Kate Nash's New York Fashion Week Diary

Kate Nash in Mara Hoffman (left) and Alice & Olivia (left).

I started this Season's New York Fashion week in a bit of a Jet Lag Trance: I had to take an unexpected trip to LA for a mere 24 hours and my red eye was delayed by two hours on my return, so after a shabby six hour upright nap, I took a taxi from JFK directly to hair and make up to make myself presentable enough to go to the Mara Hoffman show. Mara has recently spent time in Morocco and this season's collection and show was directly inspired by Star Wars and it's location and landscapes. Mara is super sweet and it was a nice soft intro to the world that is Fashion Week…

The first time I went to fashion week I was 20 years old and I was completely intimated by the whole thing. I felt self conscious and uncomfortable and like there was too much weird, stupid stuff happening all around me. To be honest, there are definitely still times when I feel like that now, even though I'm a fairly confident 27-year-old woman that's been around the block, toured the world, sung on catwalks (whhhuuut), and even have personal relationships with some of my favorite designers now, despite all of that, Fashion Week is still WEIRD.

It was only after heading to shows with my stylist back in the UK, Rebekah Roy, and seeing her work backstage that I started to appreciate the artistic side of the fashion world. The catwalk is the big performance, when the clothes are modeled down the runway it's the one and only time they will come alive in that way. Plus some of the pieces are complete one offs, too wild to be made into a salable items, and when the music and art direction of the show is put together just right, it is actually a beautiful and worthwhile experience.

V-Day!

This year I went to shows with my stylist and BFF Ali Mandelkorn. On Valentines Day I DJed the

Galore

party at Up & Down. It was a 90s hip-hop dance V-Day themed party and

Prince and Jacob

—the creative duo behind the mag—love women and make you feel like a sex kitten lovely goddess woman even during the brutality of New York's harsh winter. All the freaks and geeks are welcome at

Galore

and we all got down to the likes of Nelly, Ludacris, Desitiny's Child, and Britney Spears.

The DVF dinner was held at the DVF store, which is also the home of Diane. Dinner was delicious and there was a really nice welcoming vibe at this fashion party. Diane was curled up on a sofa, intently listening to whoever came to compliment and congratulate her—she seems genuinely interested to meet you and doesn't seem to give a fuck what anyone thinks of her. I'm a big Diane fan.

The Alice + Olivia presentation this year was at a beautiful building, the Prince George Ballroom, Velvet Amber curtains hung as the backdrop for celebs to get photographed by the paps. Mia Moretti DJed and models stood in beautiful 1920s style sets, lounging and pouting, while we shimmied around. The clothes were delicious. Long waistcoats, the materials shiny, thick, and luxurious looking. Bejewelled clutches, 70s-toned oranges and greens, thigh high boots, wide legged pantaloons! It was a treat for the eyes. And they had the most beautiful model I saw the whole of NYFW, please if anyone knows her tell her to call because I want to kiss her on the mouth.

We went straight from Alice + Olivia to the Libertine show, which was by far my FAVORITE show. To me this is what fashion week is all about. There's genuinely times when you feel awful at fashion week, I mean if you want to feel like a fat little person, go to a fitting when they are casting models: they are skinny tall alien goddess' and you are an oompa loompa. Not to mention the fact that everyone has a card to give you, people talk utter bullshit, and act like you've know them for years and you're too scared to be like—"Err excuse me do we actually know each other?"—because maybe you do. it's confusing. You're on edge about how you look obviously, but when you go to a show like Libertine, you remember why you like fashion and why you want to be there. There was 60s French pop music, Christmas songs, 80s dance tunes, the clothes had fluffy bits, and positive messages in sequins like "Be Smart" and "Be Lovely," and there were long gold thin chains hanging from the nails of all the girls and pink lines of make up down their center partings.

Libertine!

You can imagine all the clothes being worn by your fun alcoholic aunt who drinks martinis all day and uses a feather to dust the shelves while doing the twist and shout. At the end of the show in the final group walk all the models came out goofy-dancing and filming each other and the gift under your seat was a solid, dark chocolate, life-sized manicured hand! Best Show Ever. Thanks Libertine.

The cool crowd hung out at the Skin Graft show and WHOOPI GOLDBERG was there you guys. That is all.

L-R: Kate at iiJin, at the Lie Sang Bong show, and with Lizzy from MSMR.

The final two shows we attended were Anna Sui, which was also very 70s and colorful, lots of florals, sheepskin, and patterns on patterns with an awesome soundtrack. Everyone who knows Anna is in love with her, you are constantly being told she is the nicest woman in fashion so her shows have a great vibe, and you bump into cute girls like Tennessee Thomas at her shows, and sit next to directors like Joel Schumacher, who by the way is the classiest gent I have ever met, and I am now totally in love with him. Call me Joel. You have my number.

We ran from Lincoln Center to MILK studios to catch the The Blondes show. Freaks and Geeks welcome! Drag qeens, pin-up girls, Paris Hilton, S&M couples, sluts, divas, weirdos, nerds, the ATL twins, there's no way you can feel uncomfortable at this show, everyone is celebrated for being themselves and everyone is proud to be different so this was where you could let it all hang out, except your make up is kinda sweating off and your dress is kinda hangin wrong and you've not got one fuck left to give. Also there were free macaroons and champagne and white chocolate truffles served in gold oysters and the clothes looked like lara croft joined a burlesque show, so basically amazing.

Round the corner from MILK studios was a pizza joint, where Ali and I got a slice and a shot of whiskey and took a breather. We pulled ourselves together for one last hoorah and jumped in a cab to head to the Jeremy Scott party. After a free vodka and 10 minutes of rave music and people looking around for famous people, we bailed and to watch Kitten perform at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. We got MORE pizza and a little more whiskey and and ended our night snuggling in bed to watch an episode of Kate & Allie.

Kate Nash is a London singer living LA. She recently launched her channel Girl Gang TV and you should most definitely get involved. Watch her weekly episodes here and follow her on Twitter.