NYFW Round 2! [Daisy Fuentes rtw S/S 14]

So on a whim of fancy, Ang and I wound up making our way back to NYC for a second time last Wednesday!  We had gotten invited to go to the Daisy Fuentes Ready-to-Wear S/S 14 Runway show, plus All Access passes!

Backstage Mayhem

When we walked in, we were sent right backstage into all of the action.  Half of the space was dedicated to the makeup artists, manicurists, and hair stylists.  Models occupied every station, getting their glamorous hair and classic makeup.  The manicurists painted and touched up nails, and tons of press took photos, videos, and interviews.

Gel II Manicures with Jackie Saulsbery

For this show, I got to be one of those crazy press people.  I had the honor of getting to personally interview the head Celebrity Manicurist, Jacqueline Saulsbery!

Miss Jackie Saulsbery has been painting nails for about 24 years.  Just by talking to her, I could tell just how much she loves what she does and her personal investment into her art form.  We got to talking about this particular Fashion Week project, the Daisy Fuentes show.  I asked Miss Saulsbery what her inspiration was for the bright red nail color used in the show.

She told me that Daisy Fuentes herself actually called her in to see her about the polish.  Jackie was originally told that they were planning on using nude, which she wasn't exactly thrilled about.

"They wanted to go with nude but, [Daisy] was like, 'No. No nude.' And I was like, 'YES! NO NUDE!'"

Together they decided on a bright, bold red.  The polish looked great on every skin tone and fit perfectly within the collection.  I asked Jackie how they came up with the color.

"What I did was I took two of the red colors from the [Gel II] collection and gave her exactly what she wanted: a bright red.  As soon as she put it up to the collection she was so happy...[and] so overwhelmed...I was excited too because it made a quick and easy decision for me...She kind of asked for the color and I just did a little mixing and 'Hey!', we have the polish and we gave her exactly what she wanted."

Jackie loved the product so much that she couldn't wait to tell me about it and how convenient it was in the craziness of Fashion Week.

"I like the coverage of the polish on the nail. It doesn't shadow, it layers great, and that just works fine for when you're in a rush trying to do something as far as Fashion Week.  You know we have, what, two or three hours to prep, thirty models, so we have to make it work.  And you can't go wrong with it because the coverage on it is perfect." 

The Gel II Polish is great for a girl on the go, which is most of us fashionistas! I've had many a moment of staring at my unpolished or chipped nails thinking, Do I really have time for that?  Most of the time, the answer is no and I wind up self-conscious, hiding my nails in my pockets or behind my back.

"It dries fast," Saulsbery says.  "You sometimes want to be able to use a polish where you can put one coat and go out the door."

This polished seems to be designed just exactly for that.

"I would definitely advise every manicurist to get a couple of bottles of this and in salons as well."

Lastly, I asked Jackie what the big nail color trends are for the fall.

"The metals are in...and the sparkles are still in. Red is always in to me, that’s my personal opinion...I love a nice color on the hands because it always makes you smile.  Even with the toes too, you've got to put something nice on the toes.  That’s the first thing you see in the morning.  When you step out of the bed, you look down and you see toes.  So you gotta give it a happy color." 

I also had the pleasure of meeting Rose Velez, celebrity manicurist and owner of doorBella Creative Concierge Service.   She was also on scene giving Gel II Manicures, and so kindly modeled the bottle of the special Daisy Fuentes color! I send her millions and millions of thanks, since she was the lovely lady who got us the backstage passes!! She is not only a fantastic manicurist, but a truly fantastic person! It is such a pleasure to know her! :)

The Collection

Caught a photo of Daisy Fuentes herself!

Backstage the models lined up to work Daisy's newest collection for Spring and Summer.   Each model had their own section with their outfits planned out, along with a board showing the entire line in order.

The collection was filled with light, airy fabrics, focused on warm neutrals and a bold cerulean. The outfits were completed with great gold jewelry and cute head wraps.  Here are some of my personal favorites!

I got to sit in the press pit and take pictures with the other press!  There were so many of us, we were all squished together, all trying to get the perfect shot.  I wound up on the side, but I still think I managed to get some great photos!!

Credit to Angela for the picture!

Swiggity Swag, What's in the Bag?

We were lucky enough to receive our very own swag bags for this show, and boy were they good ones! The bag included:

• A Daisy Fuentes for Kohls blouse
• Daisy Fuentes for Kohls pants
• A Daisy Fuentes for Kohls necklace
• Daisy Fuentes for Kohls earrings
• Daisy Fuentes for Kohls sunglasses
• A $50 Kohls gift card

Credit to Angela for the picture!

Overall, I really enjoyed the All Access experience of the Daisy Fuentes show!! I made some great connections, saw some fresh new fashion, and got a fabulous excuse to use my camera!! I can't wait to go to New York Fashion Week again next year!!

XO, Briana