Fashion Is Not Dead!

Fashion is not dead! Get the people back in our stores! Anna Wintour's message was heard loud and clear on Thursday evening for the first edition -- and let's hope, not the last -- of Fashion's Night Out. Celebrating the first day of New York Fashion Week, just one year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the start of ever-falling sales in stores, the night was meant to pull customers out of the recession mood.

On 14th street, in the heart of the cool and chic Meatpacking district, stores were packed with fashionistas, tourists and happy opportunists. Free drinks were to be found in nearly every store, and in some, if you were lucky enough to find them, good food and celebs' short appearances. At Stella Mc Cartney's, a couple of pizzaiolo artfully cooked and baked elaborate Margheritas. Inside, an exultant crowd moved around some of the fabulous latest pieces of Stella's last fall season with slices of pizza and cocktails in hands.

"I came here for the free drinks," said Mark Chang mischievously, who works in the fashion industry, while he sipped with obvious satisfaction, his first cocktail.

"Everything is pretty crazy." Grabbing a slice of pizza from a hot waiter wearing an "I love Stella" T-shirt, he laughed: "I'm having a great time."

Behind him, dashing perforated high-knee black boots caught the attention of a stylish and blond Stella fan who almost tried them on... before moving away to get a drink.

As I made my way to the improvised bar, I began to realize that many people in the crowd were just like Chang, and the blond girl, and me: thirsty, with no shopping bags in hand... The primary goal, here, was obviously not to pressure people into shopping but to get them, whatever it took, into the too long deserted stores.

For Dustin Zuber, from the Moschino store, a few yards away, the poor selling stats of the night were no surprise. "I don't know if this is going to generate much business tonight. But the whole thing is to bring attention to my store and to the street." Surrounded by fortune tellers and card readers, Zuber explains that "tonight at Moschino's, it's Gypsy night". Gypsy Rose cocktails, eight cases of Vodka and "tons of Prosciutto" were there to remind the many visitors that Moschino's boutique, in the Meatpacking, was still alive, fun and, please, not so bleak anymore.

Even crazier, on the other side of the street, Diane Von Furstenberg's corner boutique had people on fire. Tracey Anderson, Madonna's personal fitness coach had somehow decided to start dancing on a stage with the high priestess of fashion herself, and actresses Molly Sims and Michelle Trachtenberg.

"Tonight is important," Diane told me, breathless. "Children are getting back to school."

It's high time to get back to work.

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Comments

[Susan Sawyers - Huffpost Blogger]

How brilliant of Anna Wintour to shout loud and clear her mandate to get people back into stores. Vendors, please note, next time remove the red velvet ropes and sassy young things with guest lists in an effort to offer a more welcoming environment. Ok, so FNO09 was but one night. However, setting up barriers did little to entice this potential shopper anytime of day or night. Wish I'd been downtown, sounds like more fun.

[Pema]

fashions not dead but people cant afford 800.00 pants anymore.