When said out loud, "Fashion Week" has a double meaning — and for anyone who's ever been a part of all the action, feeling weak is not only par for the course, it's often the reason we love fashion to begin with. So, in honor of the moments of chaos, beauty, and excitement that made us feel weak, we present My Fashion Week-ness: a compilation of accounts from some of the industry's biggest players. They're spilling their most memorable stories from Fashion Weeks gone by, and the ones that keep them coming back for more.
If you've noticed a whole lot of model Sofia Richie in your Instagram feed lately, that's because the teen seems to be peaking right now. Whether it's a spread in Vogue Japan, the front row of Tommy Hilfiger's runway spectacle in Venice, California, or her latest denim campaign with DL1961 — there's a really good chance Richie is involved. But her family name shouldn't distract you. If anything, the aforementioned accomplishments are examples of Richie's hard work; a testament to her drive and determination to make a name for herself against the platinum pedigree she was born into.
"It’s really hard to get the world to see you as your own person, especially when you’ve grown up with a famous family. I think one of the biggest challenges I face is being taken seriously as a model. Because of this I have to work ten times harder than anyone else, so I don’t give the world the satisfaction of saying 'she’s only a model because she’s Lionel Richie’s daughter.' I feel like I have something to prove. And I want to own it," she told Refinery29. We've heard a similar sentiment from her pal Kendall Jenner, too.
That said, when we got a chance to chat with Richie about her modeling coups thus far, we couldn't help but ask her what Fashion Week is like for someone who's been in the spotlight since, well, birth. A couple of memories come to mind for the model, including a strut at her first Chanel show, and a photoshoot that tested her ability to make a very queasy situation look, well, glamorous. Apart from the fact that she just exudes coolness, Richie doesn't let anything stand in her way. And to think they say models don't work...
"Walking in the Chanel show last December was definitely a highlight. It was so surreal to be apart of such an epic event. I also had the opportunity of sharing the runway with Lily-Rose Depp. It was kind of like our coming out party, or debut, and all I kept thinking about as I walked down the runway was 'Don't trip. Don't trip.'" But that career high was basically a cakewalk compared to a somewhat terrifying editorial shoot she faced next.
"For my shoot with Complex, I wore a skin-toned bikini and was covered in oil. I never really told anyone that snakes kinda freak me out, but my manager, Alex Avant, discussed a few options, and we decided shooting with the snake would be epic. I’m not gonna lie: For a brief moment, I was petrified. I’m totally fine with snakes now, but the shoot was such a cool concept — I couldn't say no. I could definitely work with a 'scary reptile' again."
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