As the city that never sleeps transforms into a runway, Nathalie Dahn gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how she stays grounded, glamorous, and confident during New York Fashion Week. From early-morning rituals to late-night prep, here’s a day in her life, and how you can implement her best tips for your own moment in the spotlight - on the runway and beyond!

1 – Build Inner Confidence Through Mindfulness

“Confidence starts long before you step onto the catwalk; it begins in your mind,” Nathalie explains as she sips her morning tea in her Manhattan condo apartment.

She swears by rehearsal:

• Practice makes perfect. Before every major show, she spends quality time practicing in her hallway, heels on, with a full length mirror walking to her favorite tech-house tracks.

• “Recording yourself on your iPhone also helps  a lot for direct feedback”

• Visualize success. “I envision every turn and every pose in my head first,” she says. “By the time I get backstage, it feels effortless.”

2 – Preparation and Organization the Night Before

“The uglier you sleep, the more beautiful you’ll wake up,” Nathalie laughs, referring, of course, to her overnight beauty protocols. She says that when your mind is organized, your subconscious relaxes.

Her evening checklist includes:

• Red-light therapy & heatless curls while she sleeps and a hydrating sheet mask. She is a fan of the 111 Skin face masks
• Outfit laid out from head to toe: shoes, accessories, and even the snacks and water bottle she’ll tuck into her everyday bag - alongside an interesting book to pass the time in long castings or backstage waiting for hair/makeup and styling.

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3 – Add Effortless Glamour and Elegance Day to Day

“Quality fabrics in clothing and outfit choices are key.” Nathalie notes as she glides through a Midtown showroom.

Her go-to look:

• All-black model attire, sleek leggings, a fitted tank, and boots with a comfortable heel, perfect for castings.
• Day-to-night swap: she tosses a pastel silk blouse into her bag. “NYC can be very monochromatic thus I love adding color to my wardrobe. Throwing a nice silk blouse over the against black gives instant lightness and glamour,” she says.
  
  

4 – Walk in Nature to Recenter

Between fittings and photo calls, Nathalie prioritizes quality moments in Central Park. In German there is a world specifically describing moments of a leisurely stroll in nature  - “Spazieren” - which literally translates to walking with no specific goal or destination but simply for the enjoyment of the activity itself” she explains. “It’s my reset button.”

I also love listening to podcasts while walking - my current favorites are the Jay Shetty podcast, the Skinny Confidential, and Melissa Wood Tepperburg’s podcast - they are always very uplifting and empowering.

This simple act:

• Regulates her nervous system after the intensity of showrooms.
• Refreshes her energy for the next round of meetings.
  
  

5 – Embrace a No-Makeup Makeup Routine

“When you look like yourself, you feel like yourself,” Nathalie asserts, unpacking her minimalist beauty pouch. She says that trusting a simple routine helps you feel presentable and ready for the day, naturally beautiful.

Her quick-step routine:

1. Rich face cream to hydrate and protect - here she swears by Weleda Skin Food.
2. Concealer + blush + mascara for a fresh, awake look.
3. Optional eye-liner & highlighter if time allows, and if an impromptu photoshoot beckons.
4. Of course a pink blush moisturizing lipstick is always on the go with me - currently I’m loving the Dior Loveshine in shade #209.
   
   

From runway rehearsals in her hallway to silk blouses slipped into designer bags, Nathalie Dahn’s New York Fashion Week is as much about inner poise as it is about outer polish. Follow these five insider tips, and you’ll carry that same model-off-duty confidence, whether you’re braving the front row or simply owning your day.