Lauryn Taylor influences New York Fashion Week

by ASHLEY MARTIN

Staff Writer

New York Fashion Week is one of the most iconic events in the fashion world, and UMW junior Lauryn Taylor, a communication and digital studies and studio art double major, experienced it firsthand during the five-day event that ran from Feb. 9–14. From attending exclusive shows to rubbing elbows with the stars, Taylor was able to see the best of what the notorious event had to offer by serving as an influencer.

“As an influencer, I vlogged the entire trip, including shows, and I would take pictures and tag the companies and the models that I knew,” Taylor said. “I was basically helping with the marketing in a way by putting it on my stories and my posts. I was also networking with the models and photographers a lot as well.”

Her favorite part of the experience was “being able to take it all in, going to the show, dressing up and seeing all the fancy clothes,” she said. “It was really cool to experience that because not a lot of people can. And it was really memorable because I got to do it with one of my closest friends and my boyfriend.”

New York Fashion Week is the ultimate runway event of the season, taking place all across the city and drawing the world’s most talented designers for the special event. Buyers, the press, influencers and the general public can be the first to see the latest trends and spot the next big thing in fashion. Taking place twice a year—once in the spring and once in the fall—the week-long event showcases the freshest trends and newest collections from brands all around the globe. 

Taylor made the most of her time at fashion week, taking in the shows, exploring New York and conducting a few photoshoots of her own. She embraced the opportunity to make the most of the experience and have some fun along the way. 

“I had a friend who was with me, and she’s my go-to model, and we did a couple of shoots in some dresses that my friend has in her dress company,” said Taylor. “We did a couple of shoots and we also went to Bryant Park just to explore. We went around Time Square to take photos with my film camera. And then we tried a bunch of really cool restaurants and of course, New York pizza.”

This was not Taylor’s first time at New York Fashion Week—she also attended last fall—but this spring was even better than her first experience. This time, she was able to meet a photographer who takes pictures in the New York and Georgia areas and said they could collaborate on a project soon. 

“I got to spend much more time in New York this time,” said Taylor. “I’m glad I stayed longer because the first time I went, I was only there for literally 24 hours, and I left the next morning. So it was really nice, spending a couple of nights there and to get to see the city a bit more.”

Taylor had the help of her model friend, Sara Anzalone, to get her involved in a greater capacity this year. Anzalone gave her the lowdown on which companies to apply to and how the process works.

“To become an influencer … I included some of my recent photos that I’ve done, a bunch of fashion photos that I’ve done for some models,” said Taylor. “I also had to put a message of why I wanted to be here as an influencer or photographer.”

Taylor has a dream of becoming a fashion photographer that combines her artistic passion while also running her own photography business. Additionally, she also wants to be a social media manager for a business either in New York or in a different country.

“I want to travel more, so hopefully I can do that with my job,” said Taylor.

Taylor has been a passionate photographer for the past six years, specializing in fashion, headshots, family portraits and special occasions. 

“I’ve always been that person in the friend group who likes to record their friends and take photos of them,” said Taylor. “Growing up, people were always telling me that I should do this professionally. So when Instagram became a major thing to our generation, I started to see professional photos done and I was like, ‘Oh that’s really cool. That’s something I would be interested in doing.’ So I got my first camera and I started taking photos of just my friends doing what they love to do.”

Taylor built her portfolio and honed her craft by documenting her friends’ lives, which led her to make more connections that furthered her presence in the photography world. 

“I had a friend who was on the track and field team in high school and I took photos of her running around the track,” said Taylor. “And then I started going to photography meet-ups in Washington, D.C., and that’s when I started networking with other important people and then that’s when I started to build my business.”

Taylor plans to attend more Fashion Week shows in the future, either as an influencer or photographer.

“Depending on which shows I apply to and what I get accepted for, I’m hoping I can be a photographer because that’s my priority,” said Taylor. “I mainly like to go as a photographer, because then I get to hang out and meet the other photographers. And then I also get to take photos of the show, which is really nice.”