LONDON — Fashion’s Night Out, the retail event spearheaded by the international editions of Vogue, has been transformed from a single night into a six-day global shop-a-thon, beginning Sept. 7.
Condé Nast will today reveal that this year’s event will begin in France, spread east and west, and then close in Greece and Turkey on Sept. 16. Sixteen countries will take part in the second Fashion’s Night Out, which is aimed at luring shoppers into stores.
Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, said “127 days to go, and we’re gearing up again for the shopping party of the year. We’re looking forward to repeating the success of last year’s events, which proved to be a real draw for British shoppers.”
In 2009, the event took place on the same night — Sept. 10 — in cities worldwide. A Condé Nast spokeswoman here said the staggered dates of this year’s event are meant to help the cities maximize their sales.
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“It was done for practical reasons. We wanted to give everybody the flexibility to open on the date that worked best for shoppers and retailers,” she said.
Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast International, said the international Vogue editions were leading “the effort to support shops and fashion in their markets around the world.”
Priya Tanna, editor of Vogue India, said in a telephone interview she’s hoping to double the number of shoppers from 6,000 to 12,000 this year. “Fashion’s Night Out last year was the first luxury shopping festival to take place in India. It followed three consecutive days of rain and took place during an inauspicious time on the Hindu calendar for buying expensive items. But neither the rains nor the Hindu gods could stop the shoppers from coming,” she said.
Vogue India, Tanna said, will begin “aggressive promotion” of the night, beginning with the July issue. Tanna’s team is already organizing radio and TV tie-ups and the launch of an official Web site in June. They are also planning a raffle of luxury items and hoping to organize travel packages for shoppers who live outside Delhi.
She said designers and stores are already planning special events, such as appearances by tarot readers and gemologists, to spice up the retail environment, and that Vogue may also stage a fashion show and photo exhibition as part of the night.
“These are more buoyant times than last year, and the event has taken on a life of its own,” said Tanna, adding she plans to be at the DLF Emporio mall in Delhi on the night, meeting every retail partner who is taking part.
Christiane Arp, editor of German Vogue, said last year’s event in Berlin was an unexpected success. She said that this year shoppers will be able to shuttle back and forth via a limousine service between the shopping hubs of Berlin Mitte in the former East Berlin and Ku’damm in the western part of the city.
She said German Vogue would begin promoting the night in its July issue and coverage would culminate with the September edition. “Last year, I said I would do the night again — it shows the power of Vogue and its relationship with its readers,” she said. Last year, she said, 60 retailers took part and Vogue is currently working on boosting that number.
Shulman said British Vogue would be organizing styling by the magazine’s staff, and will produce limited edition Fashion’s Night Out products.
France will open the 10-day event on Sept. 7, with Britain and Korea on the 8th; Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal on the 9th; India, Russia and the U.S. on the 10th; China, Japan and Taiwan on the 11th, and Greece and Turkey wrapping things up on the 16th.