I fulfilled a fashion fantasy this week—I attended a top designer’s Fashion Week runway show wearing one of his creations. I just read over that sentence four times, because the words are so damn amazing. It was a peak experience I’m going to savor. I thought I’d share with you how it all went down, starting with what it was like to wear an exquisite Brandon Maxwell dress. If you don’t know Brandon Maxwell’s work, you’ve probably seen him as a judge on the TV show Project Runway or from his Wal-Mart clothing lines, Scoop and Free Assembly.
How I got invited
I’d love to tell you that my influential blog and dazzling sense of style earned me an invitation to this show, but the truth is, I had a connection. My partner-in-crime (and frequent collaborator) Berit Francis‘ husband Michael has a business relationship with Brandon Maxwell. We both attended Brandon Maxwell’s stunning Spring/Summer Show last September (SS23 as we call it in the biz) and were excited to learn we’d not only be invited to SS24, we would have the opportunity to wear an actual Brandon Maxwell design. How exciting! And how terrifying. I only hoped I could pull it off.
How I chose my dress
Berit was my contact with Brandon’s staff and she told me to take a look at Brandon Maxwell’s website and choose a couple outfits I thought I’d like to wear. It wasn’t easy, because, as you know, I am a 60 year-old, five foot three Midwestern lady who doesn’t miss any meals. But I wasn’t gonna let that stop me. I drooled over the fashions and chose three, in my usual size, that I thought could work on my frame.
Here are photos of my choices from the designer’s website:
I thought the sequined skirt and blouse ensemble was beautiful and probably my best bet. I worried that the cool denim dress would be too short, but hoped a bigger size (with my shorter legs) would offer more coverage. The black zippered dress looked so flattering, but possibly too long.
Luckily, the brand had samples in my size for all three outfits. Within a week, the clothes arrived, packed professionally in a serious looking black garment bag within a heavy box. I eagerly hung them up in my closet and tried them on. Oh dear. The sequined skirt was so tight, I could barely zip it. There are no pictures of me in that skirt because once on, the zipper adhered to my belly flesh and I still have the welts to prove it. It was beautiful, just two sizes too small.
The denim dress was super cool and amazingly constructed but, as I feared, extremely short. I don’t have the legs or the confidence to get away with this one. Calling Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct!
That left the black, zipper-embellished sleeveless dress which slipped on easily and hugged my curves in all the right places. The silk crepe felt heavenly, the zippered ruffles swished as I moved. But I am short and it was long. With 3″ heels (my max) it barely cleared the floor. I worried a full length dress would be too formal for daytime. But after checking in with Brandon’s staff, it appears there’s no such thing as too formal, especially during New York Fashion Week.
Berit, in the meantime had found a delightful combo of dress, sweater and jacket all in a yummy buttery shade. She called her outfit “The Cream Dream” and it was. Berit looks amazing in literally anything and she rocked that gorgeous ensemble from the start (see pic below). She writes prolifically about fashion and style on her instagram @berits.bits so check out her account for all her New York Fashion Week posts there.
How I styled the dress
I was determined to honor the dress and myself by styling it in a way that felt easy and comfortable, while letting the innovative zipper design be the star of the show. I started with the shoes. You know how obsessed I am with comfortable shoes! I was excited to find this pair of stretchy Stuart Weitzman metallic booties (on sale) with a 3″ block heel. I find boots far more comfortable than pumps or sandals and a sturdy block heel is a bonus.
I bought some big Jenny Bird silver hoops at a boutique in Lincoln Park, and then found the Zadig & Voltaire black studded bag with a cool chain detail at Bloomingdale’s while I was in New York. That, I decided, was enough. A make-up session at the NARS counter and a blow out at a local salon the night before the show completed our prep. It was fun and exciting to have such a fabulous event to anticipate and get ready for.
Our Arrival
After all that preparation, getting ready for the show the next morning was actually a breeze. Berit and I left our hotel a little after nine and, despite our taxi driver taking the longest possible route, we arrived at the venue, a chic downtown art gallery, in time to take some fun pics in the graffiti covered alley. The streets of New York are so cool and as the crowd gathered on the street waiting to enter, the people watching was spectacular!
I have to say, we felt fantastic and completely part of the scene in our Brandon Maxwell designs. There’s so much more to discuss, but this post is already long, so I’ll save all the details about the inspiring show for my next post. Check back on Wednesday for Part 2 of the fashion show experience, including celeb sightings, fashion chit-chat, back stage happenings and, most importantly, the amazing artistry of the clothes, models and production.
Update! Read part 2 here: https://fullyfabulous.com/2023/09/21/i-wore-a-brandon-maxwell-dress-to-his-breathtaking-new-york-fashion-week-show-part-2-all-about-the-show/
If you’d like more scoop from New York Fashion Week, check out my post from last year:
Fully Fabulous 
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