Behind-the-Scenes at New York Fashion Week

by Michelle Chen December 20, 2023

New York Fashion Week Runway 7 Avery Swimwear behind the scenes sustainable fashion shows

Avery Swimwear presents collection at New York Fashion Week for spring/summer 2024 (Photo taken by Joey Chi)

What a night it was this past September in New York City presenting Avery Swimwear's first collection for Runway 7 Fashion. Taking place at the renowned Sony Hall, located in the heart of Times Square, the show was nothing short of a spectacle. Since the beginning, we've had our hearts set on taking our sustainable collection to the big city - and now two years later, we have.

Taking on New York Fashion Week

Showing our collection to a full house attended by photographers, stylists, artists and editorialists, we couldn't afford to fumble our big moment. However, the week leading up to the event was really a testament of how much we were willing to work to put on this amazing show. From attending lengthy model castings and fitting sessions to scrambling to find ten models in only two days time, it was definitely a game of endurance for Avery.

Watch: Avery's Full Runway Show at New York Fashion Week

Avery walks the runway for Runway 7 Fashion (Photo taken by Victor Pagan)

The end result was one that even blew us away. We had to race to find two last minute models in the few hours leading up our show, which would send anyone in a panic let alone first timers like ourselves. Luckily, everything ultimately came together and all ten of our models walked out stunningly in Avery's best (to the beat of Taylor Swift nonetheless).

Pictured above: Evvie Bikini Top | Evvie Bikini Bottoms

Avery's models for New York Fashion Week (From left to right: Lexi Sierra, Vanessa Ordonez, Brittany Paige, Gia Firoozi, Stephanie Rosenberg, Oceane Q, Olya Romanova, Laureen Claire, Ruby Anyanwu, Brenda Fernandez)

Finding the Models

When looking for the models who would represent our brand perfectly, we made sure to include a diverse group of women. Coming from many cultural and geographical backgrounds, we wanted to maintain our stance on inclusivity across all boards. Avery was born out of the desire to evoke confidence and strength in one's individuality and with these ten women, we believe we did just that.

After we had sent our models to get their hair and makeup done, we got to have some fun backstage while waiting for our curtain call. Going for loose beachy waves and pink smokey makeup, the ladies looked like dolls in our pieces. We could tell they felt like ones too. It was such an amazing feeling to see how much confidence they exuded while dressed in Avery. It felt like a full circle moment.

Pictured above: Avery's first-ever one-piece launching in 2024

Preparing For the Show

Two months prior to New York Fashion Week, we were lucky enough to present for Miami Swim Week. Though it was a wonderful experience for our brand, something that was lacking was the ability to choose our own models. This time however, we had full control of our entire show. From the models (who we adored) to the music and the backdrop, it was fully ours. This was something we'd dreamed into reality and we weren't taking one second of it for granted.

Avery backstage at Sony Hall before NYFW show

Backstage With Avery

Backstage, after setting the model lineup into place, we were busy having our photos taken and doing impromptu interviews. It was a small backstage area with three other designers sharing the space with us. We'll alway remember the adrenaline running through us at this point; the energy and the pounding of our own hearts were all we heard leading up to the runway. Luckily, the backstage hype team came through to cheer us on in our last moments and before we knew it, it was showtime.

Check out: Michelle's In Style: New York Fashion Week at Runway 7 Fashion

Avery on the red carpet at New York Fashion Week

Red Carpet Interviews

After the show wrapped, it was onto the red carpet for our exclusive interview with Julie Werner Xander and the many photo ops against the Runway 7 Fashion iconic backdrop. Still running high on the adrenaline with all our models, we had the best time showing off our pieces to the press and talking about what inspired us to start Avery in the first place. We couldn't have been happier with the outcome. The models were soaking in every moment of it with us.

From taking on New York Fashion Week, we learned so much from this experience. It was rewarding to say the least but also, eye-opening. We had the opportunity to be surrounded by so much creative energy and we couldn't help but feed off of that. The connections made throughout the week were undoubtedly the most significant takeaway. From being introduced to our models then the photographers, working with the hair and makeup team and meeting our fellow designers, we were at the center of everything that drives us.

After overcoming some unexpected obstacles, we now know what to expect next time around. Show biz may not always go smoothly (if ever) but like they say, the show must go on - and it did. Avery Swimwear officially did its first show in New York City and we couldn't be more proud. Cheers to us and how far we've come since launching in 2021!

Watch: Avery's Full Runway Show at New York Fashion Week

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