Inside Fashion’s Night Out 2012

VOGUE’s 2012 Fashion’s Night Out was the biggest yet, even its official T-shirt was an unprecedented success – selling out at the Condé Nast Worldwide store in less than an hour. We even found a few lost shoppers inside Vogue House, trying to track down the event’s stylish item.

In Mayfair, the streets were alive with music – from Labrinth at Emporio Armani‘s Secret Garden Party to live performances from four of the capital’s emerging musicians at the Samsung Stage – which attracted hordes of crowds. Burberry‘s Bond Street store was – as usual at FNO – packed to the brim, as shoppers turned up to watch its band-of-the-moment, Southern. We wonder if they noticed the label’s current muse, handsome Roo Panes, watching from the sidelines. One-girl-band Delilah took to the Topshop windows for a special gig, while Hermés got people dancing in the streets with its Swing Patrol band.  A lone accordion player standing on a Bond Street corner was cheered on by crowds – a truly perfect sight to see. The link between fashion and music could not have been more obvious or more enjoyable.

Elsewhere in Covent Garden, the Chanel human vending machines went down a storm – manned by hidden people who dispensed the chosen products into Chanel bags. Opening Ceremony took its Korean-themed street party to the next level, with Japanese-inspired cocktails, delicious food and a trailer – in which shoppers could get their hair done in the style of Manga girls.

Of course, the party of the night was undeniably the Vogue and Mulberry official FNO soirée – held at the label’s Bond Street store. The star guests were in no short supply – Manolo Blahnik, Edie Campbell, Roland Mouret, Christopher Kane, Daisy Lowe, Suki Waterhouse, Portia Freeman, Matthew Williamson and Erdem to name but a few – as were the decadent refreshments. Oysters and Champagne anyone? "The crowd is wonderful and there’s a real buzz here," Suki Waterhouse told us. "I love having the chance to meet all the designers too. Emma Hill, for example, is amazing – I really appreciate her work."

Unsurprisingly, some of the most popular spots involved food, as lengthy queues formed outside Missoni’s ice cream van, Daks’ popcorn stall and Hotel Chocolat’s pop-up venue. The talk between Francesca Burns and Bronwyn Cosgrave on the legacy of Coco Chanel (featuring a surprise fashion show with Edie Campbell and Pixie Geldof), at the label’s Bond Street store was such a hit with shoppers that even latecomer Daisy Lowe had to stand on the stairs because there were no seats left. Queues at Alexander McQueen spanned the length of Old Bond Street, as shoppers vied for a chance to enter the label’s special prize draw.

We could go on about the Hershesons’ 15-minute blow-dries; Radley’s adorable Scottie dogs; how Louis Vuitton‘s Yayoi Kusama windows became the sight everyone wanted a photograph of; and the aesthetically-pleasing men who sprayed us with Jo Malone’s Blackberry & Bay scent; but it’d be difficult to stop. Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out 2012 brought together a bigger, more lively and fashion-obsessed community than ever before. "It feels like one huge fashion festival," Portia Freeman told us. "It’s just so good to see everyone together; there’s no other place where you’d see so many fashion names in one place." We couldn’t agree more.

Source: Vogue