New York Fashion Week handled its big return in a really beautiful way. While it’s near impossible to make September in the city anything but beautiful, designers put serious care into sharing the spotlight with some of NYC’s iconic landmarks for the spring 2023 shows. Meanwhile, I spent my time away from the shows perfecting my carry-on packing strategy (some choice Van Cleef & Arpels pieces helped my cause). And other style-minded folks opened two new hotels that more than justify a visit—fashion week or not.

Five Days of Fashion, One Carry-On

When it comes to packing light, I let my trusted uniform of crisp black and white and slightly oversize silhouettes mixed with slim-cut pieces do all the heavy lifting. But this time, I added a new element to the formula: The multifaceted pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels’s new Perlée collection are delicate but tough, ladylike but cool, perfect for making a streamlined look feel special, and so easy to take from day to night (you know, one outfit a day versus two). I love how the sapphire ring sits on the finger and how the pavé diamond earrings are a modern take on vintage cameos.

The Shows Must Go On

The vibes of both the shows and the fashion were joyful; there were elements of surprise everywhere you looked.

At Altuzarra, preppy sportswear was tailored to a boxy fit and paired exclusively with flats or sneakers.

The Ulla Johnson presentation was held at the Brooklyn Museum’s Beaux-Arts Court, where models wove through a beautiful floral installation by Emily Thompson. Fittingly, the collection was all about saturated spring hues and swishy romantic silhouettes.

Tory Burch’s nod to the ’90s was inspired by her memories of New York when she first moved there, set against a backdrop of the Hudson River at sunset and a soundtrack of “Tonight, Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins. There was lots of playing with fabrics, layering sheer knits and jerseys to create a sort of wrapped look.

The Khaite show was less about the clothes and more about the women who wear them—in a good way. The most memorable pieces to me were the sculptural evening gowns with hand-applied crystals and a strapless bubble-hem dress.

Gabriela Hearst cast friends and activists in her show and had them walk to a live performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus (it’s made up of women from different musical backgrounds and addresses the music industry’s history of marginalizing women). The collection was full of classic Gabriela Hearst silhouettes, updated with gold and rose-gold accents and even gold foil, which felt like armor.

Two Great New Options for a Home Base

NYC is a magnet for travelers, which means fresh hotel concepts pop up pretty regularly. These two do a particularly good job of embracing the liveliness of the city—in two very different ways.

Pendry Manhattan West

The Pendry is luxurious (it’s part of the Montage Hotels group), but in a way that feels young, relaxed, and homey. Sitting right above the High Line and steps from the newly built Hudson Yards, it’s super convenient if you’re spending the bulk of your time in Midtown and downtown. Gachot Studios worked its magic on an approachable design, using the kind of furniture you can picture buying for your own home. The gym is equipped for Pilates and yoga—it even has Peloton bikes—and the lobby bar made me think of those secret Upper East Side bars that only the coolest people know about. At the restaurant, Zou Zou’s, chef Madeline Sperling does amazing dips, crispy latkes, and incredible Moroccan fried chicken to share.

The Ritz-Carlton
New York, NoMad

Like any Ritz-Carlton, everything here is top-notch—from the views (north to the Empire State Building and south all the way to One World Trade) to the José Andrés restaurant, Zaytinya (a mix of Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine served in an open, white-oak-with-hints-of-blue space). And while I rarely get facials—I usually opt for massages—when I saw that this was an Augustinus Bader spa…facial it is! I got the Method Facial by Nathalia. She revived my face, even made some of my dark spots and broken capillaries less visible, and gave a fantastic lymphatic massage, too. She used quite a few things we sell in the goop shop (The Cream Cleansing Gel, The Serum, The Rich Cream, and The Eye Cream), all of which are now part of my daily routine.