Being an influencer at Fashion Week: a how-to guide
Violet Atkinson found her first career as a lawyer but these days she's making a name for herself on the fashion scene, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is her equivalent of a Grand Final.
Atkinson, 25, pays her own fare and Ubers at the event, held each May in Sydney, but says she's happy to do so as it often leads to more paid work as a stylist or for brand partnerships. And she never takes money to wear a designer's clothes.
"Fashion Week shows what I can do. My background is I'm a lawyer and from the Gold Coast, so I am automatically on the back foot," she says. "This is where I meet everyone."
Like many influencers, Atkinson researches overseas trends and the show schedule before deciding what to wear, which sometimes involves several outfit changes a day.
"I make sure I am not dressing [the same way] every day. I will only 'pull' one type of outfit once," she says. "I never accept money for wearing something. Your integrity is way more important than getting paid."
So, how do you dress like an influencer at an event such as Fashion Week?
First, don't try too hard. Sometimes wear a jacket strategically off one shoulder. Definitely change outfits at least twice a day. Learn how to look busy on your phone, even when it's not connected. And learn how to gracefully exit a vehicle, sometimes in peak hour traffic.
At this year's Fashion Week, the vibe is far more relaxed than in previous years, says street-style photographer Danielle Castano.
"I've seen more laid back chic but well-styled day wear, as opposed to cocktail dresses and night looks, which I hate during fashion week," she said.
Castano said she can always tell when people, particularly influencers, are wearing styles that are not their natural aesthetic.
"It stands out a mile away as they're usually fidgeting or playing with their outfit. The true influencers are never dressed like anyone else as they're usually wearing something unique to them. I love when people wear outfits they own and actually wear, and don't go overboard on their hair and make-up – that's how to nail looking effortless."
Castano's other no-nos are short skirts and over-styled hair that's too curled: "It's too much for a daytime fashion event."
Melbourne stylist and influencer Elliot Garnaut agrees there's a more relaxed vibe, with tonal dressing and tailoring all major trends off the runway.
The true influencers are never dressed like anyone else as they're usually wearing something unique to them.
He says there's a distinct cachet from re-wearing pieces, an unspoken nod to sustainability, if you will.
"We're still seeing people using stuff they used last year," he says. "It's not as ostentatious [this year], same bags, same sunnies, same shoes. At the end of the day, a lot of people are models and editors [and not influencers]. We are going to the shows to work. The people who are making the decisions for the industry and what the consumer purchases are spreading the right message."
Garnaut says trends he has spotted include trenches, leather, browns and beiges, and skivvies paired with denim.
But he's also a fan of people who go all-out in the daytime.
"It's nice to see some people pushing the boundaries," he says, referencing Tanja Gacic in a lavender lace dress at 9am.
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"It's [only bad] when people get confused with what's eveningwear. There's a difference between being loud and being appropriate for the setting."
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week continues until Saturday. The reporter travelled as a guest of IMG.
