Just when we thought the heavy weight of reality had set in, and Fashion’s Night Out organizers would do something sensible like bringing the invented shopping holiday to an end, Anna Wintour and the Conde Nast crew prove everyone wrong.

At this point, we should probably stop asking why… but really, why?

The few retailers who will speak about the event do so to complain about the cost of entertainers, security, and all of the other expenses of the evening, which are not balanced out by higher sales.

Even the well-oiled Vogue machine is strained under the weight of a workload that includes prepping for a major designer/retailer event before an entire month of back to back designer/retailer events, if insider reports are to be believed. And as much as designers appreciate being associated with Vogue in whatever way they can,  having to plan a major event weeks (if they’re lucky enough to be showing in Europe) or days (if they’re showing in New York) before a runway show, which is a stressful production in its own right isn’t a challenge they particularly enjoy.

Especially when that challenge doesn’t result in any significant sales boost. At least not in the US (Paris, which operates on an invitation basis, concentrated on brands which frequently appear in the magazine and seems to deliver in that regard).Which shouldn’t be surprising, considering that the biggest events are more about mini-performances, celebrity meet and greets and free champagne and snacks than shopping.

Maybe less so than in previous years as retailers caught onto the fact that not all foot traffic is created equal, but the overall atmosphere is still a carnival-like extravaganza. While that may have been necessary during the slow shopping times of the Great Recession when the event was originally created, luxury companies are doing pretty well these days. Hell, even American Apparel is making money, and their sales numbers have been in a deep hole for some time.

It’s difficult to believe that the free champagne buzz still has everyone drunk enough to think that the same event is going to produce a different result, but like most drunken decisions, we don’t see this ending well.

Since Fashion’s Night Out hasn’t gotten the message about toning the evening down and focusing on sales, we can only hope that more retailers have and will take it upon themselves to pass it on by passing on this particular evening out.

Fashion’s Night Out, the 3-year-old event that generates big buzz for one night prior to fashion week, but not so much in terms of big sales numbers, may be coming to an end. {the Cut/NY Magazine}

As we’ve mentioned numerous times, the bigger and more star-studded the events got, the less people actually seemed to shop. While we did see more retailers offering gifts or gifts with purchase to try to lure shoppers this year, apparently they’ve realized what we’ve been saying for a while: if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense.

Three years in, few people will speak on record about specific numbers to get an idea of just how good, bad or mediocre Fashion’s Night Out may be at a macro level. Retailers rarely miss an opportunity to talk about positive numbers though, so we have to imagine that the silence is more of an attempt not to fall into disfavor with FNO creator and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour than a sudden shyness around discussing stellar sales results.

Enormous crowds of people are good for retailers if they’re buying things, but in the case of Fashion’s Night Out the result is more akin to a well dressed flash mob moving from free champagne spot to free champagne spot. While Ashley Turen, the owner of a small Lower East Side boutique, said that the night was good for business, unnamed publicists speaking to the Cut noted that the overall cost of events coupled with an extra event to work on right before Fashion Week make it more of a burden than benefit.

That’s to say nothing of the extra work for Vogue. For all of the faults we’ve found and written about concerning the event itself, the effort and amount of work that went into each of the events has been obvious and impressive. Maintaining growth of what’s essentially become a shopping holiday celebrated by thousands of retailers in 17 countries around the world and all 50 states could easily be a full time endeavor in and of itself. Considering that American Vogue pulled in more than $92 million from one issue alone this year (granted, it’s the year’s biggest issue), it’s not difficult to imagine that Fashion’s Night Out could have a low return on investment for Vogue as well.

While we wouldn’t be entirely sad to see the event go, we do hope that the things that did work survive and find their way into more sustainable promotions. Though the event seems to have gone on just a bit longer than needed, Anna Wintour certainly earns a solid E for effort; but now’s as good a time as any to realize that some things just aren’t meant to last all night.

So, to demonstrate just how big of a thing FNO has become, let’s take a look at Fashion Month’s unofficial kickoff by the numbers.

