Twice a year, the giant white tents go up at Bryant Park, signaling the return of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. But while the location itself is central and visible, it’s a bit of a tease for the public. Every season, passersby gather outside only to be turned away by burly security guards who have heard it all.

What’s a fashion obsessive to do? Short of trying to slip in or con someone at the door, which can get you summarily bounced, there’s one move that always works: Spend your way in.

At almost every level, money talks. Emerging designers are typically in need of capital and sponsorship; bet on a rising star and you’ll be sure to have a thank-you seat at the show. Established designers set aside seats for top clients who make recurring, major purchases.

“For people who are not in the industry, the shows are fun,” Danish designer Camilla Staerk said.

Ms. Staerk, who is showing her fifth collection in New York this Sunday, recently opened her first retail boutique — and adjoining work space — at 182 Mulberry St. For her, establishing a connection with shoppers is integral to the process of creation. With her studio just a curtain away, she’s able to pop out when people come through the shop. “It’s so refreshing for the designer to be able to meet the consumer,” she said.

But it’s also exciting for the consumer to meet the designer — and American Express is tapping into that demand. The credit card giant, a corporate sponsor of fashion week, offers packages that allow card members to watch a show from a separate seating area high above the fray, much like a luxury box at a sporting event. Prices for the Skybox start at $150 for one show and $250 for two shows, and are available to holders of the American Express Gold, Platinum, and Centurion cards.

“This is unprecented access,” the director of global sponsorship marketing for American Express, Jessica Igoe, said. “We listened to our cardmembers and realized that there was an opportunity there.”

The packages include a trip backstage and a chat with high-profile visitors, including designers Tory Burch, Phillip Lim, and Diane von Furstenberg. For each show, an expert is brought in to host the civilians and guide them through the mysteries of fashion shows: the late start, the seating, the models’ unusual walk. There’s also a philanthropic side that can ease any buyer’s remorse: American Express is donating $500,000 to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Vogue Fashion Fund.

So far, the packages have attracted a variety of women. “We had a group of moms who got together for the weekend. We had three women from Atlanta who love Zac Posen. We have women from Midtown who use it for their clients,” Ms. Igoe said.

American Express has found Mr. Posen to be such a draw that it has organized a cardholder-only fashion show. After his primary show on Thursday night, Mr. Posen will restage his show for American Express cardholders who pay $150 for a ticket.

Runway shows, though, are not the only popular draw during fashion week. The parties offer the public a way to mingle with trendsetters, and next week there are nearly as many soirées as there are shows. Like many labels, Rag & Bone is throwing itself an after-party to celebrate its show. Meanwhile, several brands that aren’t showing in New York are giving parties to draw attention to their new locations. Costume National is moving to 160 Mercer St., where it will host a screening of the film “Patti Smith: Dream of Life.” The SoHo outlet of Kira Plastinina, which opened this spring, is throwing a party hosted by Leighton Meester. And Y-3 will be fêting its new SoHo location on Greene Street.

Ms. Staerk, too, is planning to use her new space to celebrate her collections, as well as the output of creative friends. “To have events here, with clients, friends, and supporters, is a really important part of what I want to do here,” the designer said.

Being in with in-crowd is only a dress — or two — away.