Aside from The September Issue, I haven't been doing a lot of fashion writing... which is partly a reflection of how life has changed for me generally, and how not about the fashion and shopping world I can be these days.
That reality came home to me tonight when I joined Jennifer, spur of the moment and mostly by accident, and wound up in the middle of Fashion's Night Out.... when I played my role as The Gay (a/k/a that friend to straight women who helps with fashion, makeup and other lifestyle shopping).
Conceived as an "event night to spur shopping around the city," Fashion's Night Out was meant to lend some glitz and glamour to shopping that's been kind of missing, kick off New York Fashion Week, and hopefully reinvigorate the fall selling season, which is showing no more signs of a recovery than anything else this year (which is to say... you can find people shopping, just not many of them).
Jennifer and I were mainly concerned with solving her current dilemma - the arrival of Chanel's new Noir line of lipstick, three variations of the new vogue for black lipstick with red, brown and purple undertones. And Jennifer, feeling frustrated that she couldn't find one she liked, wanted to get a second opinion... and for the moment, mine would have to do.
It was quite fun, and I have to admit, they are three hard to wear shades - I'm not sure anyone can carry off the brown, the red looks muddy, and we tried the purple and the result was... well, intense. After some discussion - if you're ever in New York and go to Saks, girls, ask for Simone at Chanel - we tried adding some glossy lip laquer on top, and that seemed to work (Official recipe: Hysteria lipstick, Dragon lip lacquer, and Vamp pencil for a good line). But Jennifer balked at multiple products and such a complicated routine... and I can't say I blamed her, though it wore well and looked fierce.
Looking fierce, really, was the order of the evening; lots of people traipsed around the stores as if it were a night at the club, and in many ways it was. The music was loud, free booze samples were available for the (very) patient, and people meandered everywhere... but there wasn't much real shopping that we saw, and pretty much every salesperson we saw, and knew, called the night basically a bust. "If we were selling hot dogs and funnel cake, we'd be doing well" one high end accessories seller said to us.
As a people watching event, the night was fun enough, kind of absurd, kind of surreal, never dull. Barneys, especially on the main level, was quite vivid. But it was also tiring, and in the end I felt for the workers more than the supposed customers: there's so much that's just not working right now in retail (and I mean the double entendre of employment, too), and a sense of desperation to the night that no one could shake.
Jennifer and I wondered if this will be repeated - if it is, I think we'll try harder to chase down Anna Wintour - and I have my doubts; Fashion Week doesn't need it, the retailers won't probably want it, and the fashion types who showed up can easily be convinced to come to other, more productive events (ones where store and label executives don't stand around, nervously fidgeting and looking uncomfortable).
Mostly I was reminded tonight, often pleasantly, of a life I used to lead, and have largely left behind. I miss it, sort of... but a little of this sort of energy goes a long, long, way. I'd rather save the fancy outfit - and the three step lipstick application - for a fun night with good friends, and probably something low key, if I had my drothers. It's a lipstick jungle out there in fashionland... and baby, we're all just brightly colored animals, if you know what I mean.
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