LINCOLN CENTER — In their work place, models are constantly exposed to the latest designs ahead of the rest of the world, making them the vanguard for fashion's next trend.
After a blizzard left snow piled up all around at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Saturday, the catwalkers turned up for the Fall 2013 shows in heavy boots, outfits of layered and tight black fabrics in various textures, oversized coats and, of course, a touch of their own style.
"I am wearing everything, all of my clothes," said Terri McGlone, a 19-year-old model who was getting ready to walk in Rafael Cennamo runway show.
Despite hailing from a constantly wet Scotland and having been based in dreary London, New York's bitter winter caught her off guard. About 11 inches of snow fell across the city Friday blown around by 50 mph winds night during Winter Storm Nemo.
"It's a windy cold," said McGlone.
Wearing almost everything she had — including a Top Shop oversized military jacket and a Zara leather jacket underneath, McGlone stayed was warm in a bundle of layers along with a pair of Doc Martens.
Like McGlone, model Shu Yang Zhang turned up to her gig at the Rafael Cennamo show in a boxy, almost masculine double-breasted coat. Its purple, red and yellow plaid pattern made Zhang pop against the white background of the Fashion Week tents and snow.
Almost every other day, New York-based Dutch model Fabienne Hagedorn can be seen wearing all black.
"It's easy and it works better for castings," said the 21-year-old.
Hagedorn donned a hodgepodge of textures including a cotton button-up shirt, a knit sweater with a thick yarn, a mohair cardigan and a leather jacket with leather sleeves and a cotton-textured torso — all in black.
"I'm just layer over layer over layer," said Hagedorn.
Katya Leon, another model who sticks mostly to black, shops often at Zara to keep her wardrobe up-to-date with the clothes she works in.
"Models love Zara," said Leon, of the Spanish brand with numerous stores in New York that can take a trend from catwalk to customer in less than two weeks.
Despite the cold, 19-year-old model Manon Krol also used multiple thin layers of cashmere, Uniqlo's Heat Tech long sleeved t-shirts, G-Star shiny jeans — "that I never wash" she said — and a Diesel leather jacket to stay warm without using a bulky coat.
The result: a slim and form fitting outfit.
"I never get cold," said Krol.
And for model Codie Young, there is no better time than winter to showoff a great set.
For Young the choice indicates effort, attention to detail and great style.
"When I get up in the morning I always think of what socks I am going to wear, especially in this industry because everyone sees them," said the 20-year-old Australian, who wore a mismatch of socks — one bearing tiny bicycles, the other a floral design.
"You never have a problem when you lose a sock," she said.