Click to view full size

And lo and behold, while pulling together information for this visual overview, we discovered something heartening: the vast majority of retailers, at least in New York City, are trying to draw shoppers in with food, music, product launches or gifts with purchase. Out of 1216 NYC events, only 90 are tagged as celebrity events, and “celebrity” is a very generous term in some cases.

The evening still seems to be more of a party than anything else, but at least the promotions for most merchants are turned towards making the products the stars of Fashion’s Night Out.

“F.N.O. was a good idea when it began, back in the depths of the recession when stores were virtually empty. But now itâ€s become a party, an institutionalized kickoff to Fashion Week, and though it apparently raises money for some causes, I have to believe that the costs of security, crowd control and entertainment, not to mention the traffic headaches, outweigh the actual benefits.” – Cathy Horyn, last Friday on her blog.

“On the other hand, with the economy picking up and shoppers getting comfortable with spending again, do retailers really need to keep spending money on an event that generates traffic, but not as much in sales? Without hard numbers, itâ€s difficult to argue for or against the event to continue, but anecdotally, something has to change if the event is to become the Black Friday of fall. For all of the people out and about, we didnâ€t catch much actual shopping going on.” – Us, last December following the announcement of the 2011 Fashion’s Night Out date.

We’d love to be proven wrong by this year’s event, but we won’t hold our breath for returned calls from retailers demonstrating a clear sales (not just foot traffic) boost. We will try, again, to get in touch with both large and small retailers to get at least an anecdotal picture of whether Fashion’s Night Out delivers a revenue increase significant enough to justify the celebrities, security and other hoopla.

Say what you will about Carine Roitfeld’s version, but the now former Vogue Paris editor kept her eye on the prize for the French version of Fashion’s Night Out. There were very few scheduled celebrities, if you wanted to attend you had to buy a copy of Vogue or Architectural Digest for an invitation, the activities focused on a handful of luxury retailers – the same ones usually found in the pages of Vogue Paris, in a geographically limited area (the Triangle d’Or). In spite of the things it didn’t have (a wide range of brand options, A-list appearances, citywide participation), the one thing it did have was cash registers ringing throughout the night in the vast majority of stores.

But hey, while we still think retailers would do better to trade the celeb appearance fees for shopping related gifts or limited time price breaks, at least someone over at FNO picked up on our 3rd suggestion of including an online component.

The jury’s still out on whether something is better than nothing in this case though.

Alexander McQueen Moves Forward

Goodbye Mr. McQueen, hello Ms. Burton. Long live McQueen.

Style.com covered the passing of Alexander McQueen and the showing of the final collection he designed, but something that was equally important this year was the success of Sarah Burtonâ€s first show as the new designer for the McQueen label. The passing of such a genius creative mind was indeed tragic, and the showing of McQueenâ€s last collection was a special moment, but Burtonâ€s signal that the brand can honor McQueenâ€s legacy while moving forward was absolutely stellar.

John Gallianoâ€s Dior Couture Wows

Dior haute couture was in full bloom this year when John Galliano showed his Spring 2011 collection of flower-inspired looks. The imagery and execution of the designs combined with the high, tulip-like hair of the models for a full package display of gorgeousness and perhaps our favorite moment in fashion of 2010.

Perhaps the third time's a charm?

In terms of foot traffic the event was an overwhelming, mammoth success. People turned out in droves and created lines that wrapped around (and around, and around…) the block for some stores.

The financial success though? Well, mum’s been the word for a while. The financial results from the first year were underwhelming for certain retailers, and this year no one would comment. It’s not just our emails and calls that went unreturned, there’s been no mention in the Wall Street Journal, WWD or any of the publications we’d expect to report back with the hard numbers.

On one hand, plenty of successful ventures take a while to find their financial footing. Big buzz can mean big profits if it’s sustained. Look at any number of popular tech startups: Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, YouTube – all are going through or went through a period where user adoption outpaced revenue.

