Fashion Week here in New York City has come to an end.
I decided... to be a diva for Fashion Week.
I had the idea of prancing around town, over-the-top, with a bouquet of balloons.
And when Fashion Week came around the corner, I was like 'perfect! I can do it then.'
What better place to be a diva?
So, what I did was I got 2 bodyguards.
And one of them happens to be my good friend, Damian.
I was contacting a bunch of designers, but I really couldn't get anybody fast enough for the event.
So I ended up getting some clothes from Top Shop, HM, Macy's... all the details will be in the description box.
And... what else?
Oh! I ordered my own balloons. Yes.
There is a shortage of helium. I know. Random tidbits of information.
But, I ordered the balloons online, and I found this lady here in New York who blew them up for me.
There was a balloon truck.
They gave them to me, and then I made my... debut appearance at Lincoln Center.
I swear there's gotta be something slightly off with me because... who knows? Let's just not go there.
But... it was pretty intimidating. Pretty scary.
I mean, that morning I was so nauseous. Like, I wanted to throw up. I was so mad at myself for coming up with this stupid idea.
But I'm glad I did it. The whole purpose was to be shameless in public.
And, you know, just to go out there and promote yourself.
Promote myself, and promote this study... and promote Fashion Week, baby!
I met amazing people. That is the great thing about being out there. Away from your computer.
I just love people!
So a lot of people are asking me about like, fashion tips.
I thought... what better place to get advice from the fashionistas, from the street style icons out there?
So, these are a few people I interviewed.
JEREMY: You look so cute!
MAYA: Look at you! Work it out! What's your name?
JEREMY: Jeremy. Yes.
MAYA: And where are you from Jeremy?
JEREMY: I'm from Atlanta.
MAYA: And you just came from the show?
JEREMY: Yes, we just came from BCGB Max Azria.
MAYA: And how was it?
JEREMY: Amazing.
MAYA: And are you a designer?
JEREMY: I'm a wardrobe stylist.
MAYA: Stylist, of course you are! Look at you!
I'm giving tips for people needing fashion help... advice.
JEREMY: I just think people just need to just like, follow their gut and don't, you know, try to
imitate what they see in the magazine. And just be themselves. I mean, your personal style can exude confidence.
You just need to just be who you are.
MAYA: Just be... do you! Awesome.
What's your name?
SOFI: Sofi.
MAYA: And where are you from?
SOFI: Sweden.
MAYA: Sweden! Everyone is here today!
SOFI: I know! It's the first day of Fashion Week.
MAYA: And how long are you here? For the whole week?
SOFI: Yes I am. We're covering Fashion Week for a Swedish magazine.
MAYA: Does it have a website? What is it?
SOFI: Sofismode.se, look at this! Sofismode.se
MAYA: Are you a host?
SOFI: Yes I am.
MAYA: Are you also--what else do you do outside of that? Are you a photographer?
SOFI: I'm the host of Project Runway, Sweden.
MAYA: Host of Project Runway in Sweden! Holy!
And do you have any fashion advice for people seeking it?
SOFI: Color! Thank God for color! I put some blue shoes on.
MAYA: This is sexy! I like that.
I love your outfit!
WOMAN: Thank you! You look fantastic!
MAYA: Thank you! What are you wearing?
WOMAN: This is actually BCBG.
MAYA: Ooh! Are you part of the BCBG crew?
WOMAN: I'm not. I'm a big fan of BCBG.
MAYA: Awesome! So what's your name?
JEANNIE: I'm Jeannie Mai. I'm a television host. I have a show called 'How Do I look?' on the Style Network,
and also Fashion Star on NBC.
MAYA: Awesome, I have a celebrity here, guys!
JEANNIE: So fun, I love it!
Is it--oh God, oh my God, that's really heavy!
MAYA: It is heavy.
JEANNIE: Girl, you could get a star lifted up right now!
MAYA: I could, I--can you see her hair?! It's blue.
MAYA: And just spin to this camera, right here.
And that's me seeing Amy Song.
Got this!
Song of Style!
AMY: Hi, nice to meet you!
MAYA: just say hi over there!
MAYA: Oh my God I love your Instagram!
