Caitlin Catarozoli lives in Milwaukee, has never worked for a fashion magazine or brand, and isn’t a model, blogger or influencer.
But she’s a regular attendee of New York Fashion Week — one of the most exclusive events on the planet. She has sat in the audience for shows by Anna Sui and Prabal Gurung, watching models such as Ashley Graham and Gigi and Bella Hadid sashay down the catwalk.
“When I was sharing it on Instagram, I had people messaging me saying, ‘How the in the world are you there?!’ ” the 30-year-old told The Post.
The truth: She paid to get in.
It’s the dirty little secret some fashion-industry insiders don’t want to get out, but anyone can buy a ticket to some of New York Fashion Week’s hottest shows.
Endeavor’s Experience Group, an offshoot of the organization that runs NYFW, offers packages starting at around $500 for a simple ticket and VIP concierge and going up to $1,500 — for a front-row seat to Rag & Bone’s show, plus an exclusive gift and a private styling consultation at the brand’s Soho flagship.
Fashion Week kicks off Thursday and tickets are available for designer shows including The Blonds, Cynthia Rowley, Alice + Olivia and Monse.
But some insiders say public tickets have robbed the biannual event of its exclusivity.
“For all the people who worked their way up to get an invite, that is the most disheartening part,” said Aliza Licht, a former Donna Karan publicist and the host of the “Leave Your Mark” podcast. “People spend years striving for that access, and now you can just buy it.”
“Getting invited was both a privilege and a reward for how much my fellow editors and I sacrificed along the way, and the fact that anyone can now buy a ticket is just pathetic,” added one former fashion-magazine editor.
Customers range from aspiring influencers to design students to women doing their own thing after their husbands hit the Super Bowl.
Licht recalled how, when she worked at Donna Karan, “I used to get ridiculous requests. People would offer money or trades. The one that stands out was the dry-cleaner who offered free dry-cleaning for a year in exchange.” (She said she never accepted such offers.)
Bev Sambrotto, owner of Your VIP Pass concierge service, has seen tickets go for as much as $3,500 but said buyers were disappointed by how brief the actual shows were.
“The fact that anyone can now buy a ticket is just pathetic.”
- A former fashion-magazine editor
“People were a little bit bummed about the prices,” Sambrotto told The Post. “They felt the value wasn’t there. They don’t know what to expect, and they are paying a lot for a 20-minute show.”
In Catarozoli’s case, she wanted to see the shows and the celebrities who attend, but she also hoped to network and boost her career as a makeup artist.
“You never know whom you will meet,” the Wisconsinite said. Indeed, she managed to connect at a Fashion Week event with someone from Aveda, who asked her to join the brand’s team of makeup artists working at the shows. As a result, she has landed gigs in Greece and Asia — and has worked NYFW shows for brands including Elie Tahari, Concept Korea and Studio 189.
Organizers say they limit the number of tickets for sale, to retain a degree of exclusivity. “There is limited seating . . . it’s about maintaining the integrity of the show,” said Paul Caine, President of On Location Experiences.
Sources told The Post that designers negotiate a percentage of the proceeds for themselves, typically putting the extra money toward the production budgets for their shows.
As for Catarozoli — who still pays to go to shows she’s not working — she will be sitting out Fashion Week this season after recently giving birth. But she’s already looking forward to September.
“I save for it,” she said. “It’s worth every penny.”
