LIM College

Fashion's Night Out, or as it's often called, FNO, was the perfect excuse to get a group of friends together, get dressed up, and spend a night out on the town, visiting stores you may not normally go to. My friends and I made our first stop at Saks Fifth Avenue in hope of seeing the Glee Cast and the hilarious fashion blogger, The Manrepeller, all of which we arrived too late to see (word of advice: get started early!). 

The department store was packed and complete with makeovers, loud music, and refreshments. We walked around and took it all in, enjoying the exciting environment and gawking over the designer merchandise. I also bought the official FNO tee-shirt as a souvenir of my first Fashion’s Night Out in the big city. I’m sure the tradition will continue in years to come!

 A bird's eye view of the crowds at Saks Fifth Avenue

Pictured here is a fantasy-like creature who danced gracefully around
the cosmetics floor and spritzed the crowd with perfume.
She didn't mind posing for a picture.

Posing proudly with my tee shirt!

An important stop on my Fashion’s Night Out itinerary was Tiffany & Co., where Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl was said to be performing. We shuffled down the streets, weaving our way through the crowds and trying to keep our group together. We were easily distracted by live mannequins, which drew crowds to various stores like Forever 21 and Versace.

Versace’s living, breathing, and glamorous mannequin, complete with
eye-catching lighting and a feathered mini dress.

Despite even more sweaty, anxious crowds and painfully sore feet, the highlight of my night definitely took place at Tiffany & Co. The store glimmered when we entered, from the sparkly macaroons given as snacks to the disco balls, bouncing light off of the expensive jewelry and brightening up the store.

The live mannequin trend continued here at Tiffany’s, where gorgeous young women posed in elegant gowns and all of the store’s most beautiful jewels.

A jewelry-lover’s heaven at Tiffany & Co.

A close up of the glammed-up models!
Check out those killer heels—good thing she’s sitting!

After an hour of waiting, the crowd witnessed the entrance of Leighton Meester!
She floated elegantly down the stairs, smiling excitedly and waving at her screaming fans.

The night came to a close as we enjoyed complimentary, ice-cold lemonade and the sounds of Leighton’s voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I would have loved to have seen every celebrity and attend each and every thrilling event planned for FNO, but there are simply not enough hours in the evening to do so.

This year’s experience taught me that it is, in fact, more realistic to narrow down your FNO itinerary and enjoy a few special events rather than rush around trying to snap as many blurry celebrity photos as possible. Sure, I may have missed Rachel Zoe and Daniel Radcliffe, but there’s always next year!