Fashion and football? Yes, please! In one of my favorite episodes of BTW yet, I had the opportunity to combine two of my favorite things with a little help from my friends at New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.
So, I have lived in NYC for quite some time but somehow, I’ve never experienced Fashion Week. Well, that all changed when I recruited Alex Ring, Sean Davis, and Tim Parker to join me on this fashion adventure. The journey commenced with Alex and I attending a fashion show in a warehouse on the city’s west side, and I can say without hesitation, it was NOTHING like I expected.
In my head, there would be a catwalk, VIP’s sitting front row, models strutting down the runway… yeah, none of that. This was a more, shall we say, “interpretive” take on a fashion show with different rooms occupied by different designers where some models were dancing, some were as still as mannequins, and some were just hanging out. A visual smorgasbord, if you will. There was literally something for everyone.
Alex Ring and Susannah Collins discuss Fashion Week and NYCFC's season
In a most random coincidence, one of the designers we spoke to ended up being from the same hometown in Finland as Alex. Two very different guys with very different backgrounds reminiscing about their home and finding common ground in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. Soccer and fashion bringing worlds together! It’s a beautiful thing!
Being the fashionable guy that he is, Alex enjoyed all the different looks and had an appreciation for the varying aesthetics, which was refreshing. He stressed the importance of being open-minded when it comes fashion and choices. Now does that mean we’ll be seeing him in the floral chiffon man-blouse that was on display? Probably not. But it’s a darn cool outlook to have.
The next day, I put my agent hat on and escorted Sean and Tim to a fitting for the Grungy Gentlemen fashion show that they would be walking in. Soccer players as models! Sign me up! The guys were a little nervous, I’m not going to lie. But once they were kitted out in their swag and I coached them on their runway walk, they were downright pumped. And while they would never admit it, I think they quite enjoyed their time in the hair and makeup chair. Just saying.
Tim Parker and Sean Davis get ready to walk the runway
Unlike my experience with Alex, the Grungy Gentleman show was everything I imagined Fashion Week would be; cool venue, beautiful people, and hey! An actual catwalk! I was like a proud parent watching Sean and Tim own that runway in their athleisure wear. And even though Sean might have cracked a small smile when he heard our cheers, breaking model protocol, their performance was spotless. We raised a few glasses of Heineken post-show to their catwalk debut and I could tell they were buzzing. And wanted to do it again, haha.
And if for some reason the soccer thing doesn’t work out for these guys, I think they definitely have a future in fashion. I’ll only charge a small agents fee, LOL.
Tim Parker and Sean Davis chill with Susannah after a Fashion Week show
Cheers to Alex, Sean, and Tim! And cheers to you for watching.
