I had to take a little break after fashion week and kind of recalibrate / think about what this is all about. This was my first NYFW as a full time blogger, and it was definitely different than last year. More on that later, but overall I’m back from New York Fashion Week feeling reenergized, inspired, tired, and over all grateful that I get to call blogging my actual J-O-B. Since I’ve gotten so many questions - on Instagram AND IRL about New York Fashion Week, I decided it was high time to answer some for you. Whether you’re an aspiring blogger, are just really intrigued with the whole thing, want to go someday, or are just damn nosey (lol same), I’m going to break down some of the ins and outs of New York Fashion Week for you guys.

1) How do I get invited to shows / events?

Ok, so first up the most popular question I get slid into my DM’s around this time of year is HOW I get invited / get to go to things / etc. The answer to this isn’t a cut and dry thing so bear with me and this very long explanation. Let’s start with the runway shows. Any official NYFW runway shows require an actual invitation to them. Just because you’re invited to one show doesn’t mean you’ll get into all of them. It’s not like you have a ticket for the week and get to go to whichever shows you want (which would actually be kinda cool) but you have to actually get an invitation by the brand or PR firm directly that is hosting/ putting on that specific runway show. Which leads to the second part of this answer: So, how do I get invited by those people putting on the show? Those invites are simply based on connections that I’ve built up over the past 4 years of blogging.

On top of those relationships I’ve built, I am sometimes being tipped off or forwarded things from my dearest blogger friends (we kinda look out for each other which is cool!), but again those are connections I’ve built over the past few years. Other than friends and blogger fam sending me stuff, sheer hunting down contacts for something you want to go to sometimes works. Before fashion week I will literally google contacts for big shows I want to go to and blindly e-mail them with an intro e-mail stating who I am with a short media kit to see if they want to give me a seat. Most of the time, it doesn’t work out. But sometimes, it does, and there’s such a sense of YAY when that happens (if you’re a new blogger I wouldn’t get your hopes too high though, it’s time consuming and kinda a crap shoot - most of the time it doesn’t work, but you can always try!).

What I’m getting at with all of this is NYFW is like anything else in (blogger) life. The higher your numbers / engagement / cooler your aesthetic and friends are, the more stuff you get invited to. If you’re new to this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the big shows are reserved for mega bloggers, celebrities, and obviously the editors and buyers. It helps to continually come to fashion week and build connections with those people that host things. We all have to start somewhere and even as a small blogger, writer, etc. you can get invited to the smaller shows or the presentations that can hold more people. If you are a blogger or aspiring fashion media person I would recommend signing up for Fashion GPS which is where all of the invites come through. You have to be approved to the app and from there people can invite you to their shows and events!

Lastly, if you’re not a blogger, editor, model, writer, celebrity, buyer, or other fashion industry person and would just love to go to a show someday, there isn’t a way to just buy tickets. Unfortunately. The shows are reserved for those in the industry. Hopefully, if that is a goal of yours, you can make a friend in the industry, or volunteer at a show so you can see one! People also occasionally host giveaways for the opportunity to go to fashion shows!

2) Why do I go to Fashion Week?

I also think this varies between different bloggers and industry people depending on their personal objectives! But to keep it short and sweet - my number 1 reason I go is to see the fashion! I grew up obsessed with runway shows and as a stylist, I feel like it’s really important for me to go see what’s coming up for the next season. I still get chills sometimes at these things and have pinch me moments! It’s literally a dream come true to be able to attend. Satellite reasons I go are to network with the New York brands / pr firms, make new industry friends, shoot and gather content that I think will be valuable and interesting to you guys that follow me / read my blogs, and sometimes to do sponsored work for brands. There’s occasionally paid opportunities that come during the week that can help offset the cost of me going. I generally end up spending more than I make though, and I pay for it out of pocket! It’s really for the experience and invaluable content and connections that I make while I’m there. It can also be pretty fun :)

3) Where do I get my clothes for NYFW?

I personally tend to mix up my fashion week clothing from a variety of designers and sources. I generally have a mix of things I bring with me to fashion week. This is comprised of things that are loaned (usually higher end designer stuff), things I’ve shopped for from various places like Nordstrom, Zara, & Other Stories, Revolve, etc., vintage pieces (I love wearing vintage designer stuff at fashion week - almost guarantees no one else will have it on!), and some clothes that have been gifted by brands or PR firms that want me to wear it while I’m there.

