MARION CAUNTER in 24 HOURS
The poised and perfectly coiffed style icon takes on New York Fashion Week 2020. By Jacyln Tang.
7AM As soon as I get up, I grab a glass of water to rehydrate my body. Then I’ll go through work e-mails with Farah, my assistant, in case there are urgent matters that need to be attended to. My everyday morning skincare routine consists of cleansing, toning, moisturising, and most importantly, applying sunblock! I also scrub my face twice a week, followed by a mask. 8AM We order room service for breakfast and I would have my usual fix of fresh celery juice, black coffee, and avocado on toast. When I find something I like, I stick to it. Oh, and on a few naughty days, I would add a bagel with cream cheese just because I’m in New York City. After devouring breakfast, I start preparing for the Michael Kors show. There are a total of five shows that I’m attending and Michael Kors is one of it. I don’t take long to prepare for my look of the day as I’m doing my own make-up. Then again, it takes me anywhere from half an hour to an hour depending on the look I’m going for. I prefer keeping things to a minimum and the key is to look as natural as possible, like the regular me—hair down with light make-up. I’m really not a huge foundation person and I love keeping my skin looking luminous and fresh. I cannot live without my YSL foundation stick as it is my holy grail. I literally use my fingers to blend it into my skin. As for my hair, I get it styled at a hair salon just across my hotel. I always plan my outfits the night before. In winter especially, there’s a lot of layering that needs to be done. Trying on an outfit on the same morning would totally stress me out. I really dislike rushing before an event or a show. 9.15AM Once my hair and make-up are good to go, Farah and I leave the hotel an hour early just to try our luck in beating the traffic congestion since it is rush hour. I make sure my phone and sunglasses are with me before departing as these two items are my must-haves when I’m out. 9.55AM Our attempt to arrive early got backfired as we’re still caught up in the jam. We literally get out of the car and take off running to the American Stock Exchange Building because the show is minutes away
from starting. Thankfully, we made it just in time. 10.20AM The show starts and I am immediately blown away by everything! The venue is an abstract country house which sets the tone for the Wild Wild West–inspired looks. I really like the fact that designers are heading towards sustainability where the knits are made from recycled yarns and reclaimed materials—not forgetting, the idea of reconnecting with nature and refuelling. A few of my favourite looks from the Michael Kors collection are the head-turning black sequined pleated dress with leather trim on Bella Hadid as well as the trench cape coat and sequined skirt ensemble from the finale. 10.40AM The show ends and we have the opportunity to go backstage to meet the man of the hour and take a photo together. 11AM I leave the venue and quickly get back to the Baccarat Hotel New York for another outfit change before heading to the Vogue office, the highlight of my trip! 12PM Farah and I make our way over to the Vogue office at One World Trade Center for an appointment. Once I get there, the team take me on a tour around the establishment. The purpose of my visit is because of my induction into this year’s Vogue100 list. How it works is that the editors of Vogue curate a list of distinctive creative voices from around the world, encompassing actors, artists, musicians, athletes, stylists, activists, chefs, choreographers, videographers, beauty fanatics, glamour girls, and so on. I am fortunate enough and feel honoured at the same time to be selected to join the family. 1.30PM I meet Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine in her room and have a brief chat with her. 2PM I’m obsessed with anything vintage at the moment. After the meeting, I pay a visit to a vintage store called What Goes Around Comes Around, the leading purveyor of authentic luxury vintage that handpicks the rarest and most desirable pieces from around the globe. It is my last day in the Big Apple, and my only chance to do a little bit of shopping. I manage to get my hands on a cute little vintage green Chanel purse that can also be converted into a belt bag. I really like it and I’m glad I made that purchase. 3PM Another agenda for the trip awaits as we drop by the Brandon Maxwell showroom at One Manhattan Square. Upon arrival, we immediately proceed to check out the clothes available. 4PM We head back to the hotel to have a quick bite—our second meal of the day after our early breakfast. Yes, we have been starving after a long day from our jam-packed schedule and haven’t had the chance to sit down for a proper meal. 6PM We are finally back in our hotel room and spend most of our time packing as we have a homebound flight to catch the next morning. 8PM Farah and I agree to take a breather from packing our suitcases. We make use of our time left in the city by taking a cab to Times Square. I want it to be a memorable moment for Farah as it is her first time in New York City and I couldn’t leave without showing her around. 10PM Once we are done being tourists, we head back to the hotel once more to do our last bit of packing before getting some shut-eye.