Fashion's Night Out
As we get ready to celebrate Labor Day weekend, we have what's become a new "holiday" in fashion circles coming up next week. Fashion's Night Out! What started out as kind of a little promotion to spark sluggish sales, has now turned into an international event of great proportions.
My colleague Kate Sklar reports in.
What's your experience, Kate? Jim.
Make room in your calendar, because VOGUE’s pet project from a couple years back is now a full-fledged fashion holiday. Truthfully, you may not have heard of Fashion’s Night Out (or FNO, as we call it) until now. But pick up the September issue of VOGUE or step out Friday night September 10th in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas (even Lisbon, Tokyo or Madrid), and you won’t be able to miss it.
Born out of the economic downturn a few years back, FNO was created to help drive consumers into stores, to foster commerce, to support struggling designers, and to support AIDS research. What once felt like a private little Manhattan block party (a glass of champagne at Vera Wang, tex mex tastings at Tory Burch) -- is now the toast of towns worldwide.
FNO has become the fashion fiesta of the year and a full on branding free for all. Indeed, clothing stores aren’t the only ones drinking from the FNO fountain. In-store and out-of-store brand activations will be bigger and more brilliant than ever. Forget simple giveaways or played-out goodie bags. Big brand players are thinking outside the swag box, and it has me twittering.
If this doesn’t get you out of the house on a Friday night, I don’t know what will. Here are eight little events that I am certainly looking forward to:
- Get a lift all over the city by Aveda’s fleet of pedicabs. Enjoy a sample while you ride.
- Tango Lessons with the faces of Lancôme at Bloomingdales 59th St.
- Karaoke contest at Kiehl's flagship 3rd Avenue store. Winners every hour. Kiehl's goodies galore.
- Makeup applications by Estee Lauder’s Tom Pecheux followed by photo sessions with Aerin Lauder herself. Then post the shot instantly to your Facebook page at Saks Fifth Avenue.
- Roxy pro-team rider and surf champion Kassia Meador will be hosting an evening at the Quicksilver/Roxy Soho where you’ll have a chance to win a free weekend at Montauk hot spot the Surf Lodge.
- Evan Lysacek will make an appearance at Vera Wang in Soho (since he did win gold in her design).
- Chanel will launch a trio of nail colors Les Khakis Polishes just for FNO, available in store.
- Halle Berry will be signing issues of September VOGUE at the Ralph Lauren Mansion.