The Style File: Fashion's Night Out 2011

Fashion's Night Out, a night where shopping is encouraged, and is done so by well-known celebrities and editors who want to join in the spectacles. It is when New York City's countless shopping destinations take centerstage.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, New Yorkers walked store to store to indulge in events, appearances, and the occasional cocktail.    

Fashion's Night Out is not for the weak. The crowds are worse than those at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the heels could be used as a weapon (if they haven't been already).

Maneuvering through crowds around the city takes a certain skill, a skill that I may have mastered this year.My first stop of the night was Bloomingdales in Midtown, where there were guest appearances by designer and stylist Rachel Zoe, supermodel Erin Wasson, and many others.

Like other locations around the city, the lines and Macaroons were endless, but according to the dedicated fans who waited to meet the guests of honor, it was worth the wait.    

Instead of waiting for Rachel Zoe, I preferred to stalk the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, who made a guest appearance at the Alexander Wang flagship store in Soho to judge a talent contest.

Among the contenders were a beat boxer, a singer, and a dancer, who were skilled enough to impress Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee.    You may have been in the crowd of thousands of Kardashian fans who caused near-riot conditions to see the sisters at their SoHo store.

DJ Pauly D, also known as the man with hair that cannot be moved from the MTV's The Jersey Shore, DJ'ed the Dash store event, which was eventually shut down by police due to "mass hysteria" by the crowd.

The reason for the Kardashian (and Pauly D) obsession still has me stumped, but I'm in the process of looking for answers.

If celebrity appearances and shopping incentives aren't enough to peak your interest, exclusive clothing, accessory, and beauty collections may have.  Brands such as NARS Cosmetics, Ralph Lauren, and many others participated in putting together a custom "Fashion's Night Out" collection.

The Fashion's Night Out logo, that has taken over the city for the past few weeks, was incorporates in the designs. Sticking to one of the main colors of the night, sparkling silver, NARS created an exclusive collection of nail polish and eyeliner.

When I wasn't chasing after Anna Wintour (really, there are photos), and trying my hardest to snap pictures of designer Alexander Wang at his SoHo flagship store, I was walking store-to-store complaining about my unfortunate heel choice.

All in all, though, it's safe to say that Fashion's Night Out won my love all over again.