I really try to put a lot of thought into my looks, so I make sure I have at least a handful planned out before I travel to avoid getting stressed out. If you follow me on IG , you know a lot of the things that I had being sent to me before fashion week this year didn’t get to me in time, so for this season I did a lot more shopping than usual. Besides the stress that caused, I like actually shopping for some of my looks because I can be more intentional with what I’m wearing and can fill in gaps with look ideas that I have and want to put together. Like this year I had a bag I wanted to style and I ended up buying a rain coat to go with it because it rained this year. Definitely a style challenge to try to look chic enough for a runway show in a rain garb lol! It actually just came together really well, though! I also try to wear more high end and designer stuff during fashion week so it can be good to loan stuff and just give it back!

The Land of Distraction Press preview.

4) What was my favorite show?

It’s always hard to pick a favorite, but I think my favorite shows that I went to personally this year were Noon by Noor and Naeem Khan. I also saw some really cool presentations from Chloe Gosselin, Lauren Manoogian, L’Agence, and Baldwin. The presentations are more chill because you can kind of walk around and come and go as you please within a time slot, so sometimes I like those even more than the shows. There’s also some shows I went to that I didn’t like. Instead of putting those designers on blast I decide to just not cover those. I know even if I didn’t like them, that they work hard on their shows. I’ll go into more details about all of these in my full NYFW recap which is coming next!

Hope this answered some of your questions about fashion week! Feel free to reach out if you have more questions about the fashion week process, and let me know what you want to see more of from the next one! I love hearing from you guys!

xx Genevieve

When you think of winter wear pink doesn't usually come to mind, does it? It seems like red's more low-key cousin usually pops up alongside resort wear in the Spring and Summer, but here's 5 ways to incorporate everyone's favorite feminine color into your life in the chicest way during these cooler months. Major perk? You don't have to ditch the color come Spring and Summer, so some of these are classics for all year round. 

1) Pick a muted tone. If there's anything to remember when reaching for pink this year it's that muted is much better. Hot pink is a totally different world, but if you opt for a nude, baby pink, or blush, it's a much easier incorporate into your every day wardrobe. 

2) Wear it in a floral or print.

Florals are everywhere, even in the Fall. Find pink in an embroidered bomber this season or in a silk blouse for a little boom.

3) Opt for a pop of pink in your home.

Not ready to wear pink? Maybe you'll be willing to decorate with it. Pink couches might be my favorite thing, but if you can't commit to that try a candle, pillows, or a piece of art to warm up your space.

4) Choose an accessory.

A pink backpack, scarf, shoe, or pair of sunnies is a great way to wear pink without doing it head to toe. A blush heel would look cute with any little black dress, or a pink backpack goes great with jeans and a tee.

5) As outerwear:

A baby pink jacket is oh so chic. Opt for a wool trench or pink sweater for a warm way to wear this soft and feminine tone all year round.  If you like the one I'm wearing in this post from Azalea SF, check it out here.

What are your favorite ways to incorporate pink into Winter wears? Let me know in the comments!

x, Genevieve

Photos in this post via Brian Gove, copyright The Style Sauce 2016.

Classic staples like the silk blouse are hardly going anywhere. I have some in my closet that I've had for years that I can still break out from time to time. While you can wear silk almost any time of year, long sleeved silk blouses I usually reserve for the Fall and Winter. There's another reason for this- silk is the perfect decadent pairing to velvet or cashmere, and these fabrics almost always resurface in collections for the cooler months. ESPECIALLY velvet this year guys, it's like the darling of F/W fashion for 2016. Every editor as made it THE "it" thing. While I don't wear something because someone tells me to, ever, I'd have to agree that it goes really well with all of the trends that are big this year. More on that later. 

Sunglasses: vintage Céline, similar here and here. 

Anyways, back to silk. There are few fabrics I love to wear more than silk. I think silk and cashmere are pretty much just the best things in life and I should probably live in New York where I can wear them more (any excuse to move to New York, ha..... )  That being said, this season I plan on wearing lots of silk, especially by way of tops. Pictured here I'm wearing this beautiful, and actually really affordable lavender silk top with equally beautiful sleeves and detailing from Topshop. I've paired it with black accordion culottes also from Topshop. I topped (no pun intended) the outfit off with my new favorite basics, mules from Roberto Deville, a small French designer with well-made leather goods. Find those here.

Check out the look featured here and let me know what you think. I plan on wearing something like this for the next few months until I can finally wear some heavy jackets and full length pants! Shop some of my favorite silk blouse selections below, as well as this full look. 

Stay saucy. 

xo, Genevieve

Blouse and plisse pleated trousers, Topshop

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