“You can cut my arm off and take it with you.”

These were my exact words interviewing the wonderfully talented Kimberly Loomis for The Cut (a local distributor) in February 2023 talking about her attending NYFW. At the time Kimberly was a superstar in my eyes and I'm grateful now to call her a friend (who is still a superstar in my eyes).

Fast forward a few months later, and Kimberly asked me to join her team for the upcoming September. PINCH ME - it was a whirlwind of emotion but I knew an opportunity like this doesn't come around often. I think I started packing the day I signed my contract.

Let's start with the people I met -

Met the wonderful Shayla King - a talented stylist from Memphis - who became my walking buddy, and go-to gal for the week.
Met Luwanna Grey - who kept me sane all week, keeping me on track and a constant ray of shine and confidence. With the best advice!
Met Sarah from Pennsylvania and Chris from Ohio who I got to work side by side with on show day, both extremely talented educators, with mass experience in the editorial world.

The talent I was surrounded by was overwhelming.

Let's get this party started!

A pre show party is hosted at a club every year for the models, designers, beauty team, photographers, etc. to connect and kick off the week. It wasn't quite the New York club experience you may be expecting as I was committed to networking with everyone possible. With a strict 20 minute clock I would “take a round” to see who I could meet. I got the opportunity to talk to press, other stylists, models, and even one of the designers!

Fun Fact: I met another designer in the elevator earlier that day where I may or may not have had previous social media stalked and held the door open an extra 20 seconds to get a moment of alone time to introduce myself (not creepy at all). But hey New York is for opportunity and I was hungry to experience everything I could.

Let the shows begin!

1st show - David Antonio

Chloe was my first model I had the opportunity to work on. She was a young talent from California who was the perfect first model to work on. She had a calming energy that was contagious and was so relaxed and kind. I worked on her hair while the makeup artist worked on her makeup. I believe the nail tech even joined us for a short period of time. Talk about Chaos! Backstage has an exciting vibe of sweat, hairspray, and hardwork. It truly is an indescribable organized chaos. Times of lull followed by instant deadlines always keep you on your toes.
I got to work on what was called the final touch ups team where I got to go in the dressing room and watch the designer create magic. I was simply back there to make sure no hair was harmed during the dress process. There were a lot of people running around, not sure of the purpose but everyone had one.

I did not get to see this show because I was working shoulder to shoulder with the designer Davide Antonio who was celebrating his 40th year in fashion with 40 looks which is unheard of. He was tweaking the clothes, I was tweaking the hair, and two steps later the models were taking over the runway. There were more looks than models so the models were coming in behind us, getting changed into new designs and hopping back in line to again have David, the designer, give his final touches on their outfits, and I again made sure no hair was harmed during the movement.

WOW - I left this show feeling filled with excitement, and had a smile I couldn't wipe off my face if I tried. A truly incredible feeling and career perk.

2nd show - Ericko Menswear

Backstage at this show was truly captivating, watching the designers natural eye for design as he seamlessly moved between models, perfecting each look until it was uniquely complete.
I had the chance to work with Josh, a veterinary student turned international model, who was as calm and fun to talk to. The biggest lesson I learned backstage: don’t overcomplicate things. Josh had fabulous wavy hair, but it wasn’t cooperating with the sleek pompadour I had envisioned. Thankfully, Luwanna, an absolute queen, stepped in to help me achieve the look.

Later, I had the opportunity to assist Paris in styling a model with incredibly coily hair, where I got to learn her technique firsthand. The day culminated with a star-studded meet-and-greet with Ted Gibson—an unforgettable moment to wrap up an already incredible experience. Working alongside talented and kind people like Ericko made this show a truly special one to witness.