Fashion's Night Out: Shoppers Storm Fred Segal

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Last night marked the first ever Fashion's Night Out, an initiative by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America designed to get people into stores and shopping again. We stopped by a few events around town and this is what we saw:

The Location: Fred Segal on Melrose Ave

The Crowd: Way more eclectic than expected—everyone from ladies-who-lunch to model types in crop tops to Audrina Patridge, middle-aged men with bluetooth headsets to trendsters in bowler hats.

The Scene: A convivial mix of cocktail sipping, posing, mingling and browsing. Hotspots included a makeshift candy store hosted by Rory Beca, the scene of a heated Guess Who match between Pete Wentz and a guest, and a "photo studio" where guests could get their pictures taken in Maison Martin Margiela archive pieces. Oh, and the parking lot was pretty hopping as well—open bar, live music, fresh air and elbow room.

The Spending: Although we didn't see any lines at the registers, a few staffers we spoke with emphatically confirmed that people were, in fact, spending money. This was seconded by Rory Beca designer Rory Edelman, who told us: "I really didn't think people were going to shop, but they are definitely buying." She went on to say, "It's not as much about sales as exposure and having the chance to meet customers face-to-face. LA doesn't really have that fashion 'community' that New York has, so it's nice to have something like this to bring people together."