In New York City, at least. And perhaps just for this year. But as Women's Wear Daily reports, the Vogue-sponsored shopping event is officially "on a hiatus" in 2013 as all parties involved reevaluate FNO's value.
Fashion's Night Out, as many of us recall, was founded in 2009 as a pick-me-up during the recession. Retail was suffering as was the national mood, so Anna Wintour teamed with the CFDA and New York City for a citywide shopping event featuring celebrities, free drinks and reduced prices on designer merch. FNO 2009, launched during September Fashion Week, was a huge hit and quickly spread to cities worldwide.
But FNO was immediately dogged by skepticism over how much revenue was actually being generated. Retailers were staying open late and fronting lots of money for arguably little in return, save for crowded stores and media hype. Additional concern was voiced by designers, notes WWD, who were forced to plan their FNO events at the same time as their big Fashion Week shows.
Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, tells WWD, "I don’t think the success of it was measured only by numbers or money, but was really about engagement." Nonetheless, New York City's Fashion's Night Out is officially on hold. International cities across 19 countries will still be staging their FNO events as planned.
Are you bummed out? Or, like some of us, were you weary of Fashion's Night Out anyway? Sound off in the comments and read more at WWD.com.
Relive FNO 2012:
