Fashion Night Out 2011

Fashion's Night Out, an annual event that gets consumers excited about fashion despite the struggling economy, brings people together to enjoy a night of style and glamour. Held in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, major retail stores and designers plan special promotions to attract consumers.

Stores at this upscale Santa Monica mall showcased their upcoming fall lines and invited consumers to check out the merchandise after the show. Hosted by reality TV stars Lisa and Brittany Gastineau of “The Gastineau Girls,” who are also launching their own jewelry line, the runway show presented a little taste of what’s in for the fall season.

Taupe, brown, and red dominated the color palette, while skinny cargo pants and bell-bottom jeans were the new staples in almost every collection.

Major retail stores Nordstrom and Bloomingdales headlined the show with pretty fall pieces: dressy coats and blazers, knit tights in grey and black, and warm cashmere sweaters. But it’s the smaller boutiques that made a bigger splash onto the runway.

ANGL is every party girl’s dream of sexy, look-at-me clothes, like sequined mini skirts and bondage dresses, to wear at a reasonable price. Hot Topic surprisingly came out with cute, ready to wear pieces that even Rachel Zoe would approve of. The mix of striped mini dresses with leather jackets and boots give off the perfect rocker chic vibe. Betsey Johnson broke away from the mold and presented a sea of bright colors and puffy dresses. Other participants included Michael Kors, Ted Baker, BCBG, and 7 For All Mankind jeans.

Outside of the show, stores offered customers little treats like cupcakes and glasses of champagne to celebrate the night. Some stores even offered discounts off all the merchandise.

So if you want to make your friends jealous by looking like you just stepped out of the pages of Vogue, head down to Santa Monica Place to buy your new fall wardrobe. Because let’s face it, everyday is a fashion show.

Reach writer Audrey here