Briarwood Mall Takes Fashion’s Night Out in a New Direction
In some markets, Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) can be a balancing act. Malls around the world are participating in Vogue’s global fashion extravaganza, but it’s hard to say that the only thing that should matter is fashion when people in your community are more concerned about how they’ll be putting food on the table.
Briarwood Mall is taking an interesting approach to that challenge. On top of traditional FNO events, like runway shows, live mannequins and piles of giveaways and prizes, the center is hoping to help members of its community find new careers. A table with job applications for retailers will be present in center court, with information about career opportunities in retail.
From AnnArbor.com:
“Briarwood Mall is all about providing a superior shopping experience and offering consumers the very latest in trends,” said Denise Murray, director of marketing and business development. “But we also realize that there’s more to life than fashion. We’re excited to host an event that celebrates fashion, pampers guests and raises awareness on job opportunities throughout the mall. Fashion’s Night Out is a fun event everyone will benefit from.”
On one hand, this is a sensible, realistic approach to economic reality. On the other hand, Fashion’s Night Out was created as something of a denial of economic reality – a chance to indulge in fashion and luxury without clearance sales or joblessness numbers. Are shoppers losing interest in that kind of fantasy?
