Welcome to September, the time of year when it is suddenly OK to wear fall colors and not so OK to be sporting those neon pink summer nails. It is the month where the season has not officially changed, but posts abound about fall trends. To confuse the matter, it is also a month of coverage about what spring will bring, thanks to the presence of fashion week in New York City beginning this week and in other cities later this month.
So with that in mind, what do I plan to cover this week and next? Well, I have a few pink summer nail features planned, a reader giveaway, and some miscellaneous product reviews. Yes, I will cover the fall trends sometime this month, and yes, I will keep a bit of an eye on fashion week news, but mostly I am avoiding both until I reach the end of my denial that summer is officially over in the fashion world. So instead of writing about new trends, I am avoiding the fall trend set by the multitude of websites and blogs that will be covering nothing else for the next few weeks. I'm sure that they will do it quite well and I see no real need to duplicate to the process. Instead, I will read the blogs of my friends who are covering the spectacle that is New York fashion week and perhaps point out a few of the best posts. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my period of extended summer in September.
You see, I am not going to New York Fashion Week, and I am OK with that, perhaps even rather glad of it. Earlier this year, I made conflicting travel plans for something much more amazing to me--a vacation. Initially I regretted that I would miss the opportunity to go to New York, but as time went on, I was able to ponder just what it was that I was missing. There would be no expensive plane fare and no bunking up with several strangers to save a few bucks on an outrageously priced hotel room. I would not get the pleasure of waiting for invitations to shows that might never come, or juggling the ones that came scheduled at the same time. There would be no agony over what to wear or how to behave, and I would not be faced with being treated as a second class citizen because I am a blogger. The more I considered it, the less I cared that I was not going to be there. I don't even cover fashion extensively--I write about makeup, and it is mostly product reviews at that. Thus, on the whole, the expense of New York fashion week is a bit difficult to defend as a business expense. I might visit the nearby Milwaukee fashion week in October instead.
For those of you dying for some fashion week coverage, the Beauty Blog Network Website is running a widget with a feed of its member's fashion week headlines. I have also included the widget on Beauty and Fashion Tech.
For a few different angles on fashion week, the following are also particularly good reads:
* From the New York Observer: oh Lowly Blogger? Your Seat's in the Back. Feel gossipy? Take a look at Jossip's different take on the matter: Fashion Week vs. The Blogs: Kelly Cutrone Plays Hardball. Yes, Fashion Week definitely has its drama.
* From Slate comes the answers to your burning questions that you were afraid to ask. Check out The Fashion Week FAQ and The Fashion Week FAQ Part II. Slate is full of interesting Fashion Week commentary. For more, simply run a search of the term there.
Finally, lest I appear overly cynical about New York fashion week, I must say that I will truly miss the opportunity to meet some wonderful people who I have connected with online through networks such as Splendicity, The Beauty Blog Network, Total Beauty, and Glam Media--all of whom will be providing online coverage of the events quicker and generally more in depth than the print sources--even if the writers get sent to the back row. I also will miss seeing colleagues whom I have met before, but in the end I am happy knowing that I will enjoy reading their coverage of the events while I search out oysters in Boston and lobster in Maine a week later. Keep an eye out for me, I'll be the one still wearing summer pink nails.
I’m not going to NYFW either, and really what I’m the most bummed about is getting to meet my fellow bloggers! I’m pretty sure I can do without the rest of it, honestly. I’m sure I’ll get up there at some point, but the drama of it all is a bit intimidating, really.
I sure do hope you come out to Milwaukee–I have a feeling it will be a lot different than NY in a good way.
I hear ya loud and clear on most of your points. FW to me has always been a place to connect with my friends primarily, since really, most of it has nothing to do with what I write about. So here’s to lobsters, oyster season and peaceful days and nights – and I hope you have an amazing vacation! And think of me, here in Texas, while you’re gone.
Awesome post. And if I weren’t going to NY and had a crazy week planned anyway – and knew that you were going to be in Boston, this Massachusetts gal would’ve made plans to at least meet you here. Another time, for sure.
And btw- the whole making connections thing is why I go to NYFW. I want nothing to do with going backstage, I rather see what I can from the runway and figure the trends from there. It’s more about the sights, sounds, people and parties!
I’m not going to Fashion Week either, nor do I feel sad about it. Our fellow bloggers will cover it well enough so I’ll just link to them.
I’m perfectly comfortable here in cloudy Florida blogging away.. and yes, I’m still sporting neon pink toenails because I REFUSE to say goodbye to summer.
Have a great vacation!!
I actually ended up with a fall color on my toe nails (gasp!), but only because I wanted to swatch it for a post and didn’t want to do my finger nails dark yet! So now I have dark toes and pink fingers!
Thanks to you
I agree with your sentiments 100%!
I especially don’t like the iffy invites, if I’m leaving my family I want to know what I’ll be doing. It’s just not worth it to me at this point. I hope to go at least once in my lifetime though.