I know I sound like a spoiled brat. Don’t get me wrong — FASHION WEEK WAS EFFIN’ INCREDIBLE and getting to experience it on my own terms as a freelancer was the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s been a non-stop adventure hopping from show to show, rushing to edit photo and video and hustling to meet deadlines. But nine days and eighteen shows later, I am spent. I’m glad I got to get a glimpse into the world of Parisian fashion, but I’m also kind of glad I can retreat back into my own less glamorous (but just as exciting) life now.

I do want to impart one last bit of knowledge, though, and that’s how YOU can experience Fashion Week too. While I managed to snag invites to the shows based on my own merits, I got to observe a lot of the gate-crashers and came away with some pretty handy tips:

1. Dress the part. Luckily, this means just about anything, from high heels and high fashion like the fashion editors to jeans and sneaks like the photographers.
2. Tote the right equipment. A visible notebook and expensive-looking camera should do the trick.
3. Find out if invites were just snail-mailed or sent electronically as well. You can fib that you didn’t have time to print yours out.
4. Figure out the deal with assigned seating. Some shows seat by section (A, B, C, etc.), while others have more precise assignments (row C5, seat G-2-B, etc.)
5. Arrive early to scout out the scene — it will make it a lot easier to figure out the answers to (3) and (4), and you might score a pity entry from the guards.

Hope to see you behind the velvet ropes!