FNO NYC/DC

I can't believe it's that time of the year again.

FASHION NIGHT OUT!

It just felt like yesterday when I strutted on a runway vying to win a $100 gift card (wait, or was it $500...no, no, no, that's too much money....hmm, maybe it was $250?...as you can tell, I didn't win.) from Lord & Taylor.

Yep, folks, this did happen.

Let me take you back. Back to August, 2010. I was browsing the wonderful website of Madison Plus when I came upon a contest they were holding. It was chance to win a gift card from Lord & Taylor, become a special blog contributor for the MP website and finally be interviewed by numerous online publications. All the reader had to do was submit a picture of their style, head to the Lord & Taylor website and find three fall items that represented their style and finally explain why the items were chosen and how it can be styled. MP will pick three finalists. The three chosen would head to NYC on FNO to participate in their own runway show. The clothes the finalists would wear will be from Lord & Taylor and be styled by the lovely ladies of MP (The only hitch in the contest that kinda bugged me. I wished the finalists were given the opportunity to style their own outfit). After strutting, the winner will be chosen by the audience.

I read the fine print. I was interested. During that time, I was very much serious on starting a personal style blog. I felt this would have been a great platform for me to start with. Before I could psych myself out, I submitted this photo:

...and kept it moving with my life. A couple weeks later, I got an email from MP informing me that they loved my submission and CONGRATULATIONS!!!, I was picked as one of the three finalists. Woop, woop! I was told that since the winner was selected by the audience, I was encouraged to bring out my family, friends and strangers to come woop and holler for me. I started freaking out. I kind of wanted this not to be a big deal. I don't know if my plan was not to tell anybody. I don't know. I'm weird that way. Anywho, I started telling folks the week before the contest (I told you, I'm weird). On Twitter, I did a half-ass promotion of myself, like, a couple days before the contest and also the day of. Not once did I mention it on Facebook nor my Tumblr page. Thinking back on it, I don't know why. *shrugs*

(l-r) Tina, me, Tiffany
Tiffany was chosen as the winner.
Just found out today (while trying to find this picture) that Tiffany is on TLC's new show, "Big Sexy".

All in all, it was fun! I remembered feeling a rush of excitement that I hadn't felt in a long time. Before the event, while walking to the venue, I remembered passing Macy's and wondering why everybody and their mama were waiting outside. Come to find out, JLo, Puffy and a host of others were inside getting ready to hawk promote their lines. I also passed a makeshift concert and saw a band performing (I think it was Train). After the event, Lord & Taylor had so many activities going on throughout their store. So I just went from floor to floor experiencing it all. Later that night, I prowled the streets of NYC, just taking in the energy (re: it took me 20mins to get a cab). Finally, I ended my evening at a Gugu's event. I only slept for like an hr before I had to rush out and catch the Bolt Bus back home the next day.

Wellst, this time around, I'll be in NYC again. No, not for a contest (even though that would've been cool...like, make it an annual thing or something). I'll be attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference (IFB) on 09/07.

I am super geeked. It's practically an all day event. I've been hearing from other bloggers of how much fun and informative this conference is. I think I am most excited to meet some of my favorite bloggers in flesh. Face-to-face. Actually, you know, touch them and know that they are real and not in 2-D. Take a picture or two or a hundred. My poor camera is going to suffer that day. I don't know what I'm going to do after the conference. Hopefully, there are some after parties popping up somewhere nearby.

Then the next day, I'll be back home for DC's own FNO. I know there are a lot of events going on that night. One event that I'll be attending is The Fashionable Life.

One of the sponsors is DCFABB's very own Lacey of A Lacey Perspective. Checking out who the participating vendors are, I think this will be a cool event. Come on through!