Fashion's Night Out

I love Fashion's Night Out, though I am not sure that it actually works for businesses.  It certainly works for me, though, and I have a great time every year.  The first year, I won six Fashion Photography books and had a sketch made of me by Behnaz Sarafpour.  The second year, I got a Diane von Furstenberg book (who my husband actually asked for directions, not knowing who she was) and met Jonathan Adler.  This year might have been the best, however, because I crossed an item off my Mighty Life List  (more on that in a minute)

For those of you who don't have a Fashion's Night Out in your town, the event was created by Anna Wintour/Vogue to support retailers whose bottom lines had been suffering due to the downturn in the economy.  This one night only event would encourage shoppers to stay late and support businesses.  The shops would stay open (until 11pm in some cases) and many would have incentives, discounts, or special promotions.   The special promotions are what really sucked me in.  Designer appearances, free gifts, refreshments, djs, parties, merchandise created just for the event, etc.  I don't know if people actually buy things or if they, like me, just go around to see all the shops they like put on a fun show.

I created my must visit list this year and though I didn't hit all of them, I did get to my top priorities.  A quick recap of the night:

Met the Manolo Blahnik milkshake truck.  Cute idea.  $5 for a milkshake was too much for a girl that just left her day job, though.  Especially since a flood of free snacks was going to start at 6pm, but I figured it was cheaper than a new pair of shoes  (I recommend the Coffee flavor)

Went to the Soho Sephora.  Normally Sephora would not be on my list, but they did some really great things this year - musical performances, special appearances, etc.  I was there for the art.  The team from Stila cosmetics was in store giving makeup applications as well as having the artists/designers of the brand draw personalized Stila girls for the first 20 people.  You can bet I was there early, because I wanted to be a Stila girl!  My friend, and motivational speaker extraordinaire Catherine (aka Cat) Lavelle met me downtown and waited it out with me.  The store didn't really have a good idea what was going on - but we did get drinks and ice cream and finally a makeover/sketch!

Me as a Stila Girl

We headed up the street - did a stop in Lucky Jeans, where Tim Gunn was supposed to be but wasn't (that would occur again) though they did have these amazing Lavender and Chocolate Macarons.  So, thumbs up Lucky.

Quick stop in Bloomingdales.  There was a Marc by Marc Jacobs ice cream truck outside for a cute touch.  Fashion's Night Out is all about the food truck.  This one didn't have food - just Marc jewelry, but nice idea.  Bloomingdales had the potential for friendship bracelet making, but our time was better spent elsewhere, so we moved along.

Roxy surf shop.  They didn't have any of the pro athletes that Cat was hoping to see, but they did give us a quick mini manicure with Minx nailstrips.  Somehow only doing a few fingers is cool.  We are cool now.  Though we realized that we weren't cut out to the be the "New Face of Roxy" - we are not delusional -  but a lot of tween girls were vying for that.

We headed up to J. Crew, where design director and all around awesome lady Jenna Lyons was supposed to be styling people and taking pictures.  We were there - with lots of stylish folks and a long line for the bar - but no Jenna.  She couldn't make it.  Disappointing (because as much as Cat wants to be a cool surfer athlete in casual skirts with cut arms I want to be like Jenna in a feather ball gown skirt and old man sweater).  Moving on!

We walk towards our next destination and pass food trucks.  I feel like any business that has a food truck must have been booked for tonight.  The trucks we passed only took tickets, and by asking a snacking girl we figured out that the tickets were available in Joe's Jeans.  Happy to see you, Joe's - and the fact that the jeans come in 55 colors (including buttercup and light cocoa) was interesting - where are the tickets?  A lady in a sparkly dress hands them out and we are back out on the street, happily munching on really good dumplings.

On to Kate Spade, where people are doing Karaoke in the window.  It is a sea of very KS looking girls, and a few guys, with big pink flowers in their hair or on lapels.  So adorable.  I snag the last one.  I also probably overwhelm Deborah Lloyd, the creative director.  I am guessing that not many people know her by sight, but I do and I have to introduce myself and say that I probably wear a piece of Kate Spade every day, so I think that the direction she is taking the brand is fantastic.  She, in a cute cardigan and jewelry, looks slightly dazed so Cat moves us into the store.  We fill out entry forms to win shopping parties (and promise to include the other) while a very Liza Minelli-like singer belts next the Karoke machine - clearly a ringer.   The store is packed, and even though I am tempted to shop my little heart out, we move on.

We head to DVF, because I would love to see Ms. von Furstenberg - and not to have Matthew ask her where the free books were - but when we arrive she isn't there.  The long line outside was to take a photo of yourself and get a photo flip book.  Taking pictures of yourself is also a prime activity during Fashion's Night Out - photobooths, flip books, social media posting, etc. are a big part of the night.  Since I hate having my picture taken and didn't think that waiting for it was a good use of our FNO time, we kept walking.

Our next destination was going to be Kenneth Cole.  The man himself was going to be at the store, and there was a musical performance of some sort.  On the way, however, we pass the Phaidon book party.






