by Llana Samuel, Staff Writer
On September 4, Savannah will shut off Broughton Street, transforming it into a shopper’s paradise for one night only. It will be the fourth year the city hosts Fashion Night with over 20 participating retailers, including One Eleven Boutique and Marc by Marc Jacobs. A new collaboration with Art Rise Savannah, the local organizers of First Friday Art March, is also set to make this year more special than previous years.
Starting at 6:30 p.m., local shoppers, art enthusiasts and tourists will descend on the streets of the downtown area where runway shows, boutique giveaways, VIP parties and non-stop entertainment from local DJs will be just a part of the activities.
Art Rise Savannah will host an “open-air gallery” on Barnard St. where artists’ work will be paired with a unique look put together by local stylist Nathan Saludez. Also, photographers will scout the best dressed attendees throughout the night.
The event, which started back in 2011, ran for two years as part of VOGUE’s Fashion’s Night Out, a shopping mixer previously held in fashion capitals and trendy cities around the world before Fashion Week. After Vogue called off Fashion’s Night Out, the city of Savannah decided to go it alone and have held the unique shopping event every first Thursday in September ever since. With a fresh new line-up of retailers as well as old faces and performances from South Carolina band Matrimony, the night is set to be another success and better than ever.
“We are honored and so excited to be a part of Savannah’s Fashion Night. This event not only brings the community together but really helps boosts our local economy,” Morgan Bryant, Armstrong Alumna and owner of One Eleven Boutique, said.
This will be the first year the store, which opened in November 2013, has participated in Savannah Fashion Night.
“We look forward to the year that we will no longer be in the audience but behind the scenes participating in Savannah Fashion Week,” Bryant said.
One Eleven Boutique’s pop-up shop will be located at 18 E. Broughton Street (formerly Gaucho) and will have huge summer sales, new fall arrivals and looks straight off the runway ready to purchase. There will also be giveaways, door prizes and other surprises throughout the night.
“We are still an up and coming boutique with a new, young and fresh feel to our clothing and store,” said Bryant on their unique advantage as a new boutique. “It is all about our customers and we have so much drive and passion to make our customers have a unique and enjoyable shopping experience.”
The downtown scene and much of Savannah’s fashion and arts community is always thought to be centered on SCAD, but it has been trying to reach out to a wider audience.
“More marketing to a younger audience than just to the adult population of Savannah would have helped me know about Savannah Fashion Night,” said Jeanna Adams, a sophomore at Armstrong.
For freshmen and seniors alike, Savannah Fashion Night is a great way to see how creative a city Savannah is and help your local economy too.
Ashley Cooper, a recent Armstrong graduate, said, “Savannah Fashion Night is an amazing event that brings the fashion industry in Savannah together.”
Although it’s only in its fourth year, Savannah Fashion Night has the full support of the fast-growing fashion scene in the city.
For more information on Savannah Fashion Night and to see the complete list of retailers this year, visit savannahsfashionnight.com.
