Fashions Night Out in New York Opens NYFW to Everyone, Even Those Without Tickets to Chanel

If you’re a New Yorker, the week after Labor Day feels like waking up from a long nap. The days that seemed to stretch on endlessly just last week are whizzing by again. You might even find yourself walking a little bit faster. Of course, this energy is also due in no small part to the creative, social and aesthetic whirlwind that descends on the city in this first week of September — New York Fashion Week.

For fashion insiders, the week can be extremely stressful. Brooke Danielson, Associate Accessories Editor at Glamour Magazine, is a seasoned Fashion Week pro. In an interview she said that while her schedule can be “grueling ... there is such a creative spirit in the air that I love.”

For every fashion week attendee, there is usually that one show that speaks to your sartorial soul. For Danielson this year its “Proenza Schouler.” The brand, founded by design duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, has won two CFDA awards (think of it as the Oscars of fashion). Danielson says, “They are relevant and classic, but just edgy enough to keep me wanting more.” As for the more classic names? The fashion heavy weights still have a powerful draw. “I love being surprised by the old guard — Oscar for one!”. Hear, hear.

For those of us who are sans- invite, there are still ways to siphon off some of the glamour (and free champagne) of Fashion Week. Tonight is the fourth annual Fashion’s Night Out, a celebration of the fashion industry. Best part is, it’s all open to the public. Check out the full list of events , grab a friend, and go. And please dress up, it’s Fashion Week.

This year, Fashion’s Night Out holds particular import for two entrepreneurs, Julia Wetherell and Kathryn Zambetti. Their website MyDROBE.com launches today in conjunction with the event. For those of us with the familiar problem of having a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, MyDROBE takes your wardrobe online and acts as a virtual stylist with a fashion-based social networking component. Other than their own event, Wetherell and Zambetti are looking forward to “Chanel — it’s always a creative show-stopper,” and Calvin Klein "His spring collections are always stunning,” as well as Rachel Zoe and Stella McCartney. As for the week itself? They say, “Every day is like Christmas and every night is like Christmas Eve!” I think we can all get into that.