We all know about the most exclusive week in New York and I think I can speak for most influencers that I want to GO this year! The New York Fashion Week is the place-to-be for all popular brands and content creators. I remember scrolling on social media last year and seeing literally everyone hanging out in the big apple and getting invited to cool shows and after-party events.
Well it is time to spill some tea: MOST influencers who tell you they got invited to NYFW and who posted a lot of content around it actually paid a lot of $$ to get there. The chances of brands actually paying for your flights, hotel etc. is almost at 0% at this point. Unless you're Alix Earle of course.
But wait! Don't give up just yet! My team and I started working on our biggest goal for this year which is to get our influencer clients invited to NYFW and we will share our BEST TIPS to get you into the best shows without spending money or going crazy.
What you need to know about the NYFW schedule and more importantly when to get started with sending out your pitch emails.
The timeline: Thu, Sep 7 – Wed, Sep 13.
It is the end of July already which means you should already get started with doing your research and reaching out to brands you want to work with!
Trust me everything will be booked out and closed at least one month before NYFW starts.
Let's talk about the steps you can take in order to make this dream come true for you this year!
#1 Basic brand collaboration outreach
We are still waiting on some final published brand lists but here are some confirmed designers who will have a show again this year: Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, The Blonds, Proenza Schouler, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors.
Obviously they are all big fashion brands so we recommend sending out emails to smaller and new brands (best case local ones in New York). DM small businesses in Brooklyn and work your way up. From our experience the chances are SO much higher when you focus on low hanging fruit brands instead of trying to get into the big players PR lists.
Also make sure to follow up on a monthly basis and even try 2-3 times to reach out to them if they don't respond. Don't underestimate how many emails PR and social media managers get each day (and especially before NYFW). Sometimes influencers end up not going and last minute spot open up!
Consistency and persistence is key here so don't give up.
#2 Fashion show invites:
One of the main reasons why you should go is obviously because you love fashion and want to see the shows. Getting invited to private or popular shows is very difficult and I wan to be completely honest with you: I don't know of any small creators who got invited to those shows unless they worked behind the scenes for them. BUT... and here is what you should do:
Go to public shows (or at least get on the waiting list or subscribe to the updates so you will be one of the first people when they open up): https://fashionweekonline.com/official-nyfw-schedule
This year, you can for example attend Afterpay’s RunwayX experience which will showcase New York’s emerging designers.
#3 Get invited to showrooms
Probably one of the best parts about this week is getting invited to all the amazing and fun showrooms. Last year we had brands like REVOLVE, Princess Polly and Steve Madden showing off with their pop-up locations. It is a lot easier to get invited to showrooms (which is basically a store they set up that allows you to pick whatever items you like from the brand).
We recommend sending out DMs and pitch emails to popular Instagram brands (the ones you always see popping up on your FYP). We will upload a list of all the confirmed brands as soon as they are official so stay tuned for our second blog post.
P.S. Be bold and slide into some influencer girlies DMs who went to NYFW last year. Ask them if they are willing to share the PR or social media manager email address with you who invited them. Sometimes they can even bring a +1 or get a second ticket that they don't use.
P.P.S. I also know from a lot of creator friends that they got invited to showrooms last minute or just showed up to some while they were in NY during fashion week. Definitely try your luck once you're there even if the brand didn't respond to your initial email.
#4 Find after-party lists and PR agencies that are responsible for them
Who doesn't love a good after party? The perfect opportunity to network, meet new people and shoot cool content. But how do I get invited to those??
Well first of all there are a lot of giveaway so make sure to keep your eyes and ears open when you scroll on Instagram or stalk your favorite brands feed posts.
Secondly, you can send out pitch emails and ask for an invitation to brands who confirmed they would attend the NYFW- most of them throw an event afterwards. Maybe they don't invite you to the show but many of them put you at least on the waiting list for their after-party.
#5 Check out the NYFW Instagram + website
Make sure to sign up for exclusive updates on their website and follow their social media pages. This will help you to stay up-to-date on new designers, public shows and anything else you may need to know.
The website also offer VIP experiences, sign up options for public shows and other behind the scenes opportunities.
#6 Magazines and local newspapers
Probably your best shot if you have 0 followers and can't land many brand deals during that time. New York has a lot of newspapers and magazines and they oftentimes need writers who go to shows for them.
With minimum work you can get free tickets and maybe even go behind the scenes! You should definitely do your research and pitch yourself to different publishers.
Many magazines even fly out people to NYFW if it's not too far away. It is up to you how many newspapers etc. you want to reach out to but I recommend at least trying out all the local ones.
Best case you can show them a blog or other pieces you wrote (this would be the perfect time to start a blog otherwise;)).
Like this post and share it with other creators who might like those tips or want to go to NYFW this year. Stay tuned for our weekly NYFW blog updates until September.
Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to always stay up-to-date!
P.S. Our online influencer workshop is $100 cheaper ONLY this launch week. If you are ready to reach the next level in your content creator career make sure to invest in this crash course! For more information feel free to check out our CCCC page!