Golden Zipper

This will be a long one...but worth the read...

It was only a year ago that I was sitting on my couch, updating twitter every couple of minutes in order to stay abreast of everything going on with Fashion's Night Out in NYC. This year, I was in the middle of it. I have recently (finally) relocated to NYC and my first big event was Fashion's Night Out. Seriously I couldn't have asked for more. For me, it wasn't about seeing Gwen Stefani promoting her perfume at Sephora, Rachel Zoe giving style advice at the Piperlime pop-up store, nor about watching Nicole Richie sing to the Spice Girls at Bergdorf...ok, I am lying. I would have loved to have been a witness at any of these events. But, honestly, forme...it was about the real faces behind fashion. The true movers and shakers of the fashion industry. And that was what I experienced.

It began, husband in tow, at Billionaire Boys Club on West Broadway. Rumors had been floating around about the "secret" performance from Pharrell and crew. Noted as one of the most "hectic scenes of the night"...I can say from experience that this shit was bananas. As the flatbed arrived, the pushing, screaming, and fainting ensued. Ladies were clawing and biting at the chance to touch Pharrell or Chris Brown who was the surprise performer with N.E.R.D. I was lost in the wave of human limbs and ultimately separated from my other half. We rocked out to the performance with a good fifty people between us. Just as the performance ended, I was nearly trampled to death as large breast attempted to consume my spot on the front row, a mere foot from where Pharrell walked by to enter his boutique. Eventually I crawled my way back to find Michael and continue with our evening. My experience, although slightly unmanageable, was amazing. N.E.R.D. and Chris Brown shut down West Broadway. This was only the beginning.

Next stop, an old stomping ground. The Marc Jacobs store on Mercer. We were nearly malled by a crowd of ferocious animals trying to sneak a peak through the windows at Kanye who was trying to grab a drink amidst the madness. MJ was a mellow scene. A random competitor from ANTM caught my attention for a brief sec, but then my eyes continued to stare at the amazing racks of clothing that would undoubtedly break my bank account. I longed for a new purse, but settled for a few glasses of the complimentary white wine being served my modelesque waiters. I was waiting to meet my dear friend, and fellow fashion-crazed fan Ashley. Little did I know that outside the doors had been blocked off as Marc himself was soon to arrive. I had interned for Marc in 2003 and 2004, but honestly it was as if I was seeing another person. The years I was a part of the team, Marc was overweight, a heavy smoker, and quite frankly nothing like the eye candy that he is today. He arrived just as Michael and I were taking our photo in front of the MJ "Bang" campaign sign. Michael had just picked up a bottle of the new fragrance (note: has Marc ever made a bad smelling fragrance?). We went to pay for the bottle of seductive scent an

d the designer was at the checkout. We didn't realize that he was signing pictures, nor that the bottle came with a t-shirt of Marc's new nude pic promoting the fragrance. Marc quickly added his John Hancock to the tee, and I unwrapped the bottle of cologne and had him sign that as well. A cool little souvenir for the night. Next, we heading out to find Ash...

Note: We debated whether we should stay at the MJ hotspot for a moment more, as Marc is known for attracting some of our fav celebs....and we went against our better judgement and gave up our spot just moments before Kanye arrived to mingle with the commoners. Damn.

We found Ash in the streets and made our next plan of attack. Meatpacking. The thing with FNO is that there is something completely fabulous going on in every area of town. It is nearly impossible to decide where to go and when. We figured we should head to Meatpacking and give another area a shot. There was no way in hell that cab was coming through the streets of Soho. It was like I would expect NYC to be on New Year's Eve. Complete and utter chaos. We figured if we could at least get to Houston, there was a chance that we would be able to hail a taxi. I had gotten accustomed to the sudden mobs that formed when a celebrity hit the streets, but the next one just seemed to have a different feeling....I scurried to the sidewalk and saw the beam of light that surrounded a head of white hair....could it be? No way..."Ashley!!!!" I screamed like a kid at a Miley Cyrus concert. I waved my arms in panic for her to accompany me amidst the crowded sidewalk. She knew this had to be big. It was him...I never thought the day would come that I would be within arm's distance of Karl Lagerfeld. Now if you are reading this and are at all disappointed at the climax of this paragraph, then perhaps you should reevaluate your commitment to fashion in general. Karl is unmatchable; a true genius. Ash made it just in time to snag a quick, and slightly blurry pic of the god-like creature. My night could have ended here, completely satisfied. But it didn't.

After I caught my breath, we made our way to Houston to continue our path to the Meatpacking district. I wanted to meet up with a friend at Yigal and grab a drink at a bar on West Side Highway. Ash and I were still going on about our last sighting when Michael gave me a nudge and motioned his head up the sidewalk. Ash and I looked up as Anna Wintour walked by. The editor-in-chief and FNO creator herself, just strolling down Houston....really???

My heart finally maintained normal beats by the time we reached Meatpacking. I just missed my friend at Yigal but outside the boutique was none other that Doogie Howser, M.D. filming a segment for a FNO internet clip. We were worn out and ready to head to Brass Monkey for a drink when Wyclef stopped his car in front of us just to chat with the passer-bys in the street. Oh hey Wycelf...oh wait, hey Anna Wintour, again...this night is insane. Seriously, I am overwhelmed....time for a drink. Off to Brass Monkey for a nightcap.

FNO, I couldn't have asked for more. The icons of the fashion industry at arm's length, entertainment on every block, I didn't want it to end, but wasn't sure I could handle anymore excitement. Now, I am ready for next year....Nicole Richie...I'll meet you at Bergdorf.