“I’m wearing Dolce & Gabbana head to toe,” said Bieber, who was signing D&G T-shirts ($195 apiece) for fans in Manhattan, one of hundreds of Fashion’s Night Out events worldwide.
Pictures: Fashion’s Night Out 2011Special section: New York Fashion Week
Fashion’s Night Out was started in 2009 in New York by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as a celebrity-studded way to lure shoppers into stores during the recession, 해적맞고 but it’s turned into a global shopping party. Retailers ranging from upscale boutiques to suburban malls to websites have embraced the nocturnal shopping extravaganza, which coincides with the start of New York Fashion Week and the important fall fashion season.
Wintour signed September issues of Vogue for fans at an event sponsored by the home shopping channel QVC in Manhattan on Thursday night, while “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester performed at Tiffany & Co.’s Fifth Avenue flagship store and Victoria’s Secret models posed with fans at the brand’s SoHo boutique.
In Paris, teenage girls mingled with grand dames in Chanel jackets and pearls inside luxury boutiques in the so-called “Golden Triangle” shopping district. Crowds were so thick they spilled off sidewalks and into the streets, much to the annoyance of taxis snared in the surge. Participating boutiques included Chanel, Dior, Prada, Armani and Ralph Lauren.
“With the Champagne and the music, it’s like a party in here,” said Paris reveler Sandra Pauwels, 35, while sipping a cocktail at Ungaro.
In Beverly Hills, a Ferris wheel lifted shoppers high above Rodeo Drive, where three blocks were closed to traffic for Fashion’s Night Out festivities. Gucci offered shoppers a limited-edition tote with a $500 purchase, Coach celebrated the relaunch of its classic duffle and Chanel offered three nail polishes in shades of blue. A DJ spun tunes at Juicy Couture, where shoppers sipped Champagne and tried the chocolate-tasting bar provided by LA eatery Bottega Louie.
Milan, Dallas and even Adelaide, Australia, were among other cities participating worldwide. Celebrities at Fashion’s Night Out in London included actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who attended a Vogue party. In New York, Fifth Avenue was packed with throngs of shoppers streaming in and out of stores like Bergdorf Goodman, where crowds came to see Oscar de la Renta and get their tarot cards read by jewelry designer Amy Zerner. One of New York’s longest lines was outside an Yves Saint Laurent boutique, where fans waited to meet rapper-turned-R&B star Nicki Minaj.
Designer Tommy Hilfiger hailed Fashion’s Night Out as “a big celebration.”
“Anna Wintour came up with such a genius idea, and it actually worked,” Hilfiger told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I think it’s not just about the shopping that night, I think it’s the idea of getting out there – exposing the fact that fashion can be fun. … It doesn’t have to be this serious thing that’s too expensive. Fashion and shopping doesn’t have to be anything but fun.”
Getting face-time with his customers is another of the event’s positive side, said Hilfiger, who held court Thursday night at Macy’s Manhattan flagship with singer Joss Stone: “To see them and hear directly from them is pretty cool.”
Last year’s extended hours and blitz of promotions and entertainment provided a measurable sales lift for merchants, said Michael McNamara, vice president of research and analysis for MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, which tracks cash as well as credit transactions. He estimated that sales nationwide at department stores and clothing chains were up 2 percent on Fashion’s Night Out last year, compared with the 2009 period that was limited to events in New York. Shoes and teen clothing fared the best, he added.
Hilfiger agreed that FNO’s economic impact has grown wildly in the last three years. “People ARE shopping,” he said at Macy’s. “It’s 100-fold compared to any other Thursday. We sell a lot of clothes.” Just as important, “it’s such a good time. People love to come out. … It brings out people from all walks of life.”
QVC marked its 25th anniversary at a pop-up location in Soho with a live broadcast. Fashion fans sipped wine and Pellegrino as they waited for Heidi Klum, Isaac Mizrahi, Melania and Donald Trump and others to walk the red carpet and sell their lines.
“Fashion’s Night Out is not for the faint of heart. You have to know how to party!” said Mizrahi.
QVC CEO Mike George said the event was “really about our customers. We don’t get to meet them very often.”
Kris Jenner, among the designers taking part in the QVC event, said she created her line with older women in mind who aren’t served well by mainstream fashion: “I wasn’t ready to give up on myself. We want to feel good, too.”
Kors said it was a “fabulous coincidence” that his Rockefeller Center store launch lined up with Fashion’s Night Out. His fans included Fashion Institute of Technology Jamie Vega, who bought a watch and had the designer sign her bag.
“This is so exciting to meet him in person,” she said. “I’m a fashion student after all.”
At Bergdorf Goodman, about 200 people gathered to watch designers including Mark Badgley, James Mischka, Reem Acra and John Barrett trot out their dogs for a fashion contest. Designs ranged from wedding dresses to bright pink feather collars and a fur-trimmed storm coat.
Comentarios recientes