Charlotte's 2nd Fashion's Night Out

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by Fox Charlotte

Story Created: Sep 7, 2011 at 10:50 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 7, 2011 at 10:50 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Effie Loukas has a designer eye and a business mind.  The owner of Lotus Boutique at the Metropolitan in Midtown is also producing Fashion's Night Out here.  Thursday night, she'll turn the roadway in front her store into a runway.  Loukas says, "We're so spread out here that we can't just walk around everywhere, so I wanted just to kind of bring all the boutiques together and do a big fashion party."

Fashion's Night Out started in New York three years ago.  It was designed to re-ignite the industry in the shrinking economy.  Local boutiques in major cities across the world are encouraged to stay open late for shoppers.  Last year in Charlotte, 17 boutiques participated.  This year, 28.   

"The city (Charlotte) was ranked #11 on the Forbes 'Best 25 Places to Shop in the US,'" says Nathan Hewitt, the manager of Billy Reid at Taylor Richards and Conger in Phillips Place.  He hopes events like Fashion's Night Out will help create local shopping habits.  He says, "We have so many transplants (for example), they're from Atlanta, they shop in Atlanta, they still go back there and shop.  A lot of people aren't branching out into the city and there's not a real shopping district outside of the SouthPark area."

Of course, fashion is a world of fantasy and with talk of a double dip recession, new clothes may not be top of mind.  Local designer Cigi Guz can relate.  She says, "I drool over Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood, those are my two favorite designers, but I have champagne taste on a beer budget!"

Guz will showcase her affordable vintage designs Thursday.  She says even if you can't buy from a boutique, the creative inspiration could be priceless.  "If anything, I hope that Fashion's Night Out will bring that buzz and fire to the city," says Guz.

Loukas says last year, Charlotte generated more than $13.2 billion in retail clothing sales.  Fashion's Night Out" starts at 6PM Thursday.  Proceeds benefit the ZeroCancer-Great Prostate Challenge.  For ticket information, check out www.bandtastic.com    
 

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