William Rast, the men's and women's fashion collection by Justin Timberlake, has arrived at Target stores in the U.S. along with a new campaign. The biker bohemian line is a collaboration with designer Trace Ayala.
For those who haven’t been anxiously counting down the days until New York Fashion Week, you probably aren’t aware of a little event called Fashion’s Night Out. This huge, globe-spanning extravaganza kicks off NY Fashion Week, which showcases the spring/summer collections of the current top designers. The event begins tonight, Sept. 10, 2010; it’s centered in New York City and is promoted by Mayor Bloomberg, “Vogue” and the CFDA, but is celebrated in cities across the country and in many countries around the globe.
Fashion’s Night Out gives the chance for shoppers to get exclusive access to many stores and the opportunity to shop with the stars and see big names in fashion such as Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and tons of supermodels up close in person. The second annual event, whose slogan is “Shop for Something Good,” is the biggest shopping event of the year, with top designers like Alexander Wang, Chanel, Stella McCartney, Byron Lars and Proenza Schouler opening their doors to the public and encouraging customers to shop.
In addition, mass retailing companies such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Sony Style and American Apparel have participating stores across the states. On top of the designer merchandise sure to fly off the shelves, the collection of Fashion’s Night Out merchandise is equally well-known and is sold with a purpose. A percentage of the proceeds of the tanks, classic tees, tote bags, hoodies and more go directly to the New York City AIDS Fund.
On Tuesday night, Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American “Vogue,” and her team staged “Fashion’s Night Out: The Show,” which displayed models wearing the looks that fashion editors picked for Fall 2010. The event was intended to entice the public to come out on Friday and begin shopping. Over 1,500 patrons forked over $250 per ticket to see the biggest public fashion show in New York City history, which featured models like Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell and Lara Stone working the runway along with 150 other big names.
The location of the show was the new home of New York Fashion Week, the Lincoln Center. Each of the 157 looks showcased on the runway were based on the trends of plaids, twenties glamour, rock chic, romantic minimalism, ladylike ensembles, utilitarian outerwear and bohemian. Though the show only lasted 20 minutes, including the runway show and a performance by Pharrell Williams, the show executed its mission of exciting the crowd for the coming weekend extravaganza.
Fashion’s Night Out marks a new kind of retail marketing, sparking excitement in fashion again and providing patrons with a fun night out instead of the regular old shopping trip. The official website for the event even allows you to plan out the entire evening to include celebrity appearances, free gifts with purchase, refreshments, pop-up shops, contests, DJs, designer appearances, exhibitions and tons more.
Fashion’s Night Out is the first and only event of its kind, thought up by fashion leader Anna Wintour in an effort to revive the fashion community after the effects of the recession. After such a huge turnout last year, this weekend is sure to see a jam-packed New York City.
For those of us who unfortunately can’t make it to NYC for this star-studded event, CBS is airing a special Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 10 p.m., and of course, the official merchandise is available online to shop for and order, so you can celebrate the event wherever you may be.
Mark your calendars: Target is opening a store in Harlem and the company's advertising is anything but subtle. Aside from print and outdoor ads, the company is overtaking the front pages of the New York Daily News and New York Post, and wrapping double-decker tour buses and subways. The number 6 train will be branded inside with Target ads and outside with a red and white wrap. Outside subway wraps rarely occur, so I can only imagine how much money the MTA will receive. Enough to close in on its deficit? See the bus and subway wraps, paying close attention to a certain subway rider who loves riding the Target trains! Mother New York created the campaign.
