NYFW Diary 2018: When The Unexpected Happens
Hello everybody from New York! Currently, I'm typing this blog post in my cozy hotel room in The Time Nyack at the moment and I couldn't feel more relaxed right now. For those of you who have been watching my Instastories since Day 1 of NYC or for those who are just tuning in, be sure to stay updated on the latest behind-the-scenes of my New York Fashion Week and New York City adventures via Instastories by following my Instagram page, @missmisschelle! I promise you nothing but candid, silly, embarassing, and fun clips of my trip while I'm here ;)
So a bunch of you probably already know that I suffered from food poisoning for three consecutive days so you can already imagine the torture and pain that my poor body has been through during this hectic week. However, now that I'm almost 100% recovered, I finally have the energy to compile the last few days into a blog post! You'll be surprised by HOW many things didn't go according to plan, but just keep on reading to find out what really went down during our NYFW...
NYFW Look #1: Minimalistic Outfit
Black Leather Jacket: Thacker NYC
White Sweater: Express
White Ultra Heattech Thermal: Uniqlo USA
Trousers: Kestan
Italian Leather Booties: Summit White Mountain Shoes
Clutch: Thacker NYC
White Beret: H&M
Sunglasses: Sunglass LA
LAX Airport Outfit:
Bastille Lite Luggage: DELSEY
White Purse: Sandy Lisa Bags
Grey Sweatshirt: Charlotte Russe
White Ultra Heattech Thermal: Uniqlo USA
Black Ultra Heattech Leggings: Uniqlo USA
Shoes: Adidas x SIX:02
Sunglasses: Prada
Day 0: Wednesday, February 7th
As one of the worst mutual decisions we've ever made together in life (LOL), Sharon and I decided to take a red-eye flight from LAX to NYC. We decided to arrive to LAX at 12PM, which meant we had 11 hours and 55 minutes to be at the airport. But before you say "DAMNNN, that's a lot of time at the airport!", let me stop you there for a sec. Honestly, I had a LOT of fun shooting, working, and chilling at the airport for that many hours with Sharon because we're used to working at "coffee shop" or "office" type spaces for long periods of time. As a blogger, there's always work to be done.
The time actually went by at lightning speed and we found ourselves chatting about work-related discussions that only further forwarded our goals. Before we knew it, 11:55PM arrived and we were ready for takeoff.
However, the plane ride was NOT what I expected it to be. When all I wanted was a good four hours of sleep, that is not what I received. Instead, I had a talking child behind me and parents who kept wanting to switch seats (and in turn, made me get out of my seat) - pretty much, the opposite of a good night's rest. I recall that it took me over an hour to fall asleep, and an airplane chair is not a comfortable sleeping position (even with a comfortable neck pillow I picked up at Target right before the trip). At one point of the night, I felt that my body separated into two parts because the bottom half of me felt completely numb when I woke up. It was definitely a weird feeling. Honestly, take my advice - do NOT book a red-eye flight if you have a shit load of errands/tasks/work to do the very next day. It's not worth it.
Day 1: Thursday, February 8th
I took off my sleeping mask, only to be blinded from the sudden brightness from the airplane windows to signify that morning in New York City arrived. Personally, I woke up feeling like complete shit. More specifically, I felt like I got punched in the stomach and it was 10x worse than a hangover ever felt. Sharon didn't feel too dandy either upon waking up, and I remember complaining about how much my stomach hurt. As much as I thought it was just a slight stomach ache that will pass, I was definitely in for a surprise (and it wasn't the good kind of surprise).
Turns out, I had food poisoning...which lasted for three days and definitely interfered with a majority of our plans. I have a feeling it's from a specific chickecn sandwich I ate at the airport, and now I've developed a fear of sandwiches because my recent bacterial infection that made me bedridden for one week was from a chicken sandwich as well. Yikes. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up any electrolyte drinks that my friends recommended for the first two days of the trip because the pain was so unbearable to endure an extra car ride so I ended up just dealing with the pain. Oh yeah, did I also mention that we had to skip the train and LYFT everywhere because I was unable to walk long distances? Talk about a more expensive and unproductive trip so far. Yep, I was in a pretty sad condition, especially for someone who was attending New York Fashion Week.
However, the positive parts of this day had to be finally checking in at the Arlo SoHo hotel, dropping off our heavy ass luggage, grabbing a steaming bowl of ramen, and attending our first NYFW show featuring XULY.Bët x MIMI PROBER x HOGAN McLAUGHLIN before calling it a night. The 2018 NYFW show featuring Mimi Prober was definitely a LOT different than their 2017 NYFW show, which I also did attend and you can read here. Different always keeps a brand interesting, innovative, and fresh, so I can't complain if there's a different take on it.
Unfortunately, we did have to cancel a majority of our original plans this day because we were way too burnt out from the red-eye flight. Never doing that again, hah.
