Marina Maher Communications

Out of all the weeks in the year, Fashion Week in September has to be my absolute favorite in New York. One of the reasons I have always wanted to move to the city was to be at the center of everything, and there is never a time where I feel more at the hub of the universe than when people come from all over to celebrate the most recent creations of the world’s top designers.

Being involved in NYFW has been a goal of mine, and thanks to Fashion’s Night Out, that goal has become a reality.

This year, I was lucky enough to visit the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship to checkout Venus Spokeswoman Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, a designer famous for her swimsuits for women with curves.

This year, she celebrated Fashion’s Night Out at both Lord & Taylor and Saks, where I joined her. At Saks, she was taking part in a “Dance with Designers” competition on the fourth floor, where I was astounded to see chic shoppers and fashionistas twirling along with professional dancers. As I waited for Shoshanna’s arrival along with my fellow MMCer and FNO partner-in-crime Sara Horowitz, a young man abruptly approached me, took my bag and jacket away, and dragged me out onto the floor. Though one would never describe me as shy, I had immense stage fright for my lack of ballroom dancing skills, but after the first few moments I was having a ball, no pun intended.

This was only to be topped by the arrival of designer Zac Posen and model Coco Rocha, who not only performed a dance, but also hosted a contest for tickets to the designer’s show on Saturday.  The crowd was so engaged, you would have thought Justin Bieber was there to perform for teenyboppers—but then I reminded myself—Fashion’s Night Out is to fashionistas what the VMAs are to 13 year old girls.

Finally, Shoshanna arrived looking chic as ever in a black leather sheath. She greeted me with a hug, as we discussed plans for the week—mine, to work at MMC, hers to attend her friends shows and encouraged me to visit JC Penney to see her best friend, designer Charlotte Ronson. She was thrilled that I came out to support her in her dancing and proudly displaying her smooth legs—courtesy of my client Venus Embrace—before taking to the dance floor.

As she waved goodbye and said she hoped to see me soon, I felt privileged to work with such a genuine and humble designer, and even more fortunate for the continued realization of my goals and dreams—one New York minute at a time.

Over the course of my year in New York City I have become more and more thankful for what I have in my life. I know New Yorkers get a bad rap for being constantly pessimistic – though they of course will tell you they are realistic – yet somehow this city has had an adverse affect on me.

I went to California last month to visit my best friend, and before going I thought I would never want to return. However, after a few days in LA, I realized that I was missing NYC. I missed my little (cozy) apartment, I missed my friends, I missed the daily activities that had evolved into routines. I thought I would love the laid back California style, but it made me long for the streets where people walk into you if you don’t move quickly enough.

I even missed work – I hated to think that things could just continue on without me. While a vacation is always good, it feels good to make things happen in the office – it provides one with a sense of accomplishment. Plus, having been exposed to a few of my friends’ jobs has really made me cherish my own – where I am encouraged to get out and experience NYC in order to provide fresh insights to my clients. 

People say the grass is always greener on the other side, and now I know this to be true. Yet, just because I am thankful for what I have does not mean that I won’t strive for bigger and better things—that’s just part of the dedication and initiative that comes with being an MMCer.

One of my favorite things about living in New York City is that twice a year the city is host to Fashion Week. The inspiration and creativity hits a high point during these weeks each September and February, and I was thrilled to be a part of Secret’s participation this past weekend. MMC worked to secure the title sponsorship for my favorite deodorant Secret at a New York Fashion Week Media Mixer for Online Influencers. Yes, deodorant can be fashionable!

We launched three new products to key online influencers and industry insiders, as well as communicate the brand’s equity of being “Fearless” by enabling one lucky attendee’s fearless life goal. Some examples of entries included overcoming a fear of flying by taking pilot classes or finally running a marathon with help from a trainer that Secret would provide.

For Secret to be able to add to the inspiration that Fashion Week brings to the New York air was an amazing experience and one that I will not forget soon. Secret is tackling fears one woman at a time.

Ever since I can remember, I have been a die-hard Yankees fan. This might sound strange coming from a Massachusetts girl born and raised, but my older cousins liked the Yankees, and in turn, so did I. This made some things especially difficult growing up—taunting by Red Sox fans, angering my friends who gave their support to Boston, and not being able to truly celebrate any Yankees successes in my home state, without having to go into the Citizen Protection Program (the Boston/New York rivalry runs quite deep). I can’t even mention the 2004 American League Championship Series, when the Yankees blew a 3 game lead on the Red Sox, who went on to win the World Series—talk about painful. I was ready to flaunt my pinstripe pride, and in turn, my team had what some consider the biggest choke in sports history. I did not fit in with my friends who celebrated, as I sulked in the corner.

Then, I went to school in Philadelphia—far away from the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry. Villanova had some Yankees fans, some Red Sox fans, but mostly—a lot of Phillies fans. I did not care, as the Phillies were not on anyone’s radar at the time. Then, in 2008, the unexpected happened—the Yankees did not make the playoffs, and the Phillies won the World Series. What kind of alternate universe was I living in?

Then I finally made the right decision for my baseball loyalty—I moved to New York City. I went to more Yankees games this year than ever before, and was finally amongst my people—the best fans in the world. When the Yankees won their 27th World Series title last week, I was at a bar—and people were celebrating—people were crowding the streets and strangers were hugging each other. Finally, I realized, after my long journey, I am able to rejoice with my fellow fans and celebrate MY team’s win—as an official New Yorker. This time, I got it right—I am home.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to live in New York City. Hailing from Massachusetts, Boston was never good enough for me—I wanted to be at the center of the action. I liked the Yankees, they were cooler, more successful, and have had most of the great players throughout history on their roster. I felt this to be symbolic of the city itself compared with everywhere else.

When I was hired at MMC after interning here for 2 summers, I was beyond thrilled. I was finally ready to start my New York life!

My first sign of adulthood was dealing with a mice infestation in my small (I prefer cozy) downtown apartment. When my super wouldn’t answer his phone I did the obvious—stood on my couch for an hour and refused to get off until my super finally came and searched the apartment.

I realized a full time job is not always as glamorous as I had imagined. You cannot skip work because you stayed out too late, or because you simply don’t feel like going that day. You have to work all day, and then you have to come home and run your errands. There is no one to cook dinner for me anymore, or to clean up after me. I have to remember to turn off the lights, because I pay, not my father, and I have to commute on the subway with thousands of other people.

Though I have only been an “adult” for a month, I feel as though I have grown up exponentially. Unlike Carrie Bradshaw, I work 40+ hours a week, use my stove, can now set mouse traps, and though I do not have a closet full of Manolos, I am definitely beginning to learn the difference between price and value. Even with all of these realizations, New York City is still every bit as magical as I had imagined, complete with fun and different things to do—from getting drinks at a hip new bar, to stalking the set of Sex and the City. As they say, if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.