Vogue Fashion’s Night Out

There will have been a fair few sore heads among London’s fashion fans on Friday morning following Vogue’s bigger-than-ever Fashion’s Night Out, proving there is only one thing that can whip a fashionista up  into as much of a frenzy  as a discount: free gifts, and champagne, of course!

Thanks to the lovely Anna Wintour, this annual shopping street party has swept London since 2009 in aid of the flailing economy, showcasing the new autumn/winter offerings, generally having a bloody good time – and hopefully squeezing in a free manicure.

Bond Street was the hub of the action this year, with bands and DJs playing to the glamorous crowds on pop-up stages and manicurists furiously working through queues of ladies waiting to get some FNO nail art. As I meandered up the street I walked past David Hersheson’s retro Blow Dry Bus, which had an equally impressive queue of patient women waiting to get their tresses primped by a top stylist. The atmosphere was more than electric: the kind of tangible excitement that only comes from thousands of giddy fashion followers hunting down discounts and knowing there was a chance of bumping into Alexa Chung along the way.

The real action was of course to be found inside the shops, so I decided to tackle the mothership first, our faithful Topshop. Here I found hoards of girls chuffed to bits with their free Freedom jewels which were being gifted along with any purchases made on the night, as well as, of course, more manicurists jazzing up nails to the tune of live music by upcoming artist Delilah. With half-hourly competitions to win shoes and spending sprees, as well as the Toppers’s beauty team pampering lucky shoppers with free makeovers, the party spirit was definitely to be found in the gargantuan flagship.

After picking up some free Green & Black’s from Miss Selfridge (those clever people know chocolate is the best shopping sustenance) I bee-lined for Liberty where I’d heard designer royalty, Richard Nicoll and Rupert Sanderson, were tipped to be making an appearance. My celebrity-spotting skills may have fallen short, but I did see many delighted ladies enjoying the headscarf workshop then being snapped in the live photobooth. With a free blowdry bar and an ace DJ on the decks, there was no doubt that Liberty knows how to show its customers a good night.

The party continued down on to Regent Street where H&M had customers pulling poses in its shop window/photo studio and Michael Kors was inviting customers into what felt like an Ibiza dance floor as the staff were in high spirits worthy of the White Isle. There was another competition to be entered here to win a to-die-for MK handbag, which I of course put my name down for, only to scurry off shortly after before I embarrassed myself by getting carried away throwing shapes on the shop floor.

I nipped through Russell & Bromley to find the store had gone all quaint and English dishing out cocktails in jam jars and retro foot measuring then back on Bond Street the party was still very much in full fashionable swing. Despite the hordes of desperate customers and paparazzi which had swelled outside main attractions such as D&G and Mulberry, I did manage to grab a glass of champers in Coach and admire its beautiful tasselled handbags.

Mulberry was so rammed with the fashion elite that those queueing outside could barely see inside. In fact, it’s surprising there were any fashion celebs left to fill the other shops as everyone from Alexandra Shulman to Christopher Kane, Pixie Geldof, Edie Campbell, Manolo Blahnik and Laura Bailey (just to name a few!) were mingling inside.

Feeling peckish with an empty, champagne-lined tummy I started to make my way home down Bond Street but not without negotiating my way around possibly the biggest queue I’d spotted all night which was for Missoni’s ingenious little ice cream stand outside its boutique. So apparently there is something that can entice fashion fans more than discounts and free champagne…

Image by Suzie Smith