Last February, Vogue put Fashion’s Night Out in the United States “on hiatus” for 2013.
The annual event spotlighting fashion had spread to dozens of cities in this country and around the world. Each participating U.S. city worked with Vogue’s planning team in New York City.
All participating retailers had to register well in advance and were in turn prominently promoted. Vogue’s organizational framework was obviously crucial.
Savannah celebrated Fashion’s Night Out in 2011 and 2012. Both years were big successes, with thousands of local residents flocking to Broughton Street, which was largely closed to vehicular traffic.
When Vogue pulled the plug on this year’s event, many of us assumed the time was too short and the complications too large for Savannah to pull off any sort of comparable event.
Fortunately, the original organizers were committed to forging ahead.
The first Savannah’s Fashion Night (http://savannahsfashionnight.com), which is going to look a lot like last year’s, will be celebrated on Thursday, Sept. 5.
“We have all worked very hard and have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the last two events,” said Erin Wessling, the local co-founder and event coordinator.
After all that work, there was no way they were going to let it die.
Planning the event without Vogue’s participation has presented major obstacles. Wessling in particular noted there were new liability issues since the event won’t be under the umbrella of a major corporation.
And organizers needed to prove to the city that the event would still be worth the deployment of so many resources.
“This year, without the rules and regulation of Vogue and Conde Nast, there were a lot of other ways city officials needed to know that this was going to be legitimate and equally effective,” Wessling said.
The organizing committee also had to work with Vogue to address issues related to branding and copyright.
“They were so supportive,” Wessing said of Vogue’s response.
Some cities that participated in Fashion’s Night Out also are sponsoring similar events this year. Some are not.
Of course, there are advantages to organizing Savannah’s Fashion Night entirely at the local level.
For example, the retailers’ registration fees will remain in the local economy. Wessling said organizers have gotten an “overwhelming” response from local retailers who have participated in previous years.
“I don’t think this community has seen an event on this scale that was so beneficial for everybody involved,” Wessling said.
Wessling gave particular credit to Bree Thomas, Cecilia Russo and MarRonde Lumpkin-Lotson, who has been the point person with city government.
On the other hand, without Vogue’s stamp of approval and with no clear corporate policy, it looks as if major downtown chains such as The Gap and Banana Republic will not participate officially.
That would be too bad, but it’s hardly a deal breaker. There will be plenty going on even if a handful of stores don’t stay open late on Sept. 5.
Broughton Street is lined with locally owned boutiques who will be open late. Many will offer various deals and enticements to get folks inside. Retailers from outside the downtown area will be provided one-night popup shops in the midst of the action.
There will be four fashion shows — two on the stage at Montgomery Street and two on the stage at Drayton Street. Last year there were six, which seemed to set too hectic a pace for everyone.
Bands will be announced soon, and organizers already have commitments from media sponsors and others who will set up tents in the middle of Broughton.
“This event brought everyone together,” Wessling said as she reflected on last year’s success, this year’s event should do the same.
I was extremely impressed with the size and the diversity of the crowds that turned out the first two years. The date is chosen because it’s the night before Fashion Week, but I’ve already come to see that big outdoor civic gathering as the first event of autumn.
I’ve noted before in this column some of the many fashion-related developments we’ve seen in Savannah in recent years.
A good bit of the credit goes to SCAD and their highly regarded fashion program, but Wessling also noted “global movers and shakers” such as Marc Jacobs, which opened in 2007, and Kate Spade, which opened recently.
We’re also seeing the fruits of the labors of many individual entrepreneurs — from storeowners to photographers, from modeling agents to independent designers.
In a future column, I’ll try to circle back around for a closer look at the growing interest in fashion in Savannah.
So what happens after the 2013 Savannah’s Fashion Night?
“Hopefully, next year we’ll be able to pick it up again as Fashion’s Night Out,” Wessling said.
“Or we can continue this no matter Vogue’s participation.”
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net and http://www.billdawers.com. Send mail to 10 East 32nd St., Savannah, Ga. 31401.