Translation: Omigod, Fashion’s Night Out, Great Time, Pics to Come! That title is homage to the ridiculous overuse of acronyms in our society today! Everything seems to be getting the abbreviation treatment and once you’re part of the social media sphere, you understand why; what with limited space and character allotments within which to express yourself. But honestly, is it then necessary to continue to use the abbreviations in spoken conversation and/or long articles!? My belief is that if you don’t actually pronounce the acronym (ie: asap/ay-saap) or spell out the acronym (ie: r.s.v.p), then you should say or write out the entire word when possible. It’s just awkward to read DWTS or ABDC because the reader literally has to translate it back to Dancing With The Stars or America’s Best Dance Crew, defeating the purpose of acronyms making life easier.
Fashions-Night-Out-NYC-2011
Anyway, enough of that! The purpose of this article is to rave about Fashion’s Night Out, not gripe about the demise of the English language! I’m going to write about FNO from the pedestrians perspective…not as an authority on fashion, not as a socialite with exclusive access, not as even a fashionista…just as an ordinary New Yorker with an appreciation for good, clean, drama-free fun in one of the greatest cities in the world.
Well, let me set this up by saying that Fashion Week is usually no different for me than the other 51 in the year…as I’m sure is the case with most New Yorkers. I mean, let’s be honest here: if you aren’t a model or a designer or somehow involved with covering Fashion Week, then what can you do? You know it’s happening, you read the articles, you watch the tv blurbs, you may even walk by Lincoln Center and smell the couture yourself, but that’s probably as close as your non-designer manicured paws will get! Which is why the geniuses who invented FNO are also sweethearts! Because now, everyone who is no one can finally be someone for one night of Fashion Week! Everyone gets their fairy-dusted New York moment! I am so impressed with the mayhem that is Fashion’s Night Out within just three years of its existence.
Every participating store or pop-up store seemed committed to outdoing their neighbor in extravagance, music, giveaways, and just altogether fabulous-ness. It’s the cosmopolitan version of the suburban houses secretly competing for the best Christmas decorations. And we, the consumers, are fortunately caught in the crossfire! And so, as one wanders the streets of the Meatpacking district or Soho or Madison Avenue on that fateful day, one will be showered with free gifts and invitations to enter store after store, wherein he/she shall be greeted with a signature drink and/or hors de voures. Music, usually live, will entice you to sway to and fro through the isles of clothes and activities might even be planned to entertain you if you should choose to keep the purse strings tied.
On several occasions, I felt as if I was transported into a club. One store went so far as to create an outdoor barbeque scene on their property, complete with astroturf. Free mascara, free ice cream, free lollipops, free pop chips, free drinks, free drinks, and did I mention, free drinks? What a night out. This is just as good as the Halloween Parade in NYC and I never thought I would say that. Go to Fashion’s Night Out next year and enjoy your glass slipper moment…it’s free!
