In the fashion blogging world, fashion week sort of acts as a thermometer of how you are doing. Invites are obviously not the only measure of success, but it definitely serves as a good indicator of where you stand in the fashion world. I am coming up on my fourth season of attending New York Fashion Week. My first season I got three invites which was nothing crazy, but I was just happy to be going. In the next two seasons to follow my invites increased, but my inbox still was not overflowing. This season, thanks to a new tactic I am very happy with how my fashion week is lining up. New York Fashion Week has taught me a few lessons along the way.
Be Yourself
My first season I was tried to dress in a way that I thought was chic. I wore cute outfits, but in the end I feel like it looked forced. Then the next season due to low funds (and maybe a renewed self confidence) I shopped less and didn't try so hard. I think my outfits were significantly more fabulous. I decided to just be myself and dress the way I would on any other day (with just a little more flair). This fashion week I bought two new things and pretty much everything else will be pieces from my wardrobe. I am very excited for what I've come up with. Being authentic is the best way to shine.
You can't succeed on your own.
I'm stubborn and I don't like accepting help from others. I can fully admit that. I can also fully admit that finally accepting help from others has lead to a significantly more lucrative fashion week this season. I have invites to more shows and events than I ever have. It's pretty much all thanks to a fabulous and good friend whom I like to call my "fashion fairy godmother".
If someone offers to help, accept it. You can't do it all on your own. The process will be much slower if you do. If you have a friend who is doing what you do, but doing it slightly better, there is no shame in asking for advice or taking any help that is offered to you. Be grateful that in this competitive world there is someone that wants to lift you up and not put you down.
Don't Compare Yourself to Others
It is human nature to get jealous and it is human nature to compare your success to others. During fashion week, that feeling is amplified. In the blogging world, you see girls who have their entire days booked up as they sit front row at the hottest designers shows. It's an enviable life and there's no denying it, but I've learned to try my very best to be impressed with their success and not jealous of it. I've also learned to not compare myself to them.
I may not be sitting front row at Marc Jacobs, but I am light years away from where I was even 6 months ago. The only person you should compare yourself to is you and who you were yesterday. That is the only way to continually grow. It is hard to do, but you will be much happier in the end.