Rather like her first time riding a bike or her first kiss, a girl’s first fashion show is something she’ll never forget... and what better place to reach this milestone than in the heart of the Big Apple?
Though it may seem impossible to be a part of such a significant event as New York Fashion Week, volunteering is the perfect way to see behind the curtain of glitz and glamour that shrouds the industry and to learn more about what really goes on behind the scenes. Here is what I learned working backstage this past weekend.
I am really, really short.
No, I’m serious. There’s nothing like being surrounded by a veritable army of tall, leggy women for two days straight to make me, an already diminutive person, feel about two feet tall.
But, for the most part, models are just like us.
Though they sometimes get a bad rap, I found the models to be some of the most engaging, kind-hearted people at Fashion Week. Standout moments include the many women thanking me profusely for helping them with something as seemingly minute as fixing a particularly challenging zipper, and one girl who spent over half an hour helping a perfect stranger search for her misplaced blazer.
Side note: It’s not true that models don't eat! Just like the rest of us, they love a good burger and fries after a long day of work.
Caffeine is my best friend.
On any given day, a volunteer might be on their feet for eight or nine hours. Needless to say, I started to doze off towards the end of my shift. Thankfully, the show I was working at was sponsored by Monster Energy and two Zero Ultras later, I was back to feeling like my best self again.
You don't realize how stressful it is behind the scenes until you’ve had a model miss her cue due to a footwear mishap.
Who needs cardio when you can just get your blood pumping at a fashion show?
It is all so worth it.
In the wise words of Blair Waldorf: “As my mother always says, fashion knows not of comfort. All that matters is the face you show the world.”
And that, I realized this week, is true… The hours of preparation, the blisters on my heels and the exhaustion that followed me like a shadow for days all paled in comparison to the fantastic end result. It may not always have been comfortable, but working backstage at New York Fashion Week sure was beautiful.
