Make it work

As a fashion enthusiast, I was quite happy to learn about Vogue's global effort to spur the fury that fuels fashion. With New York Fashion Week imminent, it is the perfect time to remind people of the fantasy and escape that this time of year offers to people when it is most needed. But the industry that has always been a work horse for the community is in need of its own hero. When the financial belt tightens, one's wardrobe seems to take a back seat to more pressing necessaries (such as food, mortgage payments, etc). But fashion is an indispensable part of the economy and more importantly, the human spirit.

I understand making choices (though usually the choices I have to make are between buying a $10 salad for lunch on Friday or getting a manicure this week). My solutions to financial conundrums involve a balancing act similar to those preached about in law school (weighing of the arguments, evaluation of the evidence). But what I practice on a small scale in fairly materialistic terms is in reality not that different from what people do worldwide at this time of year. Fashion's night out tomorrow is conceived to inspire people to conjure up the thrill of the chase, the joy of the hunt, and the ecstasy of scoring a bargain for a coveted piece of the fashion industry. (When a woman feels down and out, next to eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's on the couch, shopping is the most popular therapy. That may explain why lipstick sales spiked while the economy tanked in 2008.)

In the spirit of camaraderie (and as a reminder that fashion is accessible for all), no invitations are required to attend any of the hundreds of events happening city wide between 6:00 and 11:00 tomorrow evening. So call a friend, head to your favorite store, and bring a few dollars to help the industry that has picked you up when you were down.