NYFW 2018

I have never been to New York during the craze of Fashion Week which takes over the city twice a year. It took a while to get there, this time around I was traveling with my lovely instagram boyfriend and gal pal who actually had never been to New York before this. Our red eye flight got cancelled late the night before we were supposed to leave because of a bird flying into the engine. (What are the odds, right?) So the next morning with about 5 hours of sleep we headed to the airport for round two of making it to the Big Apple. The forecast for the week was rain with a 100% chance of torrential downpours.

With the time change we got into the city around 7pm and immediately grabbed a car and headed towards the city!

Where We Stayed.

We stayed at the Q&A Hotel which is located in the financial district. This hotel was unlike any hotel I've stayed at before it was unique in the way that they are also a residential hotel. The thing that was most exciting to me was that it felt more like a home as opposed to a hotel room. Having a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living space, and even a washer and dryer in the unit. The experience from start to finish at the hotel was very pleasant, check in was a breeze and we found our little home away from home pretty easily.

I loved the building, seeing that part of it was residential and part was the hotel it really felt like I was getting a truly authentic New York experience. The decor in the main lobby was chic and minimalistic with interesting books placed on the tables. The room was modern and clean with all of the essentials you could possibly need during your stay.

I had never been to the financial district before, even though I've been to NYC multiple times. Everything was so grand, the buildings towered over the wide cobblestone street and the prominent air of Wall Street set the tone of the neighborhood. We were very close to the subway, One World Trade Center and on the street level was an amazing little coffee shop called Black Fox Coffee.

What I Wore.

I wanted to stay warm and somewhat dry while running around the rainy city all day. On the first day I wore a black coat by Tahari which is a season old but since it has such a modern yet classic cut it really is a timeless piece. Similar here. I paired that with black leather pants and my go to Alexander Wang boots.

For a pop of color I wore my Celine scarf tied around my neck, I felt like it gave this otherwise really dark look an exciting twist! Here is a similar scarf that I love, scarves like these are perfect for tying around your neck or on the handle of a handbag.

Look two was warm, comfy and casual. I have been loving jeans that have something different about them and these are exactly that. High-rise with a relaxed fit, these pants can be dressed up or down, they are from the brand Hidden. Paired with a simple turtleneck, the one I'm wearing is on sale right now, found here. I topped this off with my long coat from Banana Republic and my Brixton hat.

The third look of the trip was a little bit dressier and felt like it embodied some of the aspects of the upcoming spring season. I layered my tall over the knee boots, with a very summery white pleated skirt and turtleneck. I loved how this look brought more versatility to a traditionally warm weather piece. I got mine seasons ago but you can find a similar one here.

The top three trends that I loved seeing at the shows this year were the bright pops of red, animal print everything (most likely will being buying a jacket of sorts) and plaid which is something I've been loving already!

What We Ate.

NYC is a city full of delightfully tasty restaurants and every time is visit my list of places that I must have a meal or grab a coffee gets bigger and bigger. Some of the highlights of the trip were Happy Bones this cute little spot focuses on simple coffee and tea, with some pretty decked out donuts to have as a little treat.

This spot was a perfect pitstop and an excuse to get a break from the rainy weather while exploring the soho area.

An oldie but a goodie is Epistrophy. On a Sunday morning they were the only ones who had a communal table that we squeezed onto to fuel up for a day of walking around the city. The food was simple with a twist and quite delicious.

One of the highlights of the trip was being able to actually cook a full blown breakfast in our hotel room, it had all of the necessities you might need when cooking. The night before we decided to visit the City Acres Market which was located on the street level of the hotel, this I though was the coolest thing being able to just walk downstairs and have a full blown grocery store at your disposal.

What We Did.

It was a crazy 72 hours and I can't believe how much we packed into those three days. We walked an average of 18 to 20 thousand steps each day because aside from the fashion part of fashion week we wanted to show Jamie as much of New York as we could in the time that we had.

Some of the highlights included walking The Highline and eating some bomb ramen from the Chelsea Market.

Exploring the neighborhood around the hotel, and seeing Wall Street.

Visiting the Oculus and just admiring the beautiful architectural masterpiece that it is.

Going to Grand Central Station and seeing the iconic place that so many movie scenes have happened. (cheesy I know)

And when we were too tired from walking everywhere and anywhere we sat down in our living room and had a movie night. Going to New York with someone who hasn't experienced it before reminds you of how much excitement there is about everything there is to do, so being a little touristy this time around was really fun for me.

This was one of the most memorable trips I've had to the city and I think it was a combination of the good food, copious amounts of coffee, endless energy for exploration, an awesome hotel that made it feel like home and being able to be continually inspired by all of the street style that was rampant while we were there.

A big thanks to Q&A Hotels for partnering with us for Fashion Week.