Fashion's Night Out!

To support retailers, designers and combat the general malaise of the recent Great Recession, VOGUE decided that a party would be just the thing.  A big party.  In 2009, VOGUE celebrated its very first Fashion's Night Out with a massive, fashion extravaganza in New York City!  It was declared a resounding success, for retailers and celebrants alike. The thing with parties, of course, is that no one likes to be left out.  Tokyo- being more fabulous in general, but especially when it comes to fashion- decided that Japan needed its own Fashion's Night Out!  

If you've ever wandered past Omotesando-dori's Louis Vuitton facade and thought, "Man, I'd sure like to drink champagne while admiring all those handbags,"  this is the event for you.  All the storefronts- both high and low- get into the spirit!  Champagne, hors d'oeuvres, DJs, leggy models, and miles and miles of couture become accessible to the masses for a few, sparkling hours.  Hordes of people, crammed inside a Tod's or a Chanel, might even mean that Anna Wintour, herself, is in residence.

Since moving here in 2010, I've had a blast attending both the 2010 and the 2011 fetes.  Let's take a short walk down last year's memory lane, shall we?

FNO revelers pause for a rickshaw photo op.

Our first FNO stop was at the traditional Japanese jeweler, Niwaka.  The only Facebook ad on which I've ever clicked was one which popped up a few weeks before last year's FNO..."Interested in Japanese culture?  Come see a FREE performance by authentic, Kyoto Geisha!"  Why yes, Facebook, I was interested! As attending a geisha performance can cost hundreds of dollars, I knew this was probably my only chance.  Good thing I dragged our group there early...it was a full house!

An apprentice geisha, or maiko, gives an interview before the performance.  

What better way to celebrate FNO than by appreciating a performance by the Japanese women who have taken fashion and elevated it to high art?

The two maiko performed an intricate fan dance while the senior geisha (geiko, in this instance, as geisha from Kyoto are called) accompanied the maiko on the koto, a Japanese stringed instrument.

Everything about the performance was perfectly appropriate for the season, from the autumnal backdrop to the maple leaf hair ornaments and kimono.

After watching a breathtaking performance and sighing over the geisha's beauty and elegance, we hit the streets.  All the store windows were decked out in their best, FNO finery. What fun!

Two years ago, all the fun was at Louis Vuitton.  While sipping champagne, we tried on luxurious, leather gloves and admired the fall jackets and shoes.  This past year, the party was at Dior!  The in-house DJ had the music pumping into the streets, while impossibly tall, smug models showed off the fall collections.  Ooh la la!

In light of all this fashion fabulosity, we need to start planning our outfits, now!  Zara and H&M are my favorite, FNO outfit go-to retailers.  Let's be honest, half the fun of Fashion's Night Out in Tokyo is getting ready for it!

FNO has traditionally been held in September; due to Japan's triple disaster last year, the 2011 FNO was pushed back to November.  This year, in 2012, FNO will be held on September 8, from 5pm-11pm in Harajuku.  

Omotesando Hills, a major shopping mall on Omotesando-dori, is the official FNO center.  Head here to purchase the official, 2012 FNO VOGUE t-shirts and totes (sold on the B3 floor)! Proceeds will benefit the Tohoku disaster recovery efforts. 

Access:  Either Meiji-jingu Station or Omotesando Station.

Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!