Hi Coveteur! It’s Carolyn Batista AKA a very tired Fashion Publicist reporting live from Day 1 of NYFW! I have my first show of the season today, Willy Chavarria. I’ve worked on Willy’s shows for about five years and it’s always a special one to be a part of. Follow along through my day of breathwork, rehearsals, lots of water, red roses, fashion, and martinis ahead.
6:28 AM: I was supposed to wake up at 6AM but I snoozed my alarm 3 times. I usually need 3-5 alarms to get me out of bed. Sleeping is one of my favorite pastimes; don’t judge me. I already get lots of judgment for my love of sleep from my soon-to-be husband.
6:34 AM: I take five quick minutes to look at my emails, texts and teams. Today is a BIG day! It’s Willy Chavarria’s show and the first day of NYFW! I suddenly feel butterflies in my stomach—the good/lovey type of butterflies. I freaking love fashion week!
6:57 AM: Showered, dressed and ready for my coffee my fiance makes for me every morning.
7:05 AM: I try to get 10 minutes of breathwork but my mind is racing with my to-do list for the day, so I take my dog Bruce out for his morning walk instead. Isn’t he the cutest?
7:40 AM: I open my laptop and get some emails in after skimming through the news.
8:15 AM: I start sage-ing myself, my home and my laptop. It’s a ritual and it WORKS FOR ME!
8:27 AM: I drink water—lots of water because hydration is key during long fashion week days.
8:30AM: I start getting my hair and makeup ready but I'm going to need at least 25 minutes just for my hair, unfortunately. I didn’t have the time to get my weekly blowout this week :(. I live for a blowout, it’s my form of self care! I have a hair stylist in every city I travel to frequently (Santo Domingo, Paris, Milan).
9:08 AM: I’m ready to head out of my apartment but I now need to get on a 10AM Zoom call—an important one, so change of plans. I’m back on my computer—switching between Outlook, Teams, WhatsApp and text.
10:29 AM: Call ended in 29 minutes, thankfully! Now I’m out the door and headed to the show venue.
11:01 AM - 2:00 PM: A BLURR! Time flew by in the blink of an eye. I arrived, said hello to everyone from Willy’s team, my PR team, production, hair and makeup, and models. Such good energy backstage. Everyone is so happy and excited to be part of this moment with Willy! Here I am with Cathy Lee, also part of Willy’s PR team.
2:06 PM: Catching up with Lineisy, one of my favorite gals and fellow Dominicana backstage after her glam! I love her and I die for her fierce runway walk!
4:00 PM: Rehearsals
4:30 PM: Pre-show interviews, team meetings and briefings while drinking lots of water in between and some snacks. Here I am with Carla, also part of the PR team. We are Stressed but Blessed!
5:00 PM: The final PR walkthrough and meeting before we open doors at 5:30PM.
5:30PM: Guests are starting to arrive and I’m focused on getting some more pre-show designer interviews before the start of the show.
6:20PM: The show starts. It was magical!
6:48PM - 7:45PM: Show ends but there are a lot more designer interviews and post-show stuff we need to do before heading over to Jean’s where Willy is hosting an intimate dinner and big party after!
8:26PM: Just arrived at Jean’s and quickly started placing place cards for the dinner while helping with the table setting. Candles and red roses throughout the table—the Willy way.
8:35PM: Dinner guests start arriving. Photos are being taken and I finally feel relieved because we’re almost there.
8:47PM: My first drink of the night—this martini brought me back to life!
9:01PM: This dinner is iconic and everyone is having the best time! I finally feel relaxed and ready for the after party. Willy brought so much life and love to New York today and I am so honored to be part of his team!
Photos: Courtesy of Carolyn Batista