As we inch towards the end of the SS17 fashion week circuit, we set our sights on the grand daddy of all things trend-obsessed, unpredictable and eclectic – New York City. With NYC’s burgeoning menswear-dedicated range of shows occurring next week and NYFW women’s taking place shortly after, we’ve combined both into one comprehensive guide to help you navigate your way around The City That Never Sleeps.
Visiting a new city is always a gamble. Between figuring out where to stay, what to do and how to get around, planning your itinerary isn’t easy. Throw fashion week into the mix, and the stress just reached new heights. If you’re a seasoned New York Fashion Week attendee, then you probably know your way around the Big Apple by now. If not, don’t worry – you’re not completely in the gutter.
Street style photographers are professional globetrotters, so they know a thing or two about what places to hit up during each city’s respective fashion week. I hit up a few of our shutterbug friends to weigh in on their favorite Parisian hot spots so that you get the most out of your stay (provided you have the time, of course).
In case you missed them, check out our Paris, Milan and London guides.
Best Hotel
“Airbnb.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“If I didn’t have an apartment in NYC, I’d stay at the SoHo Grand.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“The Standard in the East Village; beautiful view of downtown Manhattan and it’s located in a very dynamic neighborhood. Also the Mercer Hotel, which is right in the center of SoHo and the restaurant downstairs is really good. The Roxy Hotel has a very great interior design and the bar is very cool; plus they have good fashion parties there during NYFW.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“If you’re coming to NYC for fashion week, the best option is to either stay in midtown or downtown Manhattan; the tube usually takes long and the venues are all in this area of the city. And I’d recommend the East Village, SoHo or Tribeca where you have many nice restaurants, shops and everything you need. Airbnb is definitely more accessible as prices in NYC are a bit crazy, but if you prefer a hotel, the Crosby Street Hotel or The Standard would be definitely my choice.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Cafés to Hit up Between Shows
“Chelsea Market and the Gansevoort Market.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Marlow & Sons, Blue Bottle at Milk Studios, Everyman Espresso on West Broadway and Birdbath on Prince. They are top notch, and near the venues and my home.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme”
“La Colombe; no WiFi, but good coffee and cookies. Blue Bottle coffee has the best location for NYFW since it’s right next to Milk Studios. And Saturdays Surf SoHo; the backyard is great to have a coffee, but obviously not during the winter.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“Near the Skylight at Moynihan Station, one of the main fashion week venues, there’s a café called The Pennsy where you can grab a coffee or something to eat and rest a bit on one of its sofas. There’s also a little café in the East Village called El Rey that I always go to in the morning before I start if my apartment is in the area.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Place to Grab a Cocktail
“I don’t really go out for cocktails in New York.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“OTB or Loosie Rouge in Williamsburg, as they are 100m from my home.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“Cafe Select; trendy spot, good crowd and right in the center of SoHo. Le Bain; the rooftop gives you an amazing view on the city. Also Happy Ending on the Lower East Side; cool crowd and good music.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“As photographers usually spend the evening and part of the night editing, I don’t usually go out for drinks or cocktails, but if I have the time, I’ll probably go to any club where I could listen to rap music, as NYC is the perfect place for it.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Fashion Week Party
“Due to workload, parties are very rare.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Jeremy Scott or Alexander Wang.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“A couple seasons ago it was Alexander Wang, but I haven’t been the past two seasons, too much work. But the vibe was just perfect, wild and cool.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“One of the parties I enjoyed a lot was the 11 by Boris Bidjan Saberi party last September; it was fun and the gallery where it took place had big white walls and 99% of the people there were dressed in black, not even planned but, well, expected. The Jeremy Scott party was also good last season, but during the winter in NYC, you just want to go home to warm up after the whole day in the street, it’s freezing.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Stores to Grab a Last Minute Outfit
“Dover Street Market, VFiles and Opening Ceremony.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Idol Brooklyn, Dover Street Market, Opening Ceremony and Totokaelo.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“Hotoveli, IF and Idol Brooklyn.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“In NYC there are so many places to buy a great outfit. Dover Street Market is one that I always visit, even though we have one in London, there are some designers that you can only find in NYC. Another favorite is Boris Bidjan Saberi in Tribeca and KITH in SoHo.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Neighborhoods to Hang out for Style Inspiration
“SoHo and Chelsea.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Williamsburg, Bushwick, SoHo and Nolita.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“Lower East Side in Manhattan and Bushwick in Brooklyn.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“In NYC you can find lots of inspiration on the streets during any time of the year, not just during fashion weeks, especially in neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Tribeca, Soho and and the East Village.
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Means of Transportation & Mobile App
“Metro is still the fastest. Each city has their own metro app but the Google maps app usually works the best.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Uber errwurr.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“Uber everywhere.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“Citymapper!”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Area Most Likely to Get You Street Styled
“SoHo and Chelsea.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“Go to the shows!”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“SoHo.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“During fashion weeks, we’re usually around every show, so the best way to ensure that you have a chance of getting shot is going to every show outside the different venues in the four main cities.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Restaurants to Get Dinner After a Long Day
“Kiki’s in Chinatown.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“I eat groceries. I don’t get the luxury of dining out.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“La Esquina in SoHo has amazing Mexican food.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“I love minimalist food, with a mix of flavors and textures. For this type of cuisine, Contra is a good option downtown. For ramen lovers, Ivan Ramen is another good option in the East Village. For veggie options, Dimes has delicious dishes. If you want to try a pizza with shelled clams and lemon zest, you should definitely try Louie and Chan; they have two different floors, one Italian and another that’s Chinese.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Best Sights to Visit After a Long Night out
“The Statue of Liberty, Central Park and Times Square.”
-Acielle, @styledumonde
“I love walking along the High Line, strolling around SoHo/Nolita and Williamsburg. But my #1 would be to drive up to Dia Beacon or Storm King. Get OUT of the city.”
-Adam Katz Sinding, @le21eme
“Driving on the Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn and watching the Brooklyn Bridge and the downtown Manhattan skyline as the sun rises.”
-Julien Boudet, @bleumode
“There’s so much to do in NYC! In the spring/summer season, when the weather is nice, I like to walk the city, cross one of the bridges and smell the sea while you can see the huge city behind you. If you prefer more indoor options, there are many good museums to visit like MoMa, the New Museum, the Guggenheim and the International Center of Photography. Another good plan can be to relax on one of the thousands of roof terraces NYC has to offer; I love the urban views and NYC is the best place to enjoy this type of landscape.”
-Eva Al Desnudo, @eva.al.desnudo
Be sure to follow Fashion Week SS17 to keep up with all of this season’s happenings.
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Main Image:
Eva Al Desnudo / Highsnobiety