NYFW Live Runway Sketching Portfolio

I entered NYFW sure this was My Season! Two gigs lined up, for once paid – I felt cocky.

Twist unsurprising in retrospect: both jobs fell through. Not because I Suck with No One Wanting Me (though it felt that way). Flaking is basic during fashion week. Huge part of my job – processing disappointment when things fall through. I go in hopeful, psyching up the massive energy and cash outlay. Crushed when plans collapsed pre-week, skewing the mood entirely.

Anyway, shows continued regardless. I threw out last-minute requests and persevered.

BCBGMAXAZRIA held the first show. House lights stayed dim, so I iPad-sketched in Paper – perfect for low light live sketching. Mood was Lana Del Rey dusty rose with fluttering ruffles.

First watercolor was clean-lined Meden. A blue-lined white coat presented an ideal opportunity.

I decided to focus on compelling compositions, not every look works equally for illustration.

I also wanted to recapture earlier accidental awkwardness in my sketches. Tried playing with scale more, doing “beauty” illustrations of models’ faces. This Costello Tagliapietra one pleases me, though overworked. Their show was a hot day oasis. I’d never accessed MADE before, but People’s Revolution kindly made it happen. Inside, Milk Studios was blissfully cool, scented sweetly. It restored some hope.

TOME had a kimono sleeve effect and bright pinks.

Carmen Marc Valvo’s braided side bun with sweeping cross-bang captivated me, looking great from both sides.

The feminine Carmen Marc Valvo dresses cried out for a Rene Gruau flourish. The season’s most successful sketch I feel.

I did some backstage sketching at Misha Nonoo’s kind offer, though difficult to grab drawings there. This model had a distinctive profile. My friend Odessa generously shared her seat, but bench seating meant no sketching freedom with a squeezer on my right. Though I liked the collection and their access graciousness.

Luck changed at William Okpo in a near-empty gymnasium pit – one photographer, one videographer, and me. Brilliantly brief, amazingly styled clothes.

Darker-skinned models with white eye makeup allowed a new, GREAT way of rendering skin. A sketching highlight.

A Nicole Miller fan helped me get a spot. Seeing only outfit tops, that’s what I drew.

These two captured Nicole Miller well. I felt in-groove here.

Son Jung Wan had lots of sparkles – sadly un-scannable.

I looked more at the negative space around white models and clothes.

No Luis Antonio seat meant Paper sketching again. Prints resembled pen scribbles, better media choice.

Figuring out judicious smudge use…lighter touch required.

Invited by Brandon Graham to a CZAR by Cesar Galindo illustrator presentation – about twelve of us sketching around models.

Unsure at first about joining the trendy live sketching scene. But curiosity won out. Older pros alongside young guns I’ve seen before. One first fashion show ever.

More time yielded this pleasing negative space sketch.

A rare bigger beauty sketch too.

Interesting being among fellow artists, all great with different visions of the same show. But I doubt I’ll do a scene like that again.

I did this Nanette Lepore one. Losing steam by now, struggling to stay inspired. My fading faith apparent in the portfolio’s weaker second half.

Taoray Wang negative space captured a feathery skirt outline.

Standing at Karen Walker, best Paper sketches of the season. Feeling distracted by an unexpected personal issue, maybe it helped here. Swoopy hair and seventies shapes and colors impressed.

My only big venue was Diesel Black Gold. Craziest, best street style scene outside. I like the crazy scenes, they reveal snobs versus lovers. A fellow knew Kenneth Paul Block and Joe Eula, prompting many questions from me.

One good Diesel Black Gold sketch, as WGSN snapped my exhausted moment of drawing – a perfect little red and gold dress. Gold pen made a hand mess, not the art.

At Skingraft, I felt good with my lucky BB1 seat assignment. The bench’s end girl gave me major side-eye when I asked to sit for floor sketch placing. But she moved. Her toxic phone-punching texts about me worried me into giving wide berth. Last second, a rail was wedged between us, popping me with relief to the floor.

Floor-bound, I felt safer. Sketches did well, though some stuck together. These three survived.

That was it, beyond one tremendously boring show in a poor spot – I didn’t even bother drawing. Discouraging season with uneven portfolio, not my first but leaving me hungry for something new. Runway sketching seems a useful acquired skill, but amazing opportunities appear declining amid competition. My best NY drawings were inspired friends, indicating what’s next for me.