You know those moments where you think “if you told me five years ago I’d be doing this, I wouldn’t believe you?” That’s what my first New York Fashion Week felt like. The flashes of photographers’ lights, the long-legged models parading down the runway, the glamorous parties —it was magical. But what no one tells you about New York Fashion Week, is that there this unspoken air of self-doubt where everyone judges themselves more than each other. Can anyone tell this isn’t a designer bag? Should I have worn something else? As you scan the room, all you see are beautiful talented women.
My first night of New York Fashion Week, I landed myself a ticket to the Lulu’s Style Studio, a party I’d been dying to get into. In the crowd full of Instagram sensations, influential bloggers and fashion icons, I felt out of place. I was just a writer. What right did I have to be there? I booked it to the bar, hoping a glass of champagne would calm my nerves. As if someone was playing a tape of my internal dialogue, I overheard two women behind me whispering about how everyone here was so much prettier and better dressed than they were. Suddenly it hit me that everyone in the room was likely feeling the same way as myself. Why was I wasting my time doubting myself when I had worked for years to get to this moment? I’d dreamt of New York Fashion Week for years, and I had finally made it. There was no reason for me to second guess my efforts.
When it comes down to it, we’re all just human. Even at New York Fashion Week, we all have the same hopes and fears. When the lights go down and the runway shows begin, we’re all the same— hard-working women who love fashion. Remember that it isn’t luck that brings success, it’s hard work. While there may always be someone you feel is prettier, thinner, or more successful than you, what brings true confidence is a sense of determination. Passion and grit outweigh pretty faces and designer handbags, even in the fashion industry. Each one of the women I met at New York Fashion Week got there by holding their heads high in the face of self-doubt and showing confidence at the scariest of times. Through believing in your abilities it’s possible to achieve even the wildest of your dreams.
Never underestimate yourself, because it’s true what they say—there’s nothing more powerful than a confident woman.
Click Here to learn more about therapeutic resources through Betterhelp!
