Lei Chic's New York Fashion Week Diary Part 3
Sexy and the City: Episode 3
Left: Raymond sprays one last mist of hair spray before a shot is snapped for Steven Alan's Spring 2014 lookbook. Right: A backstage peek at Aveda's makeup table. Photos: Summer Shiigi.
Editor's Note: This is the final installment of a series following stylist Summer Shiigi on her first-ever trip to New York Fashion Week. [Read: Part 1 and Part 2].
Dear Diary,
Today is an early start for me. I have a 7:30 a.m. backstage call with Aveda for the Steven Alan presentation. Lead hair stylist, John Raymond, explains how he creates a "natural and youthful" feel by using a flat iron to coax a light, relaxed bend in the hair with a fun side part, coating strands with hair potion for extra thickness.
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Next, I meet Janell Geason, Aveda's Global Artistic Director for Makeup, who shares this pro tip: for warm, natural eyes, press a bronze shadow all over the lid with fingertips, add a dab of blush pink in the very center and finish with a light coat of mascara. Nails are kept simple with Dr.'s Remedy Purity Pink polish, a sheer flesh tone.
I always do a little style stalking when I'm at Lincoln Center and today is no different. I love the anonymity of it all; New York Fashion Week is truly about appreciating someone's style without having to know who they are. It's also incredibly flattering to get my picture taken, like in this street style video on cool bob haircuts by TRESemmé.
Left: "I wouldn't have paired so much of the same color, but this pink lady rocked it and the paparazzi went gaga." Middle: "I love this quirky chick from her orange-slice outfit to her cutie-pie attitude!" Right: "Sometimes it's better to have a buddy. With their silver hair and metallic skirts, these women look stronger when they're together." Photos: Summer Shiigi.
I take some time away from the madness of Fashion Week and escape to Brooklyn. Hawaii designer Virginia Paresa (who used to live in Brooklyn) is nice enough to be my tour guide around Williamsburg. We both have a obsession with vintage so we spend the day shopping in stores like Junk, Buffalo Exchange and Beacon's Closet. I stumble across jaw-dropping finds, like a $30 Cynthia Rowley dress and a $25 Vivienne Tam leather trim minidress.
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I've always said that I could never live in New York, but Brooklyn – with its mellow pace and wonderful people – is winning me over. I long for more than a few hours in this lovely neighborhood, but I have one final event tonight.
I throw on my new/old Cynthia Rowley dress and dash off to Tiffany & Co. on the iconic 5th Ave. where my favorite bloggers are hosting an event to showcase the redesigned Atlas Collection. As I gawk at the bold, elegant designs of Tiffany's timeless pieces, I rub elbows with Aimee Song of Song of Style, Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad and Jessica Stein of Tuula Vintage. The event is riddled with fashion celebrities like Style Network's Jeannie Mai and bloggers like Sincerely Jules. I feel like a small fish in a giant and extremely glitzy pond. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
As I fly back home, I realize I'm officially addicted to New York Fashion Week, grateful that fashion evolves every season and that there will be shows all year around, all over the world. Each one, as a pure reflection of the mind who designs it, will continually shape my own thoughts and life. Thank you, New York, and thank you, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, for inspiring me to grow even more in the fashion industry and teaching me to dream bigger than I ever thought possible. I'll be back soon. I promise.
For more on Summer's trip to New York Fashion Week, click here.
Left: "I got to meet my favorite blogger, Song of Style's Aimee Song. She was so gracious and beautiful – this was definitely my 'it' moment of the night!" Right: I could spend hours in Junk, a glorious vintage furniture and knick-knack store in Brooklyn. Photos: Summer Shiigi.