Day 2: Friday, February 9th
Day 2 was slightly better than Day 1, but the food poisoning was still at it - attacking my stomach again and again with stomach pains and lightheadedness. Honestly, I felt bad for Sharon having to deal with sick ol' me, but I guess the good news was that she got to order extra entrees that I couldn't eat, LOL.
Walking down a luxurious flight of stairs, we dined at Brasserie 8.5 at lunch. While Sharon didn't hold back on ordering her usuals of Brussel Sprouts and Mac N' Cheese, I opted for a type of soup (Lobster Chowder) to help soothe my stomach. Unfortunately, my stomach wasn't having it that day and I was only able to take two sips of my soup, but I did appreciate the attentive staff members and welcoming ambiance of the restaurant.
After lunch, Sharon attended the MILLY NYFW show while I waited for her at a bakery and communal table called Le Pain Quotidien. Honestly, that warm cup of green tea I ordered was the best thing that happened to my stomach all day. It kept my stomach happy throughout our first NYFW fashion photoshoot, but unfortunately its positive effect expired by dinner time. For anybody who lives in NYC or is visiting the Big Apple, I would highly recommend Le Pain Quotidien restaurant to get work done because they have plentiful outfits and a spacious table.
Once Sharon and I reunited, we headed to Washington Square Park for our first NYFW fashion photoshoot - finally! I loved the pictures we took here and it was so EASY to do because we found an aisle that rarely anybody walked in.
To call it a night, we ended the night with an intimate dinner at Blue Hill in Greenwich Village. We chatted with Nick Hukezalie and learned a lot about how he became a chef for Blue Hill for several years. Similarly to me, he used to be a science major but wasn't interested in lab work (can anybody else relate?), so decided to redirect his career towards a stronger passion. Honestly, there's nothing that makes me happier than somebody who chases their dream and makes it a reality. Every dish was presented beautifully and I couldn't help but smile when the word "dessert" was mentioned (despite the stomach pains I had throughout the meal).
Also, I really loved how a different employee served us every time a new dish was prepared - it made me feel like the staff at Blue Hill values every table and every customer that dines in at their restaurant. Additionally, I wanted to give a huge shoutout to Blue Hill for creating a fresh Chicken Broth Soup for me on the side because they knew how painful my food poisoning really was throughout the meal (sorry!). Not only was the staff considerate, but I truly appreciate this gesture.
Day 3: Saturday, February 10th
Never have I seen it rain in New York City until Saturday, February 10th. Unfortunately, this meant that our photoshoot had to be quick, but Sharon managed to capture a few dope photos for me of my favorite NYFW outfit before we called it a day.
Also, I was happy that I got to see my NYC blogger babe, Fiona from @fionahx3. Knowing that I was sick, she was kind enough to take a train to see me at the Library Hotel as well as bring me the BEST Korean takeout ever from Koreatown! We caught up like old friends while watching a movie, and it really brought back memories since the last time I hung out with her last year during NYFW.
Day 4: Sunday, February 11th
When I thought the trip couldn't get any better, it didn't...and then it did. Earlier this morning, Sharon and I dragged our DELSEY luggages through the pouring rain to the Grand Central Station so that we could take a train to Nyack. Little did we know that such a short distance walk and heavy rain could really put a damper on our moods. My beanie, faux fur coat, and backpack were literally soaked from just a five minute walk outdoors. Like goddamn, I never saw rain fall down that intense in years! If we could have switched the rain for snow, I would have done so in a heartbeat because snow photos would be awesome, LOL! Luckily for me, my DELSEY Bastille Lite luggage not only withstood the heavy rainpour, but it's convenient 360 mobility feature made my travels through the rain a lot more bearable. Talk about an indestructible and useful piece of luggage!
Luckily, we persevered, survived, and are finally made it to our comfortable little abode for the next two nights at The Time Nyack! We absolutely love the aesthetics of this hotel and our room, and we cannot wait to update you guys with future posts to come. Now, it's time for me to find some food and get some rest so that I can stay healthy for the remainder of this trip!
Lastly, I didn't make this post to bitch about life, my sickness, or how my trip "sucked". Instead, I wanted to write this post to express to you guys that despite what you see on social media, you really don't know everything that goes on behind-the-scenes or what somebody TRULY feels behind a curated or highly edited photo. Honestly, a lot of social media influencers only like to showcase the "perfect" life and feed - but don't be fooled, nobody's life is perfect. Social media is a place to create a work of art under your creative vision, but you should never find yourself obsessed or comparing your REAL life to somebody else's SOCIAL MEDIA life. Let's all keep that in mind, have fun with social media (but not obsess over it), and I hope you guys had a great weekend! Feel free to tune into my next post before I head home to sunny California if you're curious about the rest of our trip! ;)
Fashion & Food Photography By:
Sharon Litz (@sharonlitz)
www.sharinaone.com
Much Love,
