We Aim To Slay

Earlier this month, Stacey and I had the opportunity to walk in a New York Fashion Week show produced by The Crown CARES (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based out of Maine)! We immediately booked our AirBnB and started packing! 

This was our second time walking for ArtLoveLifeStyle Attire, a brand created and designed by Whitlely Nabintu Marshall, and is an extension of her magazine ArtLoveLifestyle! The overall show we participated in was part of the Beauty It’s Everywhere NYFW production, and it was great to be reunited with so many long standing friends!

Where We Stayed

Because the show and registration were both in the Chinatown area, Stacey selected an AirBnB perfectly situated between SoHo and Chinatown – the SoHo Blu Garden!

Not only was the space adorable – there’s nothing I like more in a hotel than a corner room! – it was super affordable, and is pet friendly! Unfortunately we weren’t able to bring our pups this time, but we did enjoy the lovely amenities and beautiful view!

HEADER – Where We Went

Food

Sanmiwago

By far one of the best soup dumplings I’ve ever had!

Bondi On The Go

Delicious sushi, made to order!

Koi Omakase & Bar

Hands down, the best meal I’ve ever eaten! So good in fact, that we’ve made reservations to go back for my sister’s sweet 16!

Docks Off 5th

So adorable! Literally worth it for the vibes alone!

Shopping

I’ve been a long time lover of TJ Maxx – who doesn’t love a good deal?! – so when we realized there was one only three blocks away from our AirBnB we quickly made our way over! Not only did we find good deals, we found such good items that we legitimately went here twice!

I ended up buying a knit strapless crop top by Kirious; a suede jacket by Love For Humanity Couture Black Label (it does have a small stain on one side, but it was on sale for $15 so I’ll just take it to the cleaners!); a pair of red satin trousers by Sincerely Jules; a pair of true nude (for my skin tone) kitten heels by Marc Fisher; a pair of knee high, camel colored boots by Franco Sarto; a three pack of basic tank tops; and Dante’s Lucky Brand coat (I love that my dog is starting to love fashion also)!

Show Locations

Stacey and I have walked in and worked at previous Beauty It’s Everywhere fashion shows here in Speyer Hall! This is where the B.I.E. awards were held, and where we accepted “Store of the Year” award on behalf of Dazzle Boutique!

Show registration was held at the Wyndham Garden in Chinatown, and I have to say, I would happily stay at this hotel! While we were waiting to check in for our fittings, the hotel staff walked amongst us handing out water and complimentary tote bags! The lobby also housed the cutest little sushi bar!

What We Wore

To travel into the City and head to fittings, I opted for my version of “model off duty” style: pairing one of my favorite pairs of jeans – which sadly gave out during this trip – with a spaghetti strap bodysuit, a fuzzy grey jacket from Charlotte Rouse, and simple gold jewelry from Saga Jewels and Lor Francais!

It was a huge honor to accept the Beauty It’s Everywhere “Store of the Year” Award on behalf of Dazzle Boutique! Obviously, I had to dress in my Dazzle best, opting for this black and white houndstooth mini dress by one of my favorite pageant designers, Mac Duggal!

It’s show day!

Because I was walking in the first show of the day and volunteering backstage for the remainder of the show, I wanted to dress comfortably and chic! I paired the Astoria Activewear lounge set with the Franco Sarto boots and Love for Humanity suede jacket, keeping accessories to a minimum.

Shout out to my mom for letting me borrow her dress as we walked several blocks through a blizzard in order to experience the greatest sushi meal of my entire life – Koi Omakase & Bar!

We finished our weekend with a proper brunch, selecting Docks Off 5th for their incredibly photogenic decor!

I quite literally bought this pearl headpiece right off the runway from the designer S. Max Designs, and I’m looking forward to working with Sarah again in the near future! I decided to keep the overall look simple, allowing the headpiece to be the standout. I wore the red satin trousers with the knitted white crop top with the Love for Humanity jacket and Franco Sarto boots!

The Fashion Show

I was honored and excited to be walking for ArtLoveLifestyle Attire again! Not only did I get to walk for Whitley in September during Fashion Week, she was the December guest of the #SelfCareSeries (you can watch her episode here!)! Fresh off her top five placement in Mrs. Elemental USA, she walked away with the title of Mrs. Elemental Water – and as such, the entire collection was ocean-themed!

This is especially gratifying for me, as ocean conservation and protection are very important to me; as a beginner surfer, and an avid beach lover!

Not only did I get to walk, I closed the show!!! And, was honored to walk back out with Whitley while she did her final walk!

Photos by Mandy McQueen Photography!

What Do You Think?

All in all, I’d say this was another successful trip, and an even more successful New York Fashion Week! The next time you visit New York City, give some of these locations a try and let me know what you think!

I’ll be back next week to share one of my go-to hacks to spruce up your outfit – accessories!

Have a great rest of your week, and remember to SLAY!