By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — Consumers and celebrities alike poured into Manhattan's stores and streets on Friday evening for the second annual Fashion's Night Out.
The brainchild of "Vogue" editor Anna Wintour, the evening saw stores stay open late throughout the city with special events, performances, sales and celebrity appearances. The event accompanied Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
"We came for the celebrities, the glamour, and the whole experience" said Long Island resident Nandie Anderson, 20, who was shopping with her sister Niomi, 23, at Bergdorf Goodman on Friday night.
"What's so amazing about this event is that it brought us to the city and here to Bergdorf where we otherwise wouldn't be shopping."
A store that featured more celebrity appearances than many others, Bergdorf Goodman welcomed actress Sarah Jessica Parker, singer Mary J. Blige, socialite Nicole Richie, former "Spice Girl" Victoria Beckham, designers Jason Wu and Tom Ford, as well as Fashion's Night Out creator Anna Wintour for Friday's festivities.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell performed a dance outside of Madison Avenue's Dolce & Gabbana boutique in honor of her 25th anniversary in the fashion industry. Ever the diva, Campbell promoted her anniversary with t-shirts plastered with images of herself at different points in her career.
Anna Wintour conceived of Fashion's Night Out, which first took place in 2009, as a way to entice shoppers back into stores in the face of the economic downturn, while giving everyday consumers the opportunity to get a taste of the kinds of glamorous goings on that happen inside the tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Niomi added that she "definitely felt a part of Fashion Week" when hopping from floor to floor to try to catch a glimpse of the celebrities she and her sister were so eager to see.
"Even though we had to wait in line for two hours to get into the store and then didn't actually get to see any of the celebrities, it was all totally worth it to be in this amazing environment," she said.
