#@$@#% The Rain; Georgetown Gets Stylish During Fashion’s Night Out!

GEORGETOWN -- Not a group to let a little rainy weather (or a quasi-monsoon for that matter) get in the way of their fun, hundreds of Washingtonians poured into Georgetown on Thursday evening, for the return of the global shopping celebration known as Fashion’s Night Out.

The ladies of Lush transformed their store into a temporary roller disco.
Now in its second year, the Georgetown edition (similar celebrations occur simultaneously at dozens of cities around the world) of this extraordinary night of shopping and entertainment raised the bar on its predecessor, with more than 105 stores, restaurants, and salons participating.

With shopping first and foremost on everyone’s mind, special promotions, discounts, trunk shows, and sales abounded. Hu's Wear and Hu's Shoes closed-out spring/summer 2011 collections at 80% off, Urban Chic hosted a Shoshanna pop-up shop, bluemercury passed out exclusive anniversary gifts with every $100 purchase, and BCBG discounted all fall merchandise by 20%. And that was just the tip of the iceberg!

Shoppers browse the merchandise at Hu’s Wear.
Between shopping sprees, guests literally had an entire neighborhood chocked full of activities and parties at their disposal, with gratis Pedicab transportation throughout (with umbrellas) for the weary.

Standout events began with the legendary Betsey Johnson store Candyland party. A standing room only affair that even stretched outside into the store’s outdoor patio area (yes, in the rain; it was that popular), the all-night bash invited guests to nibble on bags full of sweet treats courtesy of the National Confectioner's Association while sipping cocktails by Potomac Wine and Spirits. All the while, live models mingled about sporting the latest dresses and outerwear.

The Betsey Johnson girls.
For those with perhaps more traditional sartorial tendencies, Chef Michel Richard’s Citronelle restaurant at the Latham Hotel combined the worlds of food, wine, and fashion, with two “Vintage en Vogue” runway shows hosted by MyDCStyle's April Jones Firoozabadi. Guests enjoyed the award-winning restaurant's hors d'oeuvres and wine selections, while admiring the latest fashions from nearby Banana Republic.

MyDCStyle's April Jones Firoozabadi (in blue) surrounded by runway models.

Citronelle passed bites.
Brightest Young Things had erected a massive outdoor tent adjacent to M Street’s Dean & DeLuca, with “fashion fortune tellers” provided by Gilt City Washington, D.C., an Oribe hair primping station and “Lipstick Bar” staffed by the recently opened Nectar Skin Bar, as well as the requiste DJs, photographers, and even a brand new MINI Cooper on display.

For those brides to be, the TD Bank was a can’t miss stop, as the bank’s parking lot served as the epicenter of this year’s “Get Hitched in Georgetown" wedding contest and giveaway during Fashion’s Night Out. With spectators cheering them on, DC-area couples competed for a chance to win an incredible dream wedding, complete with gown, cake, wedding suite, invitations, and reception.

But Capitol File Magazine and the Georgetown BID’s private VIP pre-party was perhaps the hottest ticket in town last night, with hundreds of the city’s most stylish tastemakers and media personalities in attendance.

After walking a swanky red carpet and posing for photographs, invitees were treated to free flowing glasses of champagne and passed small bites, as well as a surprise a cappella performance, at luxe L2 Lounge before heading-off to any of the evening’s 105+ FNO events.

This year’s Fashion’s Night Out might have been a bit soggy, but clearly the rain didn’t dampen Georgetown’s spirit! And that never goes out of style...