You have to hand it to New York, when it's "feeling it," it sure knows how to throw a party. Fashion Week is all about pomp and circumstance and while all that glitz is great, there's an old saying in retail - nothing happens until you get a sale.
Fashion's Night Out was conceived with the idea of getting shoppers excited about buying (well that and serving lots of free champagne). We began our little adventure uptown at the Juicy Couture store...I've always said you can learn a thing or two going out at night in New York. Like Fonzi, I played it cool and nodded earnestly when someone leaned over and excitedly told me there was going to be a flash mob performance in a few minutes - although I didn't have the faintest idea of what a flash mob was (don't judge me)....by the way here's what they look like (don't feel bad I didn't know either).
After the dancers rocked it, I cornered Erin Fetherston for an interview. Erin is one of the more talented young designers working these days and Juicy made a shrewd move by partnering up with her on a capsule collection. I always love chatting with Erin because aside from having tons of flavor and a great sense of style, I think it's pretty awesome that her dad played football in the NFL for the 49ers (I know that isn't fashion-related, but what can I say? I'm a football fan....).
Next we hopped over to Bulgari and walked right into a Patty Smyth concert. In New York it can be easy to get jaded, but I have to say, the music here is a cool thing. Outside the store, the crowd was a pretty diverse group (like a snapshot of a subway car diverse - all walks of life, ages and backgrounds) and many were way too young to remember the rocker's hits. But Patty gamely ventured outside the store to sing and put on a very personal performance. I saw the chaos of the street come into focus as all eyes were on the singer. Even though it wasn't her crowd, the sidewalk was soon dancing and mirroring back the lyrics to "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough." It was a very cool sight to see.
Little did I know it was about to get even cooler. I hustled my way inside the store and requested an interview and was led into a makeshift greenroom that had been set up as an office for Patty. I glanced around and noticed Rita Wilson chilling out on a chair. Patty eased me into the interview by showing me how to warm up my voice. Of course if I actually sang I think she would have called the cops. A few minutes into the interview the door slid open. It was a bit distracting. I'm thinking to myself, can't they see we're chatting here? When we went to calm the disturbance we froze in our tracks upon realizing the offender was Patty's husband John McEnroe and I think we all know what happens when you cross him. But he was just here to check on his charming wife and exchange some endearing banter - the video we shot is worth a look shows a softer side of the tennis legend. Special thanks to Patti Smyth and Johnny Mac for being such good sports.
Fashion's Night Out may or may not be a commercial success, but throughout the city, uptown and downtown, it has turned into one hell of a party.