New York Fashion Week 2024 backstage showing garment preparation and last-minute adjustments before runway show

CLASSROOM TO THE RUNWAY: MY EXPERIENCE AT NYFW

New York Fashion Week was never something I imagined being part of especially not as someone supporting designers behind the scenes rather than showing my own work. But through fashion school, opportunities appeared that felt both unexpected and deeply grounding. NYFW 2024 became a continuation of the learning process, not a departure from it.

This experience wasn’t about spectacle or trend-chasing. It was about preparation, problem-solving, teamwork, and showing up for someone who had worked relentlessly to earn her place on the runway.

Why I was There

I attended NYFW 2024 to support Stephanie Miot, a Fashion School of Florida graduate who earned her place at Runway 7 after winning the school’s graduation show. Being there wasn’t about visibility for myself it was about helping ensure that everything behind the scenes ran as smoothly as possible so her collection could shine.

This felt like a natural extension of the classroom: applying what we’d all learned in an environment where precision and calm matter just as much as creativity.

Backstage Reality

Backstage is fast, loud, and full of small decisions that carry big consequences. Garments are adjusted on the body, hems are checked, closures are reinforced, and last-minute fixes happen constantly.

What struck me most was how familiar it felt. The same principles drilled into us at school—sequencing, pressing, and attention to internal construction, fit awareness—were exactly what mattered here.. The runway simply compresses everything into a very short window.

Supporting the Designer

Stephanie’s collection reflected discipline and clarity, not excess. Being part of the support team meant doing the unglamorous but essential work that keeps a show running. My role was hands-on: sewing buttons, fixing hems, pressing garments, checking accessories, and making sure each look was on the correct model and in the right order before they stepped out.

It was practical, fast-moving, and detail-driven—the same skills we learn in the classroom, applied under pressure.

This wasn’t about stepping in creatively; it was about respecting the designer’s vision and helping it come through intact. That distinction matters, and it’s something fashion school teaches well.

The Runway Moment

Seeing the collection walk at Runway 7 was a quiet moment of pride. Not just for the designer, but for the process that got her there education, persistence, and community support.

Fashion often highlights the finished look. Being here reinforced how much unseen work makes that final moment possible.

NYFW 2024 reminded me that fashion education doesn't end when a class finishes. It continues in fitting rooms, backstage corridors, and moments where skill and restraint matter more than recognition.

Supporting designers as they step onto larger stages is part of how the work moves forward and it’s a role I value deeply. The following year, I would return to NYFW for a second season, further reinforcing how classroom training translates into professional environments.

Where I Studied

The skills and techniques discussed in this article were developed during my time at the Fashion Institute of Florida. Their comprehensive curriculum in garment construction, pattern making, and professional fashion practices provided the foundation that continues to shape my work today.

Continue the Series

This is the sixth in a seven-part series on returning to formal fashion education:

  1. Why I Went Back to Fashion School 
  2. Inside the Fashion School of Florida
  3. What Fashion School Taught Me About Construction
  4. Learning Pattern Making Changed The Way I See Clothes 
  5. How Formal Training Shapes My Work Today
  6. From the Classroom to the Runway NYFW 2024 (you are here)
  7. My 2nd Season at New York Fashion Week

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Backstage at New York Fashion Week — September 2024