So, you may have noticed that DC isn’t the most fashion savvy city on the East Coast. You actually wouldn’t have known it if you’d been out last Thursday night for Fashion’s Night Out in Georgetown. On this magical evening once a year, participating stores on Wisconsin Avenue and M St. keep their doors open late and (some shops) try their damnedest to lure passersby inside with DJs and light libations. The idea for the event was conceived a few years ago by Vogue to try to entice shoppers back into boutiques even in the depths of the recession. It has since spread to other cities and sort of morphed into a half-good reason to put on a special outfit and do your shopping on a weeknight instead of a weekend– or online for that matter.

Refinery29.com captured the spirit of the evening through lens of local photographer Kate Warren with a slideshow that I find nothing short of spectacular. Click the hyperlink or image below to view the whole series of images from FNO. Kate has a wonderful eye for not just the stylish, but the quirky, the darling, the sparkling, the details that are so often overlooked in this city. Kudos, ma’am! And cheers to every DC woman and man who frees her and himself from the drudgery of the grey suit and black dress shoe.

 

If I had any advice to offer FNO, I’d suggest shops partner with a charitable organization and donate a portion of the evening’s profits to the cause. That would draw in so many more shoppers who may prioritize promoting a great cause over fashion. And that really shouldn’t bother the retailers because their money all spends the same. Plenty of people are willing to spend more when they know even a modest portion is benefiting something other than a retailer’s bottom line. And better yet, they’ll persuade their friends to come along.

*Update: Proceeds from Georgetown FNO T-shirt, tank top and tote bag sales go to the non-profit organization Vital Voices. Check out their site. It looks like they do great work for the advancement of women all of over the globe. Glad to see that and hope to see them or other organizations be even more vigorously promoted during next year’s event.

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