Basement of a Bodega: a NYFW Photo Journal

Stories from NYFW

Check-in at our Airbnb was set for 4 p.m., but when our flight landed at 9 a.m. at JFK, we found ourselves with no place to go and plenty of luggage in tow. With a packed day of events ahead, we had to figure out what to do with our checked luggage, two carry-ons, and two large backpacks.

"What about luggage storage?" my girlfriend Britany suggested. Perfect. We found an app that lets you book last-minute luggage storage in thousands of locations worldwide. In Manhattan, those “places” are almost always inside bodegas. But here’s the catch: we had a photo shoot scheduled in just 30 minutes. How were we supposed to drop off our luggage, rummage through it for a change of clothes, get changed in a public washroom, and still make it to the shoot on time?

Enter: Basement of a Bodega.

An 82-degree, musty basement — thick with the smell of mold, mildew, and Styrofoam — two stories beneath a bustling shop on Broadway. The staff were moving back and forth, grabbing stock, taking breaks, and doing who knows what else. In a time crunch, we had no choice. Looking back, that first hour of NYFW might be my favorite memory from the entire week. In the moment, though, it wasn’t so glamorous: drenched in sweat after dragging our luggage six blocks, getting dressed in a sweltering basement, and racing to a photoshoot. Not exactly the best start, but definitely a memorable one.

I shot my entire time at NYFW on the Fujifilm X100VI. Fuji loaned me this camera for the trip, and I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved using it. I previously owned the Fujifilm X100V, which I found limiting as someone accustomed to larger, more robust camera bodies. However, the Fujifilm X100VI feels much more complete. There were very few moments when I wished it performed better than it did. The resolution and dynamic range are a massive leap from the previous generation. While I’d still consider this a prosumer camera, it definitely leans more toward "pro" than "consumer."

The entire energy of this trip was encapsulated in that first chaotic hour. From our wild introduction to the basement of a bodega, we knew this week would be fast-paced, sweaty, intense, and — somehow — glamorous.

New York City during Fashion Week has an indescribable aura. It’s as if you can feel creative energy flowing through the streets. I can’t remember the last time I felt so energized to carry my camera and capture every moment of the experience.

In fact, this surge of creativity sparked an idea for a personal project: We Outside.

We Outside is a headshot series of people I either randomly met or shared profound moments of connection with New York. I wanted the project to be raw, spontaneous, unplanned, and visually consistent.

On a personal level, these headshots act as memory triggers for me—transporting me back to those specific interactions.

A few days before leaving for NYFW, I ran into an old friend.

"Oh yeah, I’m headed to NYFW next week. Pretty stoked about it."

"Sweet! Are you going as a guest or shooting any shows?"

“Both!”

At that moment, I lied.

I hadn’t been booked to shoot any shows at the time — just attending as a guest. But it sounded more impressive to say "both." Twenty minutes later, I got an email that changed everything. It was an invitation to shoot the Cynthia Rowley runway show — a calendar event at NYFW.

Talk about manifesting, right?

As you can tell from this photo essay, NYFW isn’t just one thing. It’s a series of diverse experiences crammed into a few days.

This trip was heavy for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, introduced me to new possibilities, and deeply impacted me as a creative.

What started as a casual suggestion from my manager on a Zoom call — "Do you want to think about going to Fashion Week?"— turned into a life-changing few days.

And if there’s one major lesson I took away from it all, it’s this: shoot everything. Shoot the ugly, the beautiful, and everything in between.

—J.