What I Wore To Day 1 of New York Fashion Week

Anyone who has been to a show during New York Fashion Week — whether at Bryant Park or Lincoln Center — knows that, while the official runway shows happen inside the venue, there’s plenty of strutting happening right outside. And, since I love to strut whether I’m walking to the supermarket, running to the post office, hitting a beauty press preview event, or covering the runway shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, I’m the first to relish an opportunity to wear some of the highlights of that oh-so-dense space I call my closet (or, rather closets… And well, a couple of bureaus, a rolling rack, some shelves… You get the point!).

This fashion week, my goal is to showcase a different aspect of my personal style every day. Now, I’m not one of those attention hogs who needs to put on the most over-the-top outfits and outlandish accessories, the type of trappings that make me think of la puerca de Juan Bobo, in hopes of being photographed by one of the shutterbugs lurking outside Lincoln Center. Truth be told, I try to keep it chic and, more importantly, to have my ensemble reflect my individual point-of-view, one that’s both adventurous and versatile.

For the first day of NYFW, I opted for a very earthy, Bohemian look with hints of Southwestern warmth and cowboy undertones. I started the look with my incredibly comfortable Torn by Ronny Kobo Riley Nala Maxi Skirt (purchased for $59.40 at LastCall.com), which incorporates the colors you’d associate with a sunset in the Grand Canyon (rich burnt orange, sepia, safflower yellow, black, muddy brown, and more) and features a funky tribal print. I then paired the skirt with a basic sleeveless brown top that I snagged from H&M several years ago. By choosing a simple shirt in a solid color, I could play up the vibrancy of the skirt and also ensure that my shape would be accentuated and not made boxy or stout by adding too voluminous a top. Since it was a bit chilly in the morning, I added a dark blue denim blazer from Rachel Rachel Roy (purchased recently from rachelroy.com), which boasts a floral print lining and cuffed sleeves that reveal this perky print, along with a flounced, ruffled detail along the back of the jacket. Once the day started warming up, however, I removed the jacket and the look still worked (in fact, I could argue it looked slightly better sans the denim jacket).

In terms of footwear, I chose a pair of ankle-length, brown Faryl Robin booties  (which I believe I was gifted) and continued the color theme with my Treesje Bliss Hobo (purchased for $124.50 at LastCall.com). To give the outfit a kick, I accessorized with a pair of thick Egyptian-style golden-plated hoop earrings with intricate sketchings (bought on sale for $8 at Macy’s); Tamara Moor’s Queen of the Road necklace, which features cubical wooden beads, with some beads along the center hand-painted in a yellow gold color for contrast, and which sits right below the neck (purchased for $50.05 at Sneakpeeq.com); and I piled on a stack of glimmering Amrita Singh bangles (which I bought about five years ago). The final touch (and the tour de force) was my dramatic hat: Eugenia Kims wide-brimmed Honey hat (purchased at BoutiqueToYou.com), which features a gorgeous feather trim along the base of the crown.

Stay tuned for more details on my look for Day 2 of NYFW! Hint: “Opa!”