London's Fashion Night Out- Forget Black Friday, this is the best shopping day of the year!

Last night was Vogue's Fashion Night Out in all the major fashion capitals of the globe. FNO is an event where stores stay open until about 10pm, usually with DJs, bands, designers, giveaways and drinks as bonuses. Though I usually style.com the hell out of NY's FNO, this was my first (real or virtual) experience with London's version. I grabbed my fashion-industry friend Kerrie and we hit the Regent & Bond Street events.

6:30 pm First stop of the night was at Jaeger, where we were treated with tasty fro-yo with fresh fruit from Yoo Moo and glass of bubbly as we cruised the new season wares. I am loving their olive and blood orange swatch.

these colors, amiright?

We also had a chance to color in a Hastings bag for a chance to win one of our own.

Here is my fit-for-fall "creation". (Just use your imagination cap and picture that yellow as mustard. Lush, isn't it?)

vote for it at http://tinyurl.com/6gy6bnc

7pm: Next we hiked up to Liberty of London and were greeted with lovely orchid corsages from Wild at Heart. There was a Vogue cover competition on the ground floor and a pina colada bar on the 1st floor.

On the second floor there was a Luau party with Hawaiian tunes, and Mahiki coconut rum served in actual coconuts, which I think should be the new breakfast drink of champions, or at least me. Jonathan Saunders was (allegedly) there, but we didn't see him, and didn't want to spend the entire evening at one event, so definitely an incentive to return next year! Waiting for the designers did allow enough time for a bit of a mirror-coconut fashion shoot though, result!

Wearing a plain sheer white GAP tee, Topshop wideleg jeans, and leopard print platform heels, with my granny's old rhinestone bracelets and some crystal friendship bracelets from my sisters and mom. I planned to wear a more fashiony outfit, swear, but the boiler man was working in our flat when I was going to change and I think throwing off my clothes just then would have sent the wrong message. Sorry for wearing my work clothes, fashion world.

7:30pm: Wandered into Hoss intropia unplanned, but I was drawn in by a dress in the window. As soon as we walked in, there was a bartender not making drinks but spinning, flipping and tossing some gin bottles, like he was auditioning for Tom Cruise's role in Cocktail. It was fine that he wasn't making drinks though, as we were handed these pretty little martinis made up of gin, apple juice and elderflower, served with a tiny rosebud garnish. Precious & delicious.

Precious & delicious is also a good way to describe their collection. Take the coat below. Netting with each chenille patch woven into the netting, and the little shimmery areas you can make out? Hand sewn beads.  I love this store, and with prices comparable to Hobbs, I think its a lot more fashion for your pound.

I die.

8pm -ish (hey I am on my 4th cocktail, time starts blurring together): Starbucks stop! No not to sober up (there was champagne), but for FNO. Of course Starbucks is a Major Fashion Brand, because what fashionista, or Olsen twin, is ever photographed without a green-mermaid emblazoned cup? Having read Liberty London Girl's blog about her event, we got there just in time to see her announce the Central St Martin's student who won the Starbucks cake box illustration competition.

The illustration chosen was that of a lady dressed in a black dress with Starbucks green details. Kerrie and I were quite pleased LLG picked this design, as it was our favorite, too! We received one of these boxes in our event gift bag, definitely a keepsake (except the cakes, my husband already ate those).

Joseph Larkowski was the illustrator of this box design. Besides being the Starbucks FNO winner, he has already interned at Alexander McQueen. Don't be surprised when you hear his name in fashion journals a few years down the line. (PS- Joeseph, if you just googled yourself & read this, can you make us that Starbucks dress? I am in love with that skirt and collar!)

Joseph Larkowski & Liberty London Girl

8:30pm: Had to stop in Vivienne Westwood & Vivienne Westwood MAN. Although it would have been nice to actually see the clothes, it was fun semi-celeb watching while drinking Ciroc'n'cranberry and snacking on chocolate covered strawberries. See the photo below to play our favourite game of "Guess that celebrity who allegedly gave me stink eye when I almost -but didn't- bumped into her?"

Didya guess? Put your answer below in the comments!

8:45pm: This is where it became so crowded on Bond Street I traded taking photos for not getting knocked down as we headed into Burberry, which was filled to the rim with people and nearly impossible to find where the champagne was coming from. But there were lovely Burberry body samples. Fashion blogger Hannah from Bow Dream Nation was there just a bit after me and bumped into the Kooks. I am very devastated as the lead singer is (cover your ears Damen from Vampire Diaries) my imaginary boyfriend. Well, maybe we aren't meant to be.

Next we went to Miu Miu which wasn't doing anything fun, but I just wanted to covet some shoes for a bit. We went outside to watch some Hermés bangle bowling and get wel-jeal of the ladies and lads who won.

We stopped to pickup a FNO tee made by the GAP and get a free cup of Starbucks. Did I meantion that FNO is actually a good, charitable reason to get champagne drunk while trying on £2,000 coats? All the proceeds from t-shirt sales went to Kids Company. And they were pretty much sold out by the time we got to the shirt kiosk. Go London fashion lovers!

9:30pm: DKNY was a bit cray-cray on the first floor, with a mad rush for the fruity cocktails, but we were there to spray on some of their Golden Delicious perfume and check out some sales. Would have taken some pics of the madness but I was too busy falling down the stairs in front of 200 people. Oh well.
I did get this shot of me with the authentic NYC yellow cab that did make me a teensy bit homesick.

Unlike real NYC cabs, my cell phone was not lost in the back seat of this one

9:45pm- In the queue for Alexander McQueen. Checking out some style stars of the evening.

Work it!

9:50pm- Into a packed McQueen, though they ran out of drink a bit before. We were told that we missed the key giveaway, where you got a key to check if you won a bag, by ages, so besides seeing some red-carpet-worthy gowns up close, it was sort of a wash.

 

Though this year's FNO snuck up on me and I didn't really make a plan, I had do much fun and can't wait til next year! It was also so nice to go shopping in stores I don't typically get a chance to see. Unlike the States stores in London typically close early (around 5-6) on weekdays, so us working gals don't get much of a chance to shop, and try getting my anti-clothes-shopping husband to sit around and wait while I browse the best of Bond Street (seriously, someone please try).

Did you participate in any FNO events? Let me know where you went & how it was!