As I sat in my seat heading to LGA from BNA (and our famous carpet), I assumed to be leaving the cowboy boots, country music and fried chicken behind for a few days. While the buildings were taller and the population greater, NYC still managed to have familiar faces, shoes, and fare from our bustling southern city.

Here’s a little recap from my time spent in The Big Apple for New York Fashion Week:

 

FAMILIAR FACES

Our Fall issue’s leading lady, Lily Aldridge, made several appearances during New York Fashion Week and even hosted a launch party in celebration of her new perfume, Haven. The evening was star-studded; All of Lily’s closest friends made it to the terrace of the stunning Bowery Hotel to support our cover star amidst the craziness that is fashion week. Lily had a busy week herself—from opening Jeremy Scott’s SS20 show to attending Brandon Maxwell and Ralph Lauren, she tackled NYFW with elegance and grace.

Speaking of Brandon Maxwell, while Clare Dunn’s “Tuxedo” played over the speakers during the show, a woman felt inspired to the point of dancing, naturally taking the internet by storm. This essentially sums up how I felt my entire trip. 

 

COWBOY BOOTS

A style once only for those wrangling horses and hopping honky-tonks now grace the streets of New York City— at least, this season. This southern-staple boot was seen inside and outside nearly every show (over 100 this season), and we’ve selected a few images from Vogue’s Phil Oh to give you an idea of how some NYFW goers take on our native boot. 

 

AND FRIED CHICKEN?

Just kidding. But, if you wanted to feel a bit at home while bustling around NYC, there are a few familiar eateries with ties to Music City. Emmy Squared is not new to Nashville (though their Green Hills location is), and this finger-lickin’ good pizza originated in Brooklyn. To this day, there are only four locations, two in New York, and two in Nashville (but soon to be one in Philly)! If you haven’t checked them out, I’d recommend you split their Vodka Pizza and a Le Big Matt burger with a friend because both are incredible. Another NYC x Nashville spot is Dream Nashville’s Natura Cafe serving New York’s famous La Colombe coffee. This café is only in the Dream Nashville and the Dream Downtown (Manhattan), so we’re lucky to have it here. My go-to is their draft latte; it’s creamy, smooth and certainly does the job. Lastly, Nashville’s favorite, Adele’s has a tie to the Big Apple as well. The owner and chef, Jonathan Waxman, also co-founded NYC’s Jams. This New York eatery is a Modern American restaurant known for its seasonal dishes and ingredients and is definitely worth a trip. 

All in all, New York Fashion Week didn’t feel so far from home (except it lacked our abundance of southern hospitality). From the eats to the style on the street, the feeling of Nashville was definitely in the air. I can’t wait to see the bits of our city that emerge out of NYFW in February.