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Fashion’s Night Out expected to draw top designers, celebrities, shoppers

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Top designers and celebrities are expected to hit stores around the world for Fashion’s Night Out on Friday, while retailers hope the buzz spurs a much-needed spending resurgence from everyday consumers.

The second annual event, billed as an evening extravaganza packed with runway shows, shopping discounts and parties in major cities, is getting a major makeover this year in Southern California after the region’s lackluster participation last year.

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This year, Southern California is fielding activities stretching from Newport Beach to Pasadena, including events at the Grove shopping center and on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. For more details, click here.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Office of Economic and Business Policy is rallying retailers and encouraging shoppers to shop in the city to help generate sales tax revenue.

“At the end of the day, even though this is a fun event, it really comes down to economics,” said Cynthia Ruiz, a commissioner for the city of Los Angeles who is heading the city’s Fashion’s Night Out initiatives. “It’s really about supporting our retailers and supporting our fashion industry as a whole and in turn that helps the city’s financial issues as well.... What we’re doing is rallying together behind one cause.”

On Friday, the mayor will help kick off the event at 5 p.m. at the Beverly Center, which spent more than $150,000 to produce two runway shows, mall General Manager Jeff Brown said.

“We’re basically creating our own stimulus package,” he said. “The point is to create an incentive for shoppers to shop again.”

The mall’s runway shows will feature looks from stores including Bebe, Traffic, True Religion and Bloomingdale’s. Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am, celeb blogger Perez Hilton and cast members from television shows including ‘Glee’ and ‘True Blood’ are scheduled to attend.

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-- Andrea Chang

Related:

Booth Moore on New York Fashion Week:

http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-nyshows-20100912,0,6296039.story

Booth Moore on Fashion’s Night Out in New York:

http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-diary-20100912,0,5924561.story?lkj

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