With free cocktails galore, major discounts, and the most random slew of celebrities (Will. I. Am, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Mena Suvari, etc.) making special guest appearances, the Beverly Center pulled out all stops for the city’s first ever Fashion’s Night Out on Friday. 

The event which is co-sponsored by Vogue, is a giant celebration of the fashion and retail industry designed to encourage consumers to spend their hard earned money by doing what they do best: shopping. It was such a huge success in helping boost sales revenues last year in New York that this time around, Los Angeles made certain to get in on the action.

Serving as the epicenter to this fashion extravaganza that spans across the entire city, the Beverly Center, played host to an evening full of festivities that included red carpet arrivals, a runway show featuring the season’s most covetable looks, and live performances that kept people entertained during their shopping breaks.

As the night commences with the opening ceremony, Villaraigosa reminds us that for one night, Los Angelenos need to “shop until [we] drop,” at which point, thousands of shoppers rejoiced. Following a number of awkward introductions later, Perez Hilton came on stage donned in a head-to-toe purple baroque suit, with Stephanie Pratt of “The Hills” to kick off the runway show.

Some highlights at the Beverly Center included designer Charles David’s shoe signing with Who What Wear’s Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr serving as his in-house style consultants, meet-and-greets with Vogue’s west coast editor Lisa Love and Frankie B’s founder Daniella Clark and a plethora of free gifts with purchase offerings from various stores.

While a good time was guaranteed, only time will tell if Fashion’s Night Out in Los Angeles proves to be a success for the city’s economy.

To reach reporter Candice Aman, click here.