Fashion’s Night Out grows to more cities, adds super-size catwalk

Fashion’s Night Out returns in more places

NEW YORK — You didn’t get your cocktail poured by guest bartenders Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen at the first Fashion’s Night Out? This year, you could try tailgating with Tommy Hilfiger.

The second annual shopping event, created largely by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour to fuel retail traffic in stores during the height of the fall shopping season, is planned for Sept 10 during New York Fashion Week.

The fashion party, which focused on New York last year, is now global with nearly 1,000 retailers, designers, beauty brands and celebrities offering special events or discounts. Events are also planned in Australia, China, Greece, India, Russia and Turkey, among other countries.

Some consumers will hear musical performances; other shoppers will be fed. Fashion insiders will give a Hollywood makeover to some shoppers, and some will go home with bags of freebies or special-edition merchandise.

Some New York highlights: A best-in-show designer dog catwalk at Bergdorf Goodman, recreating red-carpet moments with Marchesa and Frederic Fekkai at Henri Bendel, supermodel posing lessons from Bar Rafaeli at Giorgio Armani, and a 25th anniversary party celebrating Naomi Campbell’s career at Dolce & Gabbana — Campbell has committed to come and sign T-shirts.

“It has been a remarkable journey since Fashion’s Night Out debuted last year,” Wintour said in a statement. “The enthusiasm and creativity with which retailers and designers have approached this year’s celebration in New York City, the country, and around the world, are truly inspiring. I am delighted that shoppers will have such an extraordinary night to enjoy fashion.”

ShopperTrak, an independent reporter of consumer traffic, estimated that the inaugural FNO saw a 50 percent jump in retail foot traffic.

Other boldface names with scheduled appearances include Bryan Adams, Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Lauren Hutton, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson and Pharrell Williams, along with designers and beauty gurus Oscar Blandi, Thom Browne, Tory Burch, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi and Vera Wang.

In Beverly Hills, Calif., Samuel L. Jackson will host an exhibition of his favorite red carpet looks at the Armani store, and Rodeo Drive gets a ferris wheel. Cirque Du Soleil plans performances throughout the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, and a block party is planned in the Miami Design District.

Of course, this being the fashion industry, there are products planned, too, including T-shirts and a hoodie. The New York City AIDS fund gets 40 percent of the proceeds.

And, on Sept. 7, Fashion’s Night Out plans the largest public fashion show ever held in New York, featuring 150 models and current-season fashion selected by Vogue editors. It’ll be held at Lincoln Center, which later in the week becomes home to the Fashion Week tents that designers will use to preview next spring’s styles.

Tickets, which also donate a portion of proceeds to the AIDS fund, go on sale Aug. 19. There will also be a live Webcast of the runway on CBS.com.

Online: www.fashionsnightout.com