Fashion’s Night Out was started in 2009 in New York by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as a celebrity-studded way to lure shoppers into stores during the recession, but it’s turned into a global shopping party. Retailers ranging from upscale boutiques to suburban malls to websites have embraced the nocturnal shopping extravaganza, which coincides with the start of New York Fashion Week and the important fall fashion season.
Wintour signed September issues of Vogue for fans at an event sponsored by the home shopping channel QVC in Manhattan Thursday night, while Bieber signed shirts at the D&G boutique on Madison Avenue. Nearly every adult shopper at the jam-packed Bieber site had a pint-sized companion, the boys with Bieber hair, the girls with lip gloss courtesy of free touchups to promote D&G lipstick.
Stephanie Steinberg brought her 11-year-old daughter Caroline, who clutched her just-signed shirt after meeting the pop star. “I’ve never seen her speechless until now,’’ the mom said. D&G donated a portion of proceeds from the event to Bieber’s favorite charity, Pencils of Promise.
In Paris, teenage girls mingled with grand dames in Chanel jackets and pearls inside luxury boutiques in the so-called “Golden Triangle’’ shopping district. Crowds were so thick they spilled off sidewalks and into the streets, much to the annoyance of taxis snared in the surge. Participating boutiques included Chanel, Dior, Prada, Armani and Ralph Lauren.
“With the Champagne and the music, it’s like a party in here,’’ said Paris reveler Sandra Pauwels, 35, while sipping a cocktail at Ungaro.
In Beverly Hills, a Ferris wheel lifted shoppers high above Rodeo Drive, where three blocks were closed to traffic for Fashion’s Night Out festivities. Gucci offered shoppers a limited-edition tote with a $500 purchase, Coach celebrated the relaunch of its classic duffle and Chanel offered three nail polishes in shades of blue. A DJ spun tunes at Juicy Couture, where shoppers sipped Champagne and tried the chocolate-tasting bar provided by LA eatery Bottega Louie.