 It was on my list (mostly to tell my friend Harriet, a fantastic fashion illustrator) because Garance Dore had a collection of work there and was going to be at the party.  As we walk by, we pass not only Garance, but her beau Scott Shuman, the Sartorialist, as well.  I am a bit star struck.   Cat couldn't pick them out of a lineup.  That's the thing with bloggers, even bloggers as well known as those two.  Not everyone knows who they are, and even if they do, Garance and Scott are not always pictured when they are mentioned, so they can fly a little under the radar.  I know them instantly and as we pass by I take a stalker-like picture of them outside.

Catherine says I shouldn't just take a picture of them, I should ask to take a picture with them.  We keep walking as I tell her that I can't - I would feel awkward.  It is my true nature to be very shy around people I don't know.  I don't like introducing myself at parties, I hate to intrude.  I also (as I said before) don't care for having my picture taken - I always look weird.  Maybe I look like that in real life and just don't know it, but I think it is the photo process, so I tend to avoid it.

As we walk blocks away I start thinking about how it might have been my chance to meet Scott and Garance.  I read their blogs every day, and beyond that having my picture taken by The Sartorialist was on my Mighty Life List (a list of 100 things to do before you die).  He takes pictures of very fashionable people on the street and it is a dream to have him take a photo of me.  I tell Cat this, that this might have been a chance to cross something off my MLL but I couldn't do it.  I didn't look stylish - choosing comfy clothes and being out for hours in the heat had not done me any favors - and I would feel stupid talking to them.  It was eating at me a little, though, that I walked by without stopping, and with Catherine's encouragement I said we should go back so I could talk to them.  Back we went.

At the bookstore, Garance and Scott were no longer outside but in - talking with others, Garance occasionally posing for a photo and being fab.  I skirted around, not sure how to approach them.  Catherine as the wingman kept moving us closer and finally said, "Go, get in there" and I spoke to Scott.  I told him that I was a fan of his, that I had actually submitted a photo of my grandparents for his Vintage photo project, and as Garance came over to join him I asked if I could take a picture with them.  Yep.  Score.  Cat took a picture.

 I decided to press my luck and asked Scott (after stumbling a bit describing the Mighty Life List) if he would take a picture of me with my iphone camera so I can cross it off my list.  I grabbed Cat and he took a photo of us.  CROSSED IT OFF - HAVE MY PHOTO TAKEN BY THE  SARTORIALIST - awesome.

Taken by The Sartorialist

I thanked them both and as Scott went off for a moment (they were actually getting ready to leave, so we had come back just in time) I spoke to Garance.  I told her that we had a friend who would love to do what she does (Harriet) and that they should talk.  We spoke about shoes. I said we actually took a photograph of her shoes because they were so cute.

I spoke to Garance Dore about shoes!  Heaven.  She told us that she gets so exited for shoes and then once photographed in them finds it hard to wear them again.  I mention her Pradas (I read the blog - for reals) and she says "exactly!  I was so excited and I wore them once.  Once!  Then that photograph was everywhere and now I look at them and think - nope can't wear them".  I told her that was the curse of having good taste that was very current, everyone will know what season the hot item is from.  She agreed, though demurred about having good taste.  Catherine, who had read about the photographer couple in a magazine but hadn't read their blogs, jumped on the Garance train hard-core.

As we left, Catherine and I talked about how they couldn't have been nicer.  Scott said goodbye again when we left and we thanked him and wished them a good night.  (side note - could his eyes be any bluer or more fantastic?  I think not) and Cat was so delighted to have a new cool-girl idol with brown curly hair (like her's) that she is probably going to start reading Garance's blog tonight.  I practically skipped down the street - after profusely thanking Catherine for making me speak up.

I felt like the night couldn't get any better - and Cat had to work tomorrow - so we decided to call it a night.

But a few more stops:  On the way to the subway we passed the big Addias store on Houston and popped in.  Catherine is a runner (and was an Addias ambassador, so knows her stuff) and was looking for something and I am searching for the perfect comfy shoes to walk all over the city in.  We somehow managed to get the most obnoxious salesperson in all of shoe-dom, and there was a slight tiff about what kind of arch support I would need, because apparently I roll my ankles or something.  Mostly I didn't even care about the arch support - I just wanted something cute and those shoes weren't,  and we left without buying anything.

Though I thought we were done as Catherine and I took separate subways headed, but I couldn't resist stopping in the Village to go to the Marc Jacobs store.  There was a huge block party put on by Teen Vogue, but I missed that.  I did however score a free Marc Jacobs tote bag with a creepy clown on it.  How could I resist?  

It turns out that I did buy something on Fashion's Night Out - a pencil at the Bookmarc store.  I took my tote, grabbed a hot dog at Papaya King, saw my favorite Kate Spade phrase on a cab, and got on the subway home.

Understated is Overrated

Did I do my part to help struggling retailers?  Obviously not.  But I do think that the $1 I spent on the pencil at BookMarc was worth every penny.

So to recap - I'm a Stila Girl who has had her picture taken by the Sartorialist, talked about shoes with a super stylish Parisian, ate junk food and got a free Marc Jacobs bag.  This is what my Heaven is like.


I can't wait until next year...