RODEO DRIVE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 6:00 – 10:00 PM
Last year’s first installment of Fashion’s Night Out, an effort to jump-start a sagging industry with an evening full of shopping events in major cities all over the world that was brought to us by New York-based Vogue magazine and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, was, not surprisingly, very Manhattan-centric. Southern California was barely represented, with a few local scattered efforts staged at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills and the Fred Segal Center on Melrose Avenue.
What a difference a year makes. For the sophomore effort on Friday, Sept. 10, Southern California is fielding a slate of highly organized, “Vogue-sanctioned” events, stretching from Newport Beach to Pasadena, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Office of Economic and Business Policy is rallying retailers.
Following are highlights of planned Fashion’s Night Out activities in three cities — Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and West Hollywood — within whose borders some 300 assorted and sundry parties, personal appearances, shopping discounts and the like will occur simultaneously.
Beverly Hills
Sixty-seven retailers have signed up to mark FNO in the 90210, which will have a decidedly circus-like atmosphere — thanks to a four-story-tall Ferris wheel set up in the 200 block of North Rodeo Drive. (Rides are free — if you have a proof-of-purchase receipt from one of the evening’s participating stores.)
Among the events scheduled for the evening: at Giorgio Armani, actor Samuel L. Jackson will host an exhibition of his favorite red carpet looks over the years, displayed on mannequins and accompanied by a question-and-answer session with fashion critic Steven Cojocaru from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (reservations, which can be made at [212] 209-4102, are recommended), Chanel will be offering free manicures with its new collection of polishes, and the Lacoste boutique will be the site of a Wii tennis tournament.
There will be no shortage of parties. Valentino, for example, is having a casino night. DJs Super Mash Bros. will be spinning at Emporio Armani, while DJ Rick Khan has been tapped for Roberto Cavalli‘s bash. Geary’s will host a “gentleman’s lounge” with Scotch, beer, hors d’oeuvres and some heavy-duty models — of Rolex and Patek Phillipe timepieces, that is.
At 6 p.m., a life-size celebrity version of the fashion trivia board game Fashion Rules will begin at the foot of the Ferris wheel on Rodeo, and is set to include singer/actress Kelly Osbourne, “Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba, stylist George Kotsiopoulos and Vogue’s West Coast editor Lisa Love.
Tod’s is selling a limited-edition handbag for the event, Salvatore Ferragamo is celebrating its first collection from new Creative Director Massimiliano Giornetti with the launch of his W-bag purse Mikimoto will be featuring pearl-stringing demonstrations and Coach will have artists on hand to customize merchandise.
Organizers also have made sure that Rodeo Drive revelers will be able to fill their stomachs as easily as they empty their wallets, promising the famed thoroughfare will be lined with gourmet food trucks serving a variety of fare including kimchi-topped French fries and architecturally themed ice cream sandwiches.
Beverly Hills’ Fashion’s Night Out, centered on Rodeo Drive, runs 6 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 10. Additional information and updates are available at the Rodeo Drive Committee’s website: http://www.rodeodrive-bh.com/fashionsnightout.html.
Los Angeles
The beige box that dominates the intersection of La Cienega and Beverly boulevards is shaping up to dominate this year’s local FNO efforts — and not just for the benefit of its own tenants.
In partnership with the mayor’s office, the Beverly Center will function as the hub, headquarters and starting point for the city’s FNO events, with free parking (starting at 4 p.m.) and no-cost busses to ferry shoppers to six retail districts centered on Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard, West 3rd Street, Abbot Kinney Boulevard, downtown Los Angeles and Los Feliz.
As befits Hollywood, the night of extended shopping will kick off with red carpet arrivals at the Beverly Center at 4 p.m., as VIPs, celebrities and invitees turning out to hear remarks from the mayor, who is slated to speak at a 5 p.m. news conference alongside Vogue’s Lisa Love, L.A.-based designer Randolph Duke, skateboarder/reality TV star Rob Dyrdek and Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am.
