE next fashion show. it was brilliantly fun and packed with talent. my highlight was interviewing the incredible joe zee (creative director of ELLE) and getting to talk with erin kaplan. such wonderful people! seth from the city is pretty darn incredible too. this was such a laid back time to really get to talk with editors and designers and enjoy the innovation of fresh designer faces. there was such a positive energy in the air as everyone mingled with breakfast samplers and cocktails and overlooked the new home of fashion week. i talked with designer, marcia patmos, for quite some time, which was inspiring to say the least, and then made my way to explore the tents. i met up with my friends lindsay and mari for a little break in the courtyard. so thankful for our heart to heart; getting to catch up was much needed. i hung out in the lincoln center square for a bit after shooting style files that caught my eye, and in between there met yuli ziv, the editor who i am writing for. i felt like i could have taken a million photos! fun spottings of today: nigel barker, amy astley, and tyson. i made my way down to the meatpacking district to catch the suzanne rae presentation, a designer to for sure keep your eye on. the venue was sitting on the high line overlooking the hudson river. i met some fun people with so many different backgrounds and stories. eccentric music played and the clothes were fantastic. this was much enjoyed (thank you, crosby!). from then on, the rest is history. i shopped til i dropped. im not sure if my legs will ever recover from the journey (or my broken shoe!). i found some treasures on bleecker street and soho, and ended my venture at abc furniture, where i learned more about organic beauty products and dreamed about the decor of my future house. to top it all off, i walked along the river just as the sun was setting, grabbed some whole foods where i met an irish man who went to every show today. i asked him what he did, and he said he just enjoys fashion. now, that's cool. it's time to call it a day. tomorrow will be packed with shows and fashion night out...whoo hoo!! let the walking art continue.

see my exclusive interview with joe zee here: http://loscruggs.blogspot.com/

my NYFW diary: september 8.

today was full of surprises! i woke up bright and early to the sound of sirens (city love) and picked up my press credentials for the week...met some fun photographers and reporters there. my day then consisted of visiting the teen vogue offices, where i saw some of my favorite editors, and 'tweeters' for that matter. among them--@evachen. 4 times square is a magical place. i decided to take a quick stop at starbucks to order a venti ice water, and ran into alessandra ambrosio (my favorite model of all time!) and ana beatriz. i have never been more happy about my decision to go to starbucks! from there, i stopped by trader joes to grab some more protein bars and matcha green tea mints and headed down to soho to meet my friend jayme for lunch. her mulberry street apartment is so darn cute, not to mention the restaurant we went to for lunch, called ruby's. i love nyc because everyone sits at the same table even if they are strangers. my afternoon finished out with seeing old friends at the michael kors showroom and watching michael run around like crazy preparing last touches, while models stopped in for castings...their natural style and the chaos of fashion week is such an exhilarating combo. tomorrow the shows begin...yipee! stay tuned...

alessandra ambrosio and ana beatriz

my NYFW diary: september 7.

today was a whirlwind in the best possible way. my morning started out with a protein shake and getting to meet emmitt smith on my flight. i didn't think it was possible, but he is even more of a stud muffin in person. i arrived in nyc this afternoon, unpacked, and headed out for a run on the hudson river, listening to lady antebellum and whatever else my ipod shuffled. the energy is insane here. so many new people met today, so many new places discovered...i hit up topsop today and left with nothing. shocked. trying to walk to the grocery store after that was a mistake, as i was utterly distracted by the soho jewelry street vendors. after some bargaining, i purchased a beautiful and unique african statement necklace. my trek ended at my intended destination, trader joes, where i could have spent hours, only to be limited by the vogue fashion show start time. amongst my array of groceries, i returned home with a pound of a dark chocolate bar (my best purchase, by far). i made it just in time to run up to the apartment, grab my camera, and go to the fashion night out vogue show! it was stunning. i had the opportunity to bump into gisele being interviewed and anna wintour discussing the show. besides getting some great street style photos of some of the models and attenders (and spotting victoria's secret model behati prinsloo), i had the chance to meet and talk with hanneli mustaparta (my favorite blogger!). from my precious taxi driver to the doorman at the apartment, today was filled with joyful people, fascinating stories, and new experiences. the fashionable chaos has just begun. until tomorrow...

below are some highlight photos from the vogue fashion night out show.

trend: prints, neutrals, the side braid.

anna wintour, editor-in-chief of vogue.

andre leon talley interviewing gisele bundchen.

lily donaldson.

street style. trends spotted: the nude shoe, platforms, neutrals, boyfriend blazer.

street style: pop a black dress with some funky shoes.

hanneli mustaparta sporting proenza schouler and some neon nails.

leaving on a jet plane.

i am nyc bound for mercedes benz fashion week. check out http://myitthings.com/fashionweek/ for live coverage and reviews on the myriad of shows and events i will be reporting on. stay tuned!! xo