Fashion's Night Out, a celebration of retail and fashion, will kick off New York Fashion Week on Thursday, September 10, 2009. Fashion's Night Out was conceptualized by Anna Wintour as an attempt to boost sales in a tough economic environment. Vogue partners with the CFDA and NYC & Co. to host an evening extravaganza, full of appearances by fashion and beauty's elite, the likes of which have never been seen.
A seasoned shopaholic, I can't wait for Fashion's Night Out. I'll be covering the event as part of New York Fashion Week. With so many fantastic venues to choose from, I've narrowed my list to these can't-miss picks:
- Barney's New York: Personal appearance abound here, including Isabel Toledo, one of Michelle Obama's fave designers. Lipstick Queen Poppy King will be on hand to do "lip readings" .
- Bergdorf Goodman: Zac Posen will be painting the windows; Andre Leon Talley will be hosting the new game Fashion Rules with guests Donna Karan; Isaac Mizrahi will also be attending. There will be a cook-off hosted by Padma Lakshmi, of Top Chef. Lancome's Sandy Linter will also be making an appearance to share tips and techniques.
- Bloomingdales (flagship): Tons of personal appearance and festivities here will make this a stop you won't want to miss. Plus, Clinique is hosting Milly designer Michelle Smith with cocktails and makeovers from 5-7 pm. You'll want to pick up "The Milly for Clinique" makeup bag gift with purchase with any $25 Clinique purchase.
- Chanel: The Soho store will feature the Chanel Champagne Nail Bar (a concept I'm totally behind!), where the highly sought-after Jade nail colour will make it's debut. Shoppers will be treated to mini-manicures with Jade. At the 57th Street Store, guests can custom-create their own Chanel handbag--can you even imagine? This might be my most anticipated event of the night.
- Henri Bendel: The evening's events will be focused on accessories and beauty. A personal appearance will be held by Trish McEvoy. And being as how Henri Bendel is known for their beauty and fragrance departments, I'm sure this will be a fabulous stop.
- Lancome: At the Boutique (Columbus Circle), there will be an appearance by designer Chris Benz, creator of the new Pout-a-Porter lipstick. The wait list will officially open. Cupcakes, champagne and makeup--what's not to love?
- M.A.C: (42nd at Park Avenue) Get in on a sneak-peek party for the Style Black Collection, M.A.C's journey to the dark side. DJs will be on hand to add to the atmosphere. No one throws a party like M.A.C. Plan on this being a party to remember!
- Magnolia Bakery: The iconic cupcake bakery will be dressing up their classic cupcake with a special Fashion's Night Out cupcake and donating a portion of the proceeds to the 9/11 Memorial Fund. An excellent stop to re-fuel and get your sugar high on.
- Saks Fifth Avenue: Appearances are the name of the game here, including visits by fashion and beauty's biggest names: Donna Karan, Carolina Hererra, Guiseppe Zanotti, Aerin Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Frederic Fekkai. Over 1,000 cosmetic giveaways to really add excitement to the night.
- Tory Burch: One of the most fun events, Tory Burch is hosting a neighborhood blcok party at the Meatpacking District Store, complete with DJs and barbeque. Definitely a can't-miss stop!
While Fashion's Night Out promises to be full of fun, the evening will also benefit two worthwhile charities: A limited edition t-shirt (see photo above) will be sold by participating retailers, with 40% of the proceeds going to National September 11 Memorial and Museum at The World Trade Center. In addition, a citywide clothing drive will support the NYC AIDS fund.
Every day that gets closer to Fashion's Night Out, I get an update more amazing than the day before it, so keep checking FashionsNightOut.com for the most up-to-date information. It's also where you can find links to retailers and even compose and email your own itinerary. Now...how to be in more than one place at a time?!
Hi!!! OOOh if you cover it, come see me at Bergdorfs!! I am one of the four contestants of the Fashion Rules game with Andre leon Talley :)
Posted by: zoe hunter lee | September 08, 2009 at 06:44 PM