The Beverly Center has promised the first 100 shoppers a free Fashion’s Night Out Los Angeles T-shirt — designed by FIDM student Marc Blaskovits. (The shirt will be sold at the mall and other participating spots around Los Angeles — including Fred Segal on Melrose, The Grove and Intermix and Udrest, which are both on Robertson, among others — for $15 each. Poceeds will help fund scholarships for fashion students.)
A fashion show of fall looks featuring some of the Beverly Center’s retailers (including Forever 21, Bebe, Ben Sherman and Traffic, among others) will be staged in the mall’s sixth-floor central area at 5:30 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. In between, Macy’s is scheduled to host a “Denim Rocks” runway show, highlighting local denim brands, at 6:30 p.m.
In addition Charles David founder Charles Malka is scheduled to do an in-store shoe signing (in the Beverly Center) from 6 to 9 p.m. William Rast co-founders Tracy Ayala and Justin Timberlake will be hosting a sneak peek at their label’s new footwear collection and a special FNO eyewear collectionat the William Rast flagship store at Westfield Century City from 8 to 9 p.m. (Earlier the pair will do the same at the Nordstrom at Santa Monica Place from 6 to 7 p.m.)
Throughout the night, the Fred Segal Center on Melrose promises appearances by Quiksilver‘s surfing team, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh (who will sign copies of his book “Beautiful Mutants“) and the guys behind Spirit Hoods, who will be on hand to make sure that any of their animal-shaped hats that are purchased are worn jauntily askew.Taylor Jacobson (formerly with “The Rachel Zoe Project“) will be on hand to offer styling tips from 8 to 10 p.m.
Decadestwo and HauteLook are kicking off a three-day “400 dresses for $400″ event — with a cocktail party featuring special guest designer Alexis Phifer. 6 to 9 p.m.
There’s also some added incentive to pry open the wallet within city limits on Friday night: Anyone (21 and older) who can brandish receipts totaling $25 from a participating Los Angeles FNO retailer will have entrée into a post-shopping fete at SBE’s Industry nightclub, on La Cienega Boulevard,, which will include fashion presentations by some of the designers who call the city home, including Kevan Hall, Sue Wong, Louis Verdad and Petro Zillia’s Nony Tochterman. A second party, at SBE’s XIV, on Sunset Boulevard, subject to the same entrance requirements, will feature fashion-themed drinks. Both bashes will run from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Los Angeles’ Fashion’s Night Out festivities are scheduled to run 6 to 10 p.m., with free parking at — and shuttle service from — the Beverly Center for the duration. A full list of participating retailers as well as a printable map, can be found at city’s FNO site: http://www.fno.lacity.org.
West Hollywood
FNO WeHo is a little city going big: The 1.9-square-mile community of West Hollywood had lined up 28 participants, including Chrome Hearts, Vera Wang, Nicole Miller and the Sunset Plaza shopping center, for events, appearances and parties.
A Julia Clancey runway show is slated for the Andaz West Hollywood’s RH bar, James Jean artwork will be on display at the 3.1 Phillip Lim boutique, and, in what will no doubt be one of the evening’s popular spectator sports events, the Andrew Christian underwear boutique will be holding a Twister competition from 8 to 10 p.m. featuring models wearing nothing more than their skivvies.
For shoppers — and aspiring rock gods — who don’t mind dropping $300 at the John Varvatos boutique on Robertson, celebrity rock photographer Robert Knight will be on hand to shoot your portrait.
The Sunset Plaza shopping center is planning a party complete with aural ambience courtesy of live DJs and a runway show of fall fashion from the center’s retailers. (The price of admission is an FNO proof of purchase.)
West Hollywood’s Fashion’s Night Out runs from 6 to 10 p.m., with free shuttle service for the duration. Shuttle information and a full list of participating retailers and events are available at the organizers’ website:http://www.avenueswh.com/events/fno.
Source: LA Times
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