My 2010 Fashion’s Night Out
by Wendy Lerman
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| If you haven’t heard of Fashion’s Night Out, then you were not in New York last Friday. From Wall Street to SoHo, to Meatpacking, to the Upper East Side, the streets were mobbed with everyone from designers, celebrities, the fashion set, tourists, the young and hip, the old(er) and fabulous – all celebrating fashion! Stores stayed open late and shoppers enjoyed special gifts, cocktails, music, celebrity and designer appearances, discounts, games, prizes, and so much more. It felt like a giant party all over Manhattan. Almost like New Year's Eve, but instead we were welcoming in Spring 2011 Fashion Week. Runway shows and Fashion Week parties are infamously known for being uber exclusive (I even have to beg for invites). So it was truly refreshing to enjoy an event that was open to everyone. Hey, it’s not just the industry people that care about fashion – we all wear the clothes, we all buy the magazines, and we all want to be part of the fun. And so we were. |
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| Gridlock on Madison Avenue. |
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| While I had lofty goals of running all around the city, traffic was gridlocked and grabbing a cab nearly impossible. I ended up staying on Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue in the 50s and 60s – arguably some of the best shopping in town. Certainly not a bad place to be stuck. For me, the highlight of the night was attending Judith Leiber’s Madison Avenue boutique. New York Social Diary’s Alexandra Lebenthal was signing her brand new novel, The Recessionistas. It is next on my list to read and should be on yours too. You can buy it HERE. And to celebrate, Alexandra Lebenthal, along with Molly Sims, co-hosted a charity event with 100 bags for only $100! All of the profits raised at the evening’s event were donated to the Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala. Women literally raced to score one of these very special bags — truly every Recessionista’s dream event! And so much fun. |
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| The Line forming at JUDITH LEIBER. |
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| Alexandra and her daughter, Ellie Diamond. | Alexandra and The Recessionistas. |
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| The bling on mother and daughter's feet ... |
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| Doggies like Judith Leiber too! | Ellie Diamond's Hello Kitty bag. |
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| Molly Sims a la Vanna White. Behind the curtain: 100 Judith Leiber Bags for $100! |
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| Judith Leiber bags galore. |
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| Euan Rellie and Lucy Sykes with friends. |
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| The crowd at Judith Leiber. |
| I spent a good portion of the evening in Bergdorf Goodman. With all the celebrity appearances including Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham, and Jason Wu, it was no surprise the line to get in wrapped around the block. But even with the hoards of crowds, once inside, people managed to find plenty of room to shop. |
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| At BERGDORFS ... all the girls want their picture taken with Robert Verdi. |
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| Doing a little shopping at Bergdorfs. | Love the boot selection on 5F right now! |
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| Olympic Fencer Tim Moorehouse having fun at Bergdorf Men's Store. |
| Afterwards, I headed to The Plaza, where lots of parties were going on throughout their retail collection located on the lower level, known as the Shops at the Plaza. I missed the live performance by Corinne Bailey Rae in The Plaza’s beautiful Palm Court, but was able to stop by the Terrace Room where Joel Warren, Edward Tricomi, Douglas Hannant, and Frederick Anderson co-hosted with the CFDA and Shops at the Plaza After Party. |
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| After the Corrine Bailey Rae concert at The Plaza. |
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| Vanessa Carlton performed at ANN TAYLOR over on Madison Avenue. |
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| CREED. |
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| ESCADA. | LANVIN. |
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| CAROLINA HERRERA. |
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| Maggie Norris fixing a fellow fashion night outer's bow outside of GILAN. |
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| MICHAEL KORS. |
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| The scene at MAUBOUSSIN (Clockwise from top): Eleanora Kennedy with Yaz and Valentin Hernandez; Larry Leeds; Eleanora Kennedy and Anna Safir; Lee and Cece Black. |
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| JUDITH RIPKA. |
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| FRED LEIGHTON. |
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| Another fun part of the night, was seeing all the Pop-Up-Shops popping up around 5th Avenue, like the Tous shop. On the street, I also ran into designer Jessica Kagan Cushman who makes those super cute fossilized ivory bracelets that are hand engraved with clever messages. They are available at Bergdorf Goodman. |
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| The Tous Pop-Up-Shop on 5th Avenue. |
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| Jessica Cushman bracelets, available at Bergdorf Goodman. |
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| Jami Beere, Samantha Daniels, and Wendy Lerman at the Tous Pop-Up-Shop with their shopping bags. |
| I’d say all in all, the evening was a huge success. I can’t wait until next year. |
| Photographs by Wendy Lerman, Gail Karr, Jill Lynne. | Twitter: ShoppingDiary |
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