8 Fashion Insiders Reminisce About Their First Fashion Shows

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We love a trip down memory lane, so we asked some of our industry favorites to tell us about their first time attending a fashion show!

1. Sky Kim, Hairstylist

Clients include Lola Young, Tove Lo, Bebe Rexha, Alysa Liu, and Suni Lee

“My first NYFW was in September 2015, when I was 22, working backstage with TIGI. I remember being equal parts terrified and completely exhilarated. I was such a baby, barely knew any fashion designers, and had no idea what ecosystem I was stepping into. One moment that makes me laugh now was when someone handed me a little Y.S. Park pouch for a blow-dryer diffuser and I had absolutely no idea what it was, so I secretly Googled it while internally hemorrhaging from anxiety. Watching all that backstage chaos suddenly transform into this controlled, beautiful runway moment completely fascinated me, even though I didn’t yet understand the designers, politics, or history behind what I was witnessing. Looking back, I think what makes it so special is that I realized I had found a world I wanted to be part of.”

2. Dani Michelle, Stylist

Clients include Daisy Edgar-Jones, Hailey Bieber, Bruna Marquezine, and Kendall Jenner

“It’s so hard to remember what my first show was. I wish I did. What I do remember is the awe of the moment. The excitement of the holding music, the rush of street-style photographers, and the crowds looking for their seats. The feeling when the lights drop, and the music turns up. I can remember the excitement to rush backstage and the chaos of the models and quick changes. I can remember all these highs because it’s the pretty part of what we do, the moment of pure inspiration and live art.”

3. Emily Evans, Stylist 

Clients have included Lewis Hamilton, Ashley Graham, and Maura Higgins

“I was invited to attend Diane von Furstenberg’s runway show. I think it was September 2013 in New York, as I stocked her dresses in my stores in London, and I would go each season for buying trips. I remember the time being super tight and, of course, getting stuck in traffic coming from the airport. Devastatingly, it was raining, and I turned up looking really disheveled. I met Diane the next day in my buying appointment and was starstruck. She was so glamorous and confident.”

4. David Chen, Casting Director

Clients include La Mer, Self-Portrait, Roland Mouret, LaQuan Smith, Neiman Marcus, Calvin Luo, Hermès, and COACH

“My first memory of NYFW was in 2013, in my former life as director of special projects for fashion designer Yigal Azrouël. I was in-house producing his show at Highline Stages. The picture [above] was taken shortly after our first rehearsal, when we were making sure the lighting and music cues were perfect before the show started. I loved the energy and chaos of it all. It was my first real taste of NYFW from behind the scenes.”

5. Anastasia Walker, Stylist

Clients include Shaboozey and Hudson Williams

“My first NYFW experience was Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the Tents at Bryant Park, in 2008. I found a listing on Craigslist looking for people to work the shows. I had no idea what I would be doing until the day prior. I was assigned the role of greeting and seating VIPs between the front row and the Amex suite. This was the most glamorous era of NYFW. There were so many shows at that time; it was pure organized chaos. I was just an intern, hired only to seat people, yet somehow was taking notes detailing the collections under the fantasy of one day being an editor. Back then we would photograph looks with a digital camera and notate them from memory using a notepad. Beyond the obvious excitement and glamour were 12-hour days with minimal food or breaks and constant reminders that you were literally at the bottom of the food chain. I was just happy to be there. I remember a coffee run where I attempted to give my superior her change from the cash she had given me to purchase it. She looked at me and said, “I don’t do coins; I don’t jingle. Jingling isn’t chic.” She was referring to the noise the change would make in her purse while moving. This was just a small precursor of how specific and neurotic the people in this industry can be. Nonetheless, I walked away knowing I had to be a part of this world.”

6. Maeve Reilly, Stylist

Clients include Eva Longoria, Emma Grede, and Madeline Argy

“One of my earliest fashion memories is sneaking into Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York, back when the Tents were still there. I had no invitation, no reason to be inside—just an obsession with fashion and the feeling that I needed to be in that room. I found my way in, took it all in, and remember thinking, ‘This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.’ Looking back now, it feels like such a perfect snapshot of how I started: a little fearless, probably a little delusional, and willing to find my own way through the door.”

7. Matthew Mazur, Stylist and DJ

Clients include Kim Petras, Melanie Martinez, Ava Max, and Coi Leray

“My first real core memory of NYFW was actually walking in the Jeremy Scott show in September 2014 for Spring/ Summer 2015. I was working for Jeremy at the time and, being a total first-timer, I was doing a little bit of everything—PR, design, whatever needed to be done. During fittings the day before the show, I was asked if I wanted to walk in it. Apparently, I was the right fit for the collection, so I said yes. I had just gotten this wild red hair done because I was being called “Linda”—a reference to Linda Evangelista. She was famous for constantly changing her hair and had this iconic red-haired moment. I remember being so nervous before the show. Then I walked out and I can still remember hearing everyone cheering. My mom and my family were there, which made it even more surreal. I had always wanted to sneak into shows when I was younger, but I also knew I was probably not someone who could fly under the radar. I have this energy where people tend to know I’m there, so I could never really get away with using another name to get into parties or shows. Instead, I always told myself, ‘I’m going to work so hard that my name will be on these lists.’ And now, a decade later, it is. I was so young and had so many dreams at the time, and it’s pretty surreal to look back and realize I’ve accomplished most of them. Of course, that just means I have a whole new slew of dreams to go after now.”

8. Davey Matthew, Hairstylist

Clients include Sarah Squirm, Avantika, Ariana Madix, and Taylor Momsen

“My very first NYFW show was quite an experience. A baby hairdresser, still living in Florida, I had the opportunity to come up for NYFW with a brand my salon carried. What was a dream of a lifetime quickly turned into the fuel of nightmares. Eager and ready to impress, I figured I needed to ‘throw a fit.’ Clad in a plunging V-neck down to my navel from a place once called American Apparel, the tightest pleather pants known to man, and obviously a leather blazer to match, I showed up backstage only to realize the glamour lives on the runway. Tight quarters and no AC left me looking like I went swimming instead of doing hair. After that settled in, I realized my dreams actually were coming true, because that’s what Fashion Week really is— blood, sweat, and tears. That is, until my Forever 21 pants failed me again, splitting open to reveal my slutty gay underwear. With all that being said, let this be a testament to never giving up on your dreams, and no matter how embarrassing something is, keep going. A decade and some change later, I now key my own shows and dress appropriately for backstage.”