Rodeo Drive Celebrates Fashion’s Night Out.

The third annual Fashion’s Night Out on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was even bigger than last year. In fact, a number of stores throughout the Southland upped the ante. All around town boutiques were hosting cocktail parties and shopping events that attracted a bevy of style-savvy attendees.

Our night began at The Luxe Hotel, which served as the central hub for L.A.’s fashion bloggers. The Luxe was gracious enough to set us up in the Penthouse Suite and provided us with WiFi, cocktails, snacks, and an awesome gift bag which was filled with some cool swag from the hotel, gift certificates from Peter Marco Extraordinary Jewels, Kendra Scott Jewelry, TheSalon by Maxime, and yummy chocolate from A Sweet boutique.

From there we headed over to FGILA’s Champagne Fashion Happy Hour at McCormick and Schmicks, which was hosted by Nicolas FeuillatteChampagne. It was a lovely night to sip a little bubbly on the patio and observe the fashionistas in action. We also got a gift bag that contained a gift certificate for McCormick and one for the spa at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.  

Next we hit the Porsche store where we checked out their line of merchandise, which included watches, sunglasses, luggage, knives and apparel. Tonight celebrated the launch of Porsche’s new jeans collection, which was showcased by live models.

On our way to the Ferris Wheel, which has become a FNO Rodeo Drive staple, we passed by this adorable little pooch. Even the dogs were fashionable on FNO.

While walking along Rodeo we encountered some of the Cirque du Soleil stilt walkers, who fit right in with the night’s high-end fashion carnival theme. There were plenty of folks trying on costumes in order to create their custom IRIS flipbook in honor of the shows arrival at The KodakTheatre. 17 gourmet food trucks lined the streets. This year the Lobsta Truck drew the biggest crowd.

At Guess shoppers were treated to mini-makeovers, manicures, and custom airbrushed totes courtesy of a cool artist named Chase. Vito EspositoSalon set up a makeover pop up in the middle of Rodeo and the limited edition Gucci Fiat was also out on display. 

Dance The Night Away was the theme at Lanvin. We didn’t enter the dance competition but we did get a peek at the exclusive Lanvin Love’s FNO clutch. The line’s popular black satin bag, which originally retailed for $750, was given a make-over for this special night and sold for an unbelievable price of $175. Proceeds from the sale went to Iman’s Charity, which benefits American Foundation for AIDS research, Keep A Child Alive, and Whatever It Takes.

The private VIP party in the men’s department at Saks Fifth Avenue was the place to be with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and celebrities – Maria Shriver being the most notable. (10% of the event’s sales went to St. Vincent’s Meals on Wheels.) On our way to the women’s department we ran into former pro wrestler Chyna, who complimented my Inspired By Claire Jane Fascinator. My Pop Culture Princess Veuve Clicquot Champagne Cap Necklace and cork ring also received a number of compliments.

Neiman Marcus was the last stop for the evening. We managed to catch the tail end of the Fall Trend Runway show before heading up to the GenLux Lounge to check out what all the fashionable gals were wearing.

A big thank you to the city of Beverly Hills for organizing another great Fashion’s Night Out. With 100 in-store events there was enough to see and do that we were fortunate enough to not have to deal with the massive crowds like those encountered in NY. Hopefully next year FNO will fall on a Friday so we can stay the night at The Luxe Hotel.

Narrative and photos by: Nikki Neil