Fashion's Night Out Tokyo edition
It was like a dream. Flutes of champagne and glasses of wine greet you at the entrance. Silver platters of pralines and chocolates entertain while you browse the shelves. Prizes and limited edition items made especially for the most industrious shopper. Shops open almost until the stroke of midnight. These were the highlights of Fashion’s Night Out Tokyo.
It was like the New Year’s Day of fashion sans the ubiquitous fireworks. Boutiques went all out — Ralph Lauren brought out the blue carpet and lined it with giant candles, while Prada lit the lights to welcome the shoppers. Everybody who participated, from the celebrities, fashion editors to ordinary Tokyoites, was in a jubilant mood. It was as if they were permitted to enjoy shopping again, which is timely as the recession abates and the appetite to shop starts returning.
Apart from the boutiques, chic bars like Montauk joined in the festivities with its weeklong collaboration with United Bamboo. Automobile brands like Audi and Mini were also present parading their cars up and down the Aoyama and Omotesando districts.
If it was about bringing back the joy of shopping, then Fashion’s Night Out Tokyo was successful. It had the atmosphere of genuine excitement, only enhanced by the thrill of finding what we lust for. However, if it was about bringing the shoppers in droves and increasing retail revenue, I suspect it was pretty low-key. If there was no posters advertising the event, I would have thought it were just a normal Friday night. Usual Sunday afternoons in Omotesando are certainly more crowded than last September 11th. The only obvious “mob” was the one that trailed supermodel Ai Tominaga as she jumped from LV, Dior, and onto Marc by Marc Jacobs, which became the unofficial “nightclub” of the whole event. For those who were doing serious shopping at FNO, the lack of crowds may have been a plus.
The global initiative by Vogue is indeed a unique way of helping the fashion industry. For the first time since the recession, shoppers did not judge solely by the tag (most items were sold full price) but rather, rediscovered the experience of browsing for items that may one day fill their closet. It was about looking and acquiring things you truly desire, so much so that shopping in this economic climate is a guilty pleasure no more.
