Birmingham Will Still Celebrate Fashion's Night Out This Year, Even if New York Isn't

News that Fashion's Night Out is on an indefinite hiatus in the United States this year isn't stopping the fashion-forward folks in Birmingham.

According to Principal Shopping District Director John Heiney, Birmingham still has plans to move ahead with its fourth annual downtown fashon event this fall — even if models won't be walking the catwalks elsewhere.

Founded in 2009 by Vogue editor Anna Wintour in New York City, Fashion's Night Out was a "celebration of shopping" and an attempt to bring attention to the role fashion retailing plays in the economy. In 2012, the event had expanded to stores in more than 500 cities nationwide and 30 cities around the world.

Those cities included Birmingham, which launched its first Fashion's Night Out in 2010. Fifteen downtown merchants, from Tender to Caruso Caruso,  participated last year's event, showcasing their fall collections, offering beauty makeovers and serving complimentary appetizers and drinks.

In fact, Birmingham was one of the few downtowns in Michigan to host a coordinated Fashion's Night Out last year, Heiney said.

"Businesses love this event because it is all about fashion, shopping and fun," Heiney said last year. "It is a great night to stroll downtown and check out our boutiques, salons and restaurants."

However, according to Women's Wear Daily, the event also forced retailers and designers to spend more, especially at a time when designers were staging fashion shows.

Eventually, the sponsors of the official event — Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and NYC & Co. — decided to put Fashion Night's Out on hold for 2013.

"We are immensely proud of the program and are grateful to all of our partners in fashion and retail," Steven Kolb, chief executive officer for the CFDA, told the website. "In addition to giving retailers a positive boost, Fashion Night's Out also served to highlight the incredible economic impact and the millions of jobs that the fashion industry supports."

However, Fashion's Night Out will go on as planned internationally, as well as in any city looking to celebrate fashion and shopping — like Birmingham.

According to Heiney, his office is still working on plans for an event that will be "uniquely Birmingham" this fall, though details are still unavailable.

For more

• Fashion's Night Out Hits Downtown Birimingham Thursday
• Viewfinder: Weather Doesn't Stop Shoppers at Fashion's Night Out

What do you think of Fashion's Night Out? Do you think Birmingham should do more to attract shoppers?