On the other hand, with the economy picking up and shoppers getting comfortable with spending again, do retailers really need to keep spending money on an event that generates traffic, but not as much in sales? Without hard numbers, it’s difficult to argue for or against the event to continue, but anecdotally, something has to change if the event is to become the Black Friday of fall. For all of the people out and about, we didn’t catch much actual shopping going on.

Part of it, we suspect, is that the event has become too much of… an event, and not one that’s about shopping. Crazy as it may be for some, people are pitching tents, buying diapers and lining up outside of stores in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday to catch unbelievable deals and spend money. People on Fashion’s Night Out typically lined up to meet their favorite celebrity or watch the spectacle unfold, rather than shop.

If next year’s event is to be as beneficial for business as it is for buzz and branding, we have a few suggestions:

• Ditch the celebrities: While the crowds may not be as heavy, they’ll be there for the clothes and shopping, rather than the photo op.
• Break out the financial incentives: Yes, the event was created with the goal of getting people to buy at full price, but take a page from big box retailers who know the power of a doorbuster for encouraging shopping rather than gawking. Plus, we’ll bet that whatever you would have spent on celebrity security and crowd control will be just as popular if you give it to shoppers in the form of discounts or special gifts.
• Include an online component: Vogue UK tested the first Fashion’s Night In this year, and while reports on financial success have been similarly quiet to the night out, so many people turn to websites for decisions on where to go and what to buy offline that it’s plain silly to waste the attention. Especially for shoppers not in New York or a major city, it could also be a great way to boost online sales and give those who just don’t want to fight the crowds a connection to the event (and possibly, a reason to come to the store in person at a later date).

This year, New York’s Fashion’s Night Out got its own TV special, and the celebrity appearances from 2009 were even bigger and better. Bergdorf Goodman’s star studded events featuring people like Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Richie and Mary J. Blige among many, many others drew a line that wrapped around the block for much of the evening, and crowds filling the streets.

Even with a love affair with Tom Ford that goes back to his early days at Gucci, the prospect of waiting in a line for 2 hours was enough to make me decide to save the fawning for a future fashion event. A few blocks away, Payless hosted collaborators Patricia Field, Isabel Toledo and Christian Siriano. While the line was nowhere near as outrageous, it was still a slow shuffle into the store, up the stairs and out the door as soon as people had their opportunity to snap a picture with their chosen designer. I, again, lost patience, but did notice that the Steve Madden next door to Payless had no celebrities, and no lines, but a small yet steady stream of people browsing the shoes on display.

It’s been impossible to track down any hard sales figures for Fashion’s Night Out, and our emails and calls for comment by participating merchants are still unreturned. So while the evening was successful in generating a massive amount of buzz, it’s not unreasonable to imagine the heavy crowds drawn in by celeb heavy events may not have done much for business. These weren’t the type of crowds lured in by the promise of dirt-cheap items (as is the case for many Black Friday shoppers) or one heavily anticipated object (a la the iPhone or iPad), ready to whip out their credit cards and shop. The promotion and events may have been spectacular, but the silence makes us think the bottom line returns were lackluster in comparison.

What does that have to do with Fashion’s Night In? Well, while it probably won’t generate the same amount of hype that taking a picture with your favorite designer or fashion icon does, when it comes down to immediate sales that may not be a bad thing. Most of the Fashion’s Night In promotions are centered around shopping perks like free shipping, product line launches, prize drawings and the occasional free gift with purchase. Taking a page from flash sale sites, the various promotions are time sensitive and only available during certain hours.

Free shipping or a gift with purchase may not be as exciting as meeting Tom Ford, but for people on the fence about making a purchase those are the kind of things that are probably more likely to push a decision to buy.  Plus, the one thing that clicks retailers can (usually) offer that bricks retailers can’t is the option to shop without having to fight crowds. The Outnet’s anniversary sale proved that there are occasions when you go through similar headaches, but in general a massively popular online event will still be less stressful than an in-store event.

Lest you think shopping at your desk (many of the events start around 5pm London time, which is 12pm EST) while eating lunch is an anti-social experience, many of the stores are offering feedback and shopping suggestions via Twitter for the