When Fashion's Night Out first launched in 2009, it seemed like the best idea ever: Late-night shopping to promote stores during a time of economic instability that had the added bonus of highlighting current-season wares during Fashion Week, where the runways are filled with Spring 2012 wares.
By 2010, the stunts got bigger, the celebrities more ubiquitous, and the traffic more congested. Following the 2011 season, a backlash had started to form: The night was a strain on retailers (especially smaller ones) to come up with a big promotional strategy for the night, and the spread-out spectacle became more and more difficult for the press to cover. Rumors spread that Fashion's Night Out might be done for good.
According to WWD, those rumors are officially false: Fashion's Night Out will return in 2012. The dates have yet to be worked out -- understandable, considering the dates for New York Fashion Week itself have been shifting of late -- but WWD has its bets on a Thursday night.