AMY: Thank you so much! What's your name?
MAYA: Maya! Shameless Maya.
What are you wearing?
AMY: I'm wearing... Finders Keepers, Prada, BCBG, Altuzarra.
MAYA: Can you do 180?!
AMY: Can I do a 180?
MAYA: Oh, 360! I can't even--360 it up!
MAYA: Can I get a shot?
MAYA: So how was the show?
ERICA: Good, good. Rocked out some lace and perforated heels.
MAYA: Are you a blogger?
ERICA: I have a company, I'm taking pictures. It's called 'P.S. I Made This.'
MAYA: Oh my God girl, I follow you on Instagram! Hold on, this is a big deal! Get over here!
You have a high bun right?
ERICA: I do have a top knot sometimes. Right now it's just the disheveled look.
We make things, we're crafty. I'm crafty, you look crafty.
MAYA: And you're based here, right?!
ERICA: I'm based in New York, yeah. It's awesome, DIY.
MAYA: I'm gonna have to tweet you!
ERICA: What's your name?
MAYA: I'm Maya.
ERICA: Maya, awesome! Wait, hold on-- I'm... Maya, Maya obsessions.
MAYA: We're gonna do it with this camera.
MAYA: What's your name?
CRYSTAL: Crystal. At channel 5.
MAYA: Channel 5... and tell us about your outfit.
CRYSTAL: This little number came from eBay. And I wanted to just not have on something that everyone else would wear.
If I go vintage, I know that no one else is gonna be able to duplicate this.
So, it was $45 bucks from a vintage store on eBay. Love, love, love eBay.
I had it shortened just a little, so it's a little US Open inspired.
I wanted to do a color block, similar to you. You know, but you know, not on crack.
So, I did the red shoes, the blue bag I've been carrying for the last, you know, month.
MAYA: Scarf?
CRYSTAL: There you go.
MAYA: Awesome, I love it! Okay, you--360!
Fox 5! We interviewing! Work it out! Work it out! Diva! Work!
CRYSTAL: Where is the runway, dammit?!
MAYA: We're gonna start our own runway! We're just gonna runway over to this dude right here.
CRYSTAL: What are we gonna do?!
We're walking together, yes.
I feel like the Statue of Liberty, why am I holding this up?!
MAYA: Thank you so much! So nice to meet you!
Well, this is a special young lady, say who you are!
MONIQUE: My name is Monique Henry-Hudson. And I've been trying to find you for like an hour--
I didn't know that you would be the one with the balloons. I've been seeing the balloons. I'm like, 'who's that person?'
MAYA: Well that's me. That's me. I'm in drag!
Thank you!
I had to go there. I had to be over-the-top. I had to be avant garde.
Because it's Fashion Week. Everybody's over-the-top.
It is so hard to top people who are already topping.
You know what I mean? It's like a big peacock show.
Everyone's like, dressed to the nines you know? Like...
So... that was the inspiration for the balloons. You can't top balloons.
I guess you could. but...
6 balloons. 6 more balloons, I had 7.
I wanna keep them, but I don't even have a... I don't have a car, let alone a car to fit them in.
So... mission giveaway.
Can I get a little...
MAN: Picture? Yeah, let's get a picture, say cheese!
MAYA: You're so cute, you like the balloon?
MAN: Look how big the balloon-- look at her hair! What color is her hair?
GIRL: Pink.
MAYA: Pink!
MAN: So cute.
MAYA: So cute, enjoy it!
MAN: Thank you so much!
I can actually go to my grave and tell my grandkids or my great-grandkids...
you know, your grandma did something crazy when she was young. I am happy.
That was like, on my bucket list of things to do, so... check!
Pushing those boundaries... obviously this was not something easy for me to do.
This was something very, very crazy and over-the-top. And... blah.
But... if anybody's gonna do it, it might as well be shameless Maya. It might as well be shameless Maya.
Stay shameless, keep putting yourself out there.
Obviously, you don't have to do what I'm doing. I don't encourage that.
But I do encourage taking... inspiration from what I'm doing and apply it to your life.
So, i.e., doing something you're afraid of doing.
Stay tricking, yo. Fake it 'till you make it.
Fake it 'till you make it.