How to survive Fashion Week

MANILA, Philippines - Fashion is in fashion, there is just no denying it: @Aaron Castro has a style blog. Your high priest is Patrick Pope. The very idea of hashtags. A.k.a. making something trend?

Wouldn’t that be like hyping hype itself?

Discuss.

And when that meta-level exploration is done, you now have a lighter conscience to move on to talk of things that we can more easily grasp in reality. Something we can touch  in this case, Philippine Fashion Week. Happening next week, from May 22 to 27, the event makes local designer and retail fashion a bit more democratic. That is, available to more, if not all, people, with the perseverance or associations to secure invitations to its series of shows. All heels (and a ton of heelless shoes, come to think of it) lead to the SMX Convention Center, or next door at the Mall of Asia. If it’s your first time to book it all the way to the end of EDSA, make your trek worth the blisters with our top 10 survival tips for the six-day affair. Having attended a few seasons as a fashion fan myself, I humbly offer my experience  free of charge, so you can allocate the savings towards more stable investments. Like a handbag! A gift to you, from yours truly. Service with a smize.

Wear heels you can strut in, run in, stand in line in.

Especially when you consider the venue’s terrain (low-traction tiles) and obstacles (escalator grating, entry-way steps), the question of footwear becomes less about “Which pair goes with my styling?” but more of “Can I live with myself if I make this decision?” A good test is to see if you can do the equivalent of a light jog in it. If the answer is yes, then you’ve found the pair that can take you from show to show, and queue to queue. Verrrr important.

It goes without saying, come in your best outfit.

Fashion Week is basically Halloween for the clothing-obsessed. It’s your chance to be immortalized in the generation’s version of immovable documentation: a blog. Pursuant to this, be prepared to face street-style photographers with a patented stash of poses. If you haven’t found your trademark move yet (we hear Blue Steel’s already taken), replicate one from the color-illustrated pages of Fashion Source: Poses, available at National Bookstore. This star-scout practice is called “bringing baon.” As in: “May baon siya!”  a pretty great reaction, actually. (See: “know the lingo” below.)

Totes tote The All-In Gadget.

Because the DSLR is just so very 2000 and 7, leave the heavy lifting to the pros, and stick to something more user-friendly. That means the iPhone or the iPad, and the requisite Instagram  the better to tweak and tweet your live-action photos with, so others outside the event can feel the impact of your fashion-week footprint. That said, don’t be too busy previewing whether you look prettier in the photo filtered with the Valencia (so high-contrast, for bones like Jagger), or the Walden (which, like Leigh Lezark, feels kind of sad. And bluish.) You might just miss the actual show, that way. Not cool.

Always keep an I.D., or your invites.

You don’t want to have to rap on those double doors. Because of the mad schedule and demand for certain shows, the organizers of Fashion Week have become increasingly strict about entry. This year, season passes even require a 2x2 photo for certain identification. Say “VI-SA.”

Deliberate over the shades indoors.

Some may argue the obvious: they’re called sunnnn-glasses for a reason. Sometimes, though, you might want to consider their ability to shield your eyes from glaring lights on the catwalk, or to mask your true feelings about a particularly unsettling collection. For this reason, it is mostly an accessory best left to editors and front row occupants. Or, you know, those who got no sleep from the awesome after parties. (Not that there are a lot… Or any. Sad face.)

Eat beforehand.

On some days, the show schedule starts in the afternoon, then winds down around 10 p.m. In between, it’s also hard to grab a real bite (i.e. something bigger than a cocktail, or less acidic than a wine flute). Cause you also want to be able to get good seats at the next show. Unless you can find a way to magically teleport yourself to the mall and back, you won’t be getting your major food groups at the convention center. Anyway, it’s just one week. What’s an ulcer? Go, grow, and glow for fashion, instead!

Know the layout.

The front row is where you might be able to spot your favorite magazine editors, bloggers, and fashion personalities, all in one firing line. If you’re seated in the free-for-all area, occupy a chair on the first row of each riser. This actually gives you the necessary height to get an unencumbered view of the show. Contrary to popular belief, squeezing into the area facing the stage isn’t exactly a good idea  they don’t actually place a ton of seats there, so it’s mostly Standing Room Only, and you’d still be jostling for viewing height over and above the heads of the photographers situated in front of you. Another key area to note? That crevice between the catwalk and the front row-floor. Take your time walking along this plastic-covered path, pre-show. Do not trip over it.

Arrive promptly.

If the show program says it starts at 9, be there at 9. Although the show doesn’t exactly start on time, take this opportunity to get great seats. Also, strategize. Some shows will overlap, so consult the program to know which ones you’re attending, as well as their location. To avoid any drama once you’re there, be sure to RSVP before hand. Now is not the time to be lazy.

Know the lingo.

Oftentimes, you’re going to hear someone around you say words like “PAK,” “PAKA-KEY,” “CHAKA” or “WALEY.” Learn the vocab and, okay, basic becky speak, so you can join the discussion. Fashion is about opinion, after all. So bring your wit and feel free to make your own reviews about the collection. Sometimes, people forget that fashion is a legitimate form of expression and representation, just like art, which should be evaluated, rather than just consumed mindlessly

Be ready for battle.

This is especially true at the big retail shows, which are packed with celebrities, corporate guests, and consumers (stores sometimes raffle off invites to the event). Entry at such shows can be hellish, so stay patient and be prepared to go S.R.O. Personally, though, I would make a beeline for the finale  sure to be a great feat of both design and spectacle. On the subject of ruthlessness, make a mental shopping list of looks that you like on the runways, then purchase them at the little trade fair right after the shows. Think of it as an instant sample sale  a great initiative to promote local, original fashion  which, really, is what all this is, and should be, about.