Bergdorf Goodman

It’s that time of the year again! The Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week is back and bigger than ever. For the forth year in a row, on Thursday, September 5th, from 6PM – 11PM, Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) will act as the kick off to a week of runway shows, as well as several other events set to take place throughout the week that are geared toward fashion industry insiders. There is a sense of anticipation wafting through Manhattan this week and heightened style everywhere you look, not to mention anxiety ridden fashion industry employees, decorated with high fashion apparel, buzzing about the island in order to assure all runs smoothly.

Few debate the use of New York Fashion Week, but FNO continues to get mixed reviews. While the now global event proves fun for shoppers, namely the young crowd, FNO as a whole seems to become a burden for retailers. There are no real numbers to back up its efficiency in terms of increasing sales, but we all know Ms. Wintour benefits from her brainchild after launching FNO back in 2009, as we have recently learned about her Ambassadorship dreams.

Regardless of the negative reviews, or questions of purpose, we consumers and forever lovers of all things fashion, will celebrate Thursday’s Fashion Night Out as our one day to bask in the industry that makes us squeal with glee and gladly accept the free drinks, gifts with purchase, limited edition products, fun events, and celebrity appearances.

FashionsNightOut.com is an uber informative and organized website, not to mention The Stylish City’s recommended source of information and inspiration. This official website will help to make you make an efficient decision on how to spend your evening, customized by what (or who) you want to see. Your choice of venue should certainly be made with care in order to get the most of FNO, which is made for you, the consumer!

Although FNO events are scattered throughout the city, there are two major hubs, holding numerous destinations: SoHo and the Upper East Side. Apart from the locations, the many events seem to fall into one of the following categories: Celebrity and designer appearances, free drinks, music, contests. quirky attractions, and spa-like services that include everything from makeovers to massages. Numerous shops and boutiques are also offering a free gift with a minimum purchase, so be sure to check FashionNightOut.com in order to get the best bang for your buck!

If your inner paparazzo is ready and waiting to shine, opt for venues that feature celebrity appearances. Kim Kardashian is set to make an exclusive appearance at Lord and Taylor, 424 5th Avenue, in honor of her fragrance True Reflection, while Diane von Furstenberg, Solange Knowles, and Girls co-star Allison Williams will be on hand at DVF Meatpacking, 874 Washington Street, as MAC provides complimentary make-overs and fortunetellers determine your fashion future.

For some more fun, quirky events, combined with celebrity appearances do not miss Kate Upton and Nikki Reed judging a karaoke contest at Michael Kors’ Upper East Side location, 667 Madison Avenue, and the Olsen Twins doing the very same at Barneys, Madison and 61st Street. Down in SoHo a heated game of Pictionary will be in full swing as Brad Goreski and Kate Spade’s president, Deborah Lloyd, face off with there best doodles while we play along and sip on milkshakes – Kate Spade, 454 Broome Street.

Apart from DVF’s MAC set up, many other venues will be offering free make-overs that are sure to draw some of the biggest crowds. In honor of their 111th anniversary, Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Avenue, will feature on hand professionals in the area of brow, last and nails, while Maybelline parks their Mobile Color Studio in Times Square, Broadway at 41st/42nd, and Union Square, Union Square West at 14th/15th, and invites you to pop in for daytime touch-ups and mini-manicures. Free goodies will be distributed at Matt Bernson, 20 Harrison Street, to the first 100 customers, in addition to their endless complimentary cocktails from Given Liqueur, fashion manicures by NailEZEE and a braid bar by Joico.

Tired yet? Tough! Head to Scoop NY’s Meatpacking District Block Party, 875 Washington Street, and grab yourself a complimentary cocktail from Tequila Avion as you shop and groove to Brooklyn-based band St. Lucia and DJ Mick Boogie. Still haven’t had your fill? Opt for one last round of karaoke (arguably the most popular attraction this year) to end your fashion forward evening at Opening Ceremony, 20 West 29th Street, as you harmonize with your closest friends in their noraebang, a Korean karaoke room in the Ace Hotel.

Just think, all of this is just the kick off to the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, leaving New Yorkers no time for a fashion hang over. But, come next Thursday, September 13th, you’ll be left with a full 51 weeks to recover, allowing you to be fresh as a daisy and ready for another round of fashion mania.

By Caitlin Colford

As another summer simmers down in the city, tourists hang on to the last days of vacation and NYU freshmen invade Washington Square Park once again. Stores are getting ready for the new season and changing their displays — making us even less able to deal with last week’s heat wave — but it’s never too soon to get your wardrobe ready for the next season.

To do it stress free, follow these steps: look at your life, understand your “fashion needs,”  asses what you have, create the looks, and then buy what you are missing.

When it comes to fashion looks, and probably anything else in life, there are innovators and there are imitators. While I use some creativity in putting together an outfit, I cannot say that I am an innovator without seriously stretching the truth. I watch the fashion shows, and most of the time have an idea of what the designer wants to say, but by the end of the 20th show, I have no idea what trends are going to be popular next season or what will make me look “in” or “out.” Thanks to my ignorance, there are buyers out there who will never lose their jobs.

What better place to get ideas about popular trends than the windows of the “Big Six” which are: Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s.

I checked out the windows to see how they were prepping for fall. Here are my findings.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Knitwear: fishermans’ cable, mixed media and layering

DVF: bold color and strong femininity

Bergdorf Goodman

Print, Tweed, Leather, Rich Color, Peplum

Barney’s

No clear direction, emphasis on jewelry, designer Derek Lam.

Neiman Marcus

Lists but not on the front page numerous trends: Digital Prints, Mixed Greens, Borrowed from the Boys, The Jacket, The Leather Leg, The Smoking Sleeper, Navy, The Statement Bag, Brooches.

Macy’s

Interesting emphasis on home produce and Saturday sales. No mention of upcoming fall fashion trends.

Bloomingdale’s

The only references to trends are for current summer ones, including color, print, and white cropped bottoms.

And that’s what we have so far. Not everyone seems fully prepared for fall, including the big six stores mentioned above.

That’s if for today folks. I’ll keep you posted on what’s worth shopping for in the city.

By Wendy Rose Gould

The long waited July sales are currently underway in almost every store on the Manhattan’s east side, west side, uptown and downtown.  Comparable to their holiday sales that push winter clothing into your closet, the July discounts attempt to force feed you last minute summer threads in order for the store to make room for pre-fall merchandise.

These massive, storewide sales hock heaps of designer wear for large discounts, leaving me to wonder how stores and designers would  profit from a 70% off sale? “ When items need to be marked down—and sometimes when they don’t —retailers simply return to their vendors, whoever sold them the animal print  sweaters or the emerald blazers, and demand kickbacks, known in the business as ‘markdown money,’” journalist Maureen Tkacik states in a memorable New York Magazine article.

I re-read Tkacik’s 2006 article before visiting 4th of July sales at Bloomingdale’s, and Bergdorf, and  it  helped  me to  view the sales in a whole new light  The article mentions time and time again a certain shopper Tkacik calls the animal print lady, the type of shopper who  only visits  stores during big blow out sales, and leans toward certain  fashions that are available for 50-70%.  Although more than six years old, I am glad to report that not only the animal print ladies are not extinct , but the animal print itself continues to hang on sales racks everywhere.

I assure you that during my latest visit this week, merely every designated designers sale rack held at least one article of animal print clothing. Tkacik wasn’t kidding in her discovery; the animal print lives on devoted discount shoppers . What Tkacik did not foresee when she wrote the article was the fact that animal prints would become a closet staple and will probably never go out of style,  hence the  shoppers she calls “animal print ladies”are merely the ones who  know when to buy their animal print clothes for less than the full retail price.

Some things never change; as I was browsing the 30% off racks of Max Mara in Bloomingdale’s the day before 4th of July, an associate approached me stating that even thought their 50% off sale didn’t begin until July 5th, they would still honor the upcoming discount. A pre-sale of sorts, except you didn’t have to come back to pick up your merchandise, you could bring it home with you same day .

During another visit on July 7th, a Bloomingdale’s sale associate informed me  that although there will be no  “consolidation sale this year, Chanel is expected to take an additional 40% sale starting July 10th.

And yet, the 2012 “after July 4th  sale” at Bloomingdale’s left us wanting for more, as we  would characterise it as rather….tamed. The signs discreetly spread around the  store mentioned only the additional discounts that varied between 20% and  30%.  For some items, when you do the math, the sales  don’t look so bad. Take for example  the  Karen Millen dress in the picture, it went from over $200 to $99,  and when you calculate the additional 20%  discount,  a trip to 59th Street might be well worth it. Would this purchase turn you into an animal print lady? I wouldn’t worry about that, you probably are one if you read this website.

On Tuesday July 3rd, aside from the inundation of leopards, cheetahs, and zebras (oh my!) every brand was trying to push out their red, white, and blue clothing. Starred pants and blue and white stripe boat neck shirts were heavily discounted, in hopes that last minute shoppers would be out in search of the perfect outfit for their 4th of July barbeque. Above all this, I noticed heaps of neon.

Clearly the target sale audience members for the shoe department were no plain Janes either. For the most part, all visited  stores held, on average, a 50% off sale for their designer shoes.   Prints, patent leather, and neon were the trends here. Prada had a bright pink pair of heels, Lanvin and Stella McCartney had eye catching neon  leather heels that you could see from miles away at Bergdorf.

To get down to basics, I was impressed by the sale selection at Bergdorf Goodman – they were certainly the winner over Bloomingdale’s , which is surprising. Given Bergdorf’s current renovation within the women’s contemporary section, it seems there were less shoppers and more discounts. I’ll take the plastic bags hung about and floors strewn with sawdust if that means 70% off Rag & Bone denim and Vince clothing any day. The sales at  Bloomingdale’s were pretty standard. Set up just the same as their Holiday sale, with bonus discounts to boot.

There’s some serious study to be had in the theories of sale shopping. The sample sale shopper vs. the department store shopper, the 4th of July shopper vs. the Holiday shopper, the Bergdorf shopper vs. the Bloomies shopper, etc, but that’s for another day. For now we will simply bask in the glory of cheap leopard print heels and neon pink skirts, and save the psychology for a rainy day. I do promise you will gain one thing from this article: you will never again be able to serenely browse a sale rack again without taking immediate notice to the infinite display of the anti-plain Jane wardrobe. Sorry.