FROM LEFT: Vera Wang; Fashion's Night Out special-edition T-shirt.
I'm very much looking forward to September 10. Not only is it the beginning of spring 2010 fashion week, it’s the date of an incredible and unprecedented initiative called Fashion’s Night Out. That evening, major department stores, luxury flagships, independent boutiques and beauty emporiums all over the five boroughs will keep their doors open until 11 PM for every shopper in the city. Why? My colleagues at the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), New York’s retailers, my friends at Vogue, NYC & Company, and the city of New York have recognized the need to reenergize the fashion community and encourage people to get enthusiastic about shopping again. Our city is home to some of the most creative designers in the world and legendary retailers, as well as countless New Yorkers who rely on our industry for work. And it is vital, no matter the price or quantity of what we buy, that we come out to support the fashion community and the economy.
While I’m really looking forward to Fashion’s Night Out and how hugely it will energize us, I’m even more thrilled that the event will benefit two causes that are crucial to New York City. The initiative has created a special-edition Fashion’s Night Out T-shirt that will be available to shoppers, and proceeds from its sale will go to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. The memorial, to open at the World Trade Center site in September 2011, will honor those killed in the terrorist attacks. It will be a beautiful space where visitors can remember those who risked their lives for others and those we lost in New York, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon on September 11, as well as in the 1993 WTC bombing.
Those involved with Fashion’s Night Out are also encouraging shoppers to donate clothing at citywide retail and drop-off locations. Your newly purchased or gently used clothes will go to the New York City AIDS Fund, which will distribute them to the many nonprofit AIDS/ HIV organizations in our area. This will immediately help those living with HIV and AIDS in our city—from children affected by the disease to medically stable adults who are joining the workforce.
I am so happy to be participating in Fashion’s Night Out, which I know will greatly benefit these two amazing causes. And I encourage you to come out on September 10 to shop and support and celebrate those who make New York fashion the force that it is.
For more information on how you can support the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the New York City AIDS Fund or for other details on Fashion’s Night Out, visit fashionsnightout.com.
