Joining the Party - Fashion's Night Out NYC

The second installment of Fashion’s Night Out took place last Friday, when cities all over the world participated in some late night shopping, celebrity scoping, free refreshments, and of course, fashion gawking.

Initially brainstormed by Vogue’s Anna Wintour to boost merchandise sales and encourage people to shop, FNO in New York City seemed more spectacle and sights than actually increasing sales. Tons of people dressed up and ambled around the streets, crowding storefronts and just enjoying a fun night. The massive number of people milling about at dusk reminded me of Halloween and trick-or-treating or what must be only a small percentage of how New Year’s Eve in Manhattan is like!

My friends and I stayed in the Midtown / 5th Ave area which had a good number of celebs out and about. But, they were all guarded by huge lines of people waiting to meet them so we decided not to fight the masses. We did end up seeing Bar Rafaeli (who looked a little like Julia Stiles to me) and Olivia Palermo though.

For the most part, we meandered in and out of stores, sipping on free drinks and agreeing that it was the most fun any of us had while shopping. Stores had a variety of tricks (sans celebrities) to attract customers to their doors - Chanel had live DJ's spinning, Burberry provided plenty of hor d'ouerve bites, Bergdorfs gave manicures, etc. Even at these high end stores, shopping felt more accessible and friendly. Since each store's events weren't limited to fashion VIPs, the "everyday" woman didn't feel intimidated by the usual austerity of walking into an expensive shop. The allure of FNO was that everyone who came out could participate in and appreciate the whimsy and ubiquity of fashion.

Everyone wore the FNO shirts!

Loved the rainbow stairs at Tommy Hilfiger

Jess posted this already, but this is the best pic of all of us!

I really like this dress from H&M. The top is asymmetrically cut, more drapy on the right side, has a slip underneath of the same fabric to preserve your modesty, and has a tight, fitted bottom to balance out the bigger top half. I also wore out my new booties for the first time which were painful to walk in after a few avenues but made me feel the "fall" spirit.

Overall, I had a good time at FNO; really enjoyed the energy and excitement that surrounded everyone who was out that night. It was also the unofficial heralding of the fall season, which I'm beginning to embrace more.

Did anyone partake in the FNO festivities in their city?