New York To Celebrate the Commencement of NY Fashion Week with ‘Fashion’s Night Out’

 

Next Thursday, September 10^th, 2009 marks the beginning of the world-renowned New York Fashion Week.  To commemorate this week, NYC & Company and the City of New York have partnered with Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to create an unprecedented citywide initiative called Fashion's Night Out, whose goals are to promote local retail stores, restore consumer confidence and celebrate fashion.

This initiative was announced this past May by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as the CEO of NYC & Company George Fertitta, Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Executive Director Steven Kolb, to support local retailers on the first night of Fashion Week.  Participating retail stores across the five boroughs will stay open until 11:00 PM and offer an array of in-store celebrations and promotions such as personal appearances by designers and celebrities, fashion shows, live music, giveaways and charity tie-ins.

As stated by Mayor Bloomberg, New York City’s fashion and retail industry is a vital part of their local economy, supporting more than 175,000 jobs as seamstresses, sales clerks, delivery drivers and other occupations in apparel design, garment manufacturing, retailing and other areas.  Fashion’s Night Out will provide local retailers with a boost and will serve as a terrific kick-off for fall Fashion Week.

Fashion's Night Out was designed to stimulate the retail and fashion industries and will not only support local retailers but also important NYC causes.  More than 700 stores in New York have signed on for this event.  A special limited-edition t-shirt (pictured above) has been created for Fashion’s Night Out which will go on sale at participating retailers prior to the event.  Proceeds from these sales will support the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.  There is also a city wide clothing drive happening that week benefiting the NYC AIDS Fund.

Fashion's Night Out is a terrific way to jump start NY Fashion Week.  It has even become a global initiative, now including thirteen other fashion capitals in the world, whose goals are to inspire consumers and invigorate local industry through engaging and entertaining incentives.  In the face of a recovering economy, it is good see that initiatives are being taken for the sake of fashion.  Not surprisingly, New York is at the forefront.  Certainly, it is late in the game for San Francisco to follow suit at this point, but perhaps a letter to San Francisco’s own Mayor Gavin Newsom, could spark interest in doing something of the like in San Francisco next year?