When our Designer Buy Planner Lauren Zimmermann goes to Fashion Weeks, she's all business. She sees as many shows as she can, then visits brand showrooms and makes careful decisions about exactly which styles Nordstrom will buy. It's a stressful job.

She makes sure she's up to it by jogging every day (refreshes the mind) and hydrating her skin with Kiehl's products day and night.

Makes sense to us! Here's Lauren talking about packing for Fashion Week.

SHOP: Givenchy boots | ACNE Studios sunglasses | Vetements jeans | S'well water bottle | Zella leggings | Zella sports bra | BCBGeneration baseball cap | RIMOWA carry-on | Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate | Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

What item of clothing can you not wait to bust out during Fashion Week?
I have this Chanel skirt that I have been saving to bust out for this trip. It's a silver tweed made with light-reflective fabric, because why not? Fashion Week is the perfect time to take risks and a great platform to express your individuality and push out of your own comfort zone!

What do you normally wear that you would not be caught dead in during FW?
My fiancé works in maritime and is off braving the waters of the Alaskan gulf (clearly the yin to my yang as I head off to brave the furies of fashion!). It's become a tradition for him to bring me back these logo T-shirts from the ports he visits. "Dutch Harbor, Alaska" across the front and a big fish on the back? Yup. I wear them on the weekends with boyfriend jeans and sneaks. Not sure the rugged sailor attire is fitting for the fancy Parisian streets!

What guilty pleasure helps you survive the craziness?
SLEEP! It's a rare commodity during this time of year. With the long days full of appointments and late nights writing orders, we try to squeeze in as much sleep as we can, whether it's on our flights, 20-minute catnaps in a cab, or even in a lobby chair in our hotel while waiting to check into our room. (Glamorous, right?)

Oh, and ALL the croissants ...

Do you have any (pre-) FW rituals?
Routines quickly evaporate during Fashion Week, so it's all about getting it in while you can. With our life being half on the road, I try to pack in as much "zen" as possible before leaving: daily hot yoga, herbal concoctions (Ashwagandha root is my new fave!!), clean eating, meditation and some much-needed time with my friends and family. I try to check in with "Mouse," my grandmother, who always has some grounding wisdom to share (and big hugs).

Do you plan your outfits and your bags? If so, how do you go about it?
I used to not plan, bring all of my favorite pieces and stuff them into a giant suitcase. Needless to say, this was not very efficient. I now plan each outfit ahead of time. I pick one piece I am obsessing over for each day and build an outfit around it with repeat core basics. I recently had my favorite fashion friend come do a "closet edit" for me, and it has been life changing! Getting rid of all the fluff and keeping only what you really need (and love) for the perfect capsule wardrobe takes a lot of the pain out of planning your looks.

You mentioned a "fashion friend." Is there one you look forward to hanging out with/going to shows with?
Too many great people to only name one! Fashion Week is packed full of seeing our vendors and other Nordstrom teammates that travel for market too. But since I was born and raised in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (which is only four hours from Paris by train), I sometimes get a lucky visit from my mom or one of my besties from home.

What is the coolest or weirdest celebrity interaction you've witnessed at FW?
On my very first Paris market trip, Anna Wintour walked into one of our appointments. She's such a legend and to see her in person up close was pretty cool, especially when just starting out in this industry. Also, this was not at Fashion Week, but I did get the opportunity to meet Dries Van Noten on one of our travels and that was an all-time high, as he is one of my favorite designers.