Fashion’s Night Out: Midtown Review

The third annual Fashion’s Night Out on September 8th promised to be even bigger and better than in the first two years of its inception. Having just moved to New York, I was particularly excited about this event. As there was an  extensive list of retailers and designers hosting events throughout the evening, I decided to focus on Midtown, hoping to experience a wide range of entertainment options. My sister and I took the 1 to 50th Street and began our evening there.

An impromptu dance performance in front of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was promptly disbanded by the cops.  

Our first stop was the Manolo Blahnik store on 54th Street. As an avid fan of Sarah Jessica Parker, this was very exciting for me, especially since as a graduate student with a hefty amount of loans, I would never even dream of entering such a reputable establishment on a normal day, let alone touch the shoes. But touch the shoes I did. In fact I was impressed by how friendly and welcoming the staff was. There was quite a crowd in the small boutique, but the sales people smiled at everyone and were eager to answer our questions. There was no pressure to buy, so we felt free to peruse the store. Unfortunately, SJP had already left by the time we arrived, but we did get to see the new shoe that she designed.

Ready to get a taste of something a bit more in our price range, we headed down 5th Avenue to see what the big retailers had in store. People everywhere were reveling in the streets, taking photos and celebrating fashion in all its forms. Street fashion mixed with high fashion in a veritable tableau of New York City style. Our next stop was the Zara store, but before we could go inside, we were distracted by a group of models in evening gowns and elaborate makeup posing outside the Elizabeth Arden store next door. Inside Zara there was a DJ on the ground floor and upstairs we enjoyed complimentary champagne and the most delicious breadsticks I’ve ever eaten.

From there we made our way over to Rockefeller Center, where there was a red carpet set up and live music at the Rink Bar. But the most fun we had at Fashion’s Night Out was simply watching all the New Yorkers out to enjoy a night on the town. With the free champagne and the red carpet treatment, everyone could feel like a celebrity for a night.