Friends, gather round -- behold this week's edition of Racked Seattle, where all the good retail gospel is spread by your girl, Ali Brownrigg. Check back here every Thursday for news, tips, sales and events, and if you've got fun tips for our in-house sartorial mastermind, hit the tipline at seattle@curbed.com.
Everything else in Seattle is being eclipsed by tonight's fourth annual Fashion's Night Out, an event that started was American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company, and the City of New York during the recession to get people out shopping again and has evolved into a international night of sartorial brilliance. Here's the lowdown on events happening in Seattle and the Eastside. There's little chance you can attend them all, so settle on one side of the lake and go to town.
Seattle
Seattle Met has paired up with Pacific Place for Seattle Rocks the Runway, a fall trend runway show and shopping extravaganza complete with promotions, sales, cocktails and other enticements. It's the first major collaborative runway show featuring heavy-hitting downtown retailers including Barneys, Nordstrom, Alhambra and Baby and Co. Mario's, Gucci, H&M and other adjacent shops will be staying open late for what is likely to be a maniacal frenzy of fashion. Get more details at Laura Cassidy's blog at Seattle Met. #FNOSEA on Twitter.
In conjunction with the Pacific Place event The Downtown Seattle Association is getting in on the action with Seattle's Style Search – a smart phone scavenger hunt using the app Goosechase (available for Android and iPhone). Download the app and receive instructions for fashion mission throughout the city – the winner of which will receive a huge package of dreamy goodies, like a night stay at W Seattle and gift cards galore. There will also be a randomly drawn grand prize winner and the first 50 finishers will get a bag o' swag from participating businesses. Check out the Seattle Celebrates Fashion's Night Out Facebook page for more info and the scoop on what each participating store has cooked up for the night. Hint: lots of champagne. #FNOSEA
If you don't care to fight the fashionable masses downtown, head to University Village where many retailers will be offering styling, trend events, trunk shows, discounts and gifts with purchase. J Crew will have a stylist on-hand to help you figure out what the heck to do with that troublesome piece of clothing in your closet that you just love but never wear; Madewell's hosting a braid bar; and Swink's offering a free hair chalking service for teen with purchase of the Kevin Murphy Color Bug ($15, regularly $20, also available at their downtown location tonight). The U Village website has more info as you plan your attack. @uvillage.
[Photo by Nordstrom. Fashion by Tory Burch. Available at Nordstrom. See it (or something similar) on the Runway tonight at Pacific Place.]
Eastside
It's the battle of the big guns in Bellevue tonight as The Bravern and the Bellevue Collection vie for your attention with their FNO offerings.
Bellevue Square's doing some cool stuff this year, including a Fashion Exhibit in Center Court showcasing looks from their first ever Independent Designer Runway Show happening during their upcoming Fashion Week at The Bellevue Collection September 26-30. Fashion Star contestants Lisa Vian Hunter, Lizzie Parker and Nicolas Bowes will be showing a look as will Anne Sylvain, Ampersand As Apostrophe, Built For Man, Bd by Banchong Douangphrachanh, Carole McClellan, KateS Mensah, Masha Osoianu and Olga Szwed. Many, many Bellevue Collection stores will be offering deals – click here for the deets. @bellecollection
The Shops at the Bravern are rolling out the red carpet with runway shows at Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie, a preview of new scarf designs at Hermes, and David Lawrence is offering a special gift with purchase and a showcase of local designers. More info here. @bravern
Other News and Future File
Monique Lhuillier has designed a bridal jewelry collection for local online jewelry retailer Blue Nile. The collection will launch in October with engagement rings and wedding bands ranging in price from $2,000 to $5,000 with more pieces unveiled just in time for Valentine's Day. Bling it on.
Fashion First is happening next week, on Thursday, September 13 at the Showbox Sodo. Always a good time, this fashion show shines the spotlight on stellar local shops, including La Ree, Sway & Cake, The Finerie and Canopy Blue. Proceeds from the event, which includes an auction, goes towards Rise n' Shine, a local non profit that provides support and advocacy for kids affected by HIV/AIDS. Get your tickets here.
[Photo by Blue Nile]