Fashion Chronicles: New York City Fashion Week

Joelle Purifoy | Contributor

I was invited back for the second year in a row to assist with Tracy Reese’s Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Show. Having interned with Reese in the summer of 2011, this was one of the wonderful perks that enabled me to get more involved, by meeting and networking with people from different aspects of the industry.

I began my weekend withFashion’s Night Out. F.N.O. is an annual celebration throughout major cities where retailers and designers throw events, parties, giveaways, and more for the public. There are several celebrity appearances, and plenty of opportunities to network and connect with other people in the fashion industry, be it bloggers, emerging designers, photographers models or whomever.

A highlight of F.N.O. for me this year, was attending Diana Von Furstenberg’s party at her flagship store. Diane von Furstenberg is a major designer and icon of the fashion industry, and the president of the Certified Fashion Designers of America. The party was packed and Solange Knowles was the DJ. She kept the party going all night playing different genres from old school R&B to present day Pop, while people danced, indulged in the open bar, and had  their fortunes told.

After that party, I went to the annual Tracy Reese Dance-a-Thon, where wine was served, and people danced in the store windows to another live DJ.

The next couple of days I spent in the [design] studio, making bracelets, hand sewing labels and buttons on clothes, and assisting Tracy and her designers with anything else they needed me to do.

I worked with the other interns spending long hours each day until the wee hours of the morning to help prep for the big runway show.  Though I was completely exhausted by the end of it all, I had so much fun and learned a ton about what goes into a show for Fashion Week.

The day of the show, the other interns and I dressed up in all black, as required, and met at Lincoln Center, where most of the shows are held. Once inside, we were assigned to our models, and reviewed how to dress them in their assigned accessories, clothes, and shoes in the quickest way possible. This was all in an effort to assure a smooth runway presentation.

Minutes before the show started, we were individually thanked by Tracy for volunteering.

Despite being chaotic, backstage during the show was fun. We snapped photos of celebrities like Lauren Conrad and stylist June Ambrose, who congratulated Tracy, and complimented her on her designs.

Later on, we attended the private after party at the Stone Rose Lounge, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Building. There, screens displayed video from the fashion show, and there was an open bar and dancing.

Tracy’s employees and colleagues all got on the dance floor and danced to Whitney Houston, Rihanna and more!

I had an amazing weekend full of fun and learning and advise anyone that’s looking to be in the fashion industry to do an internship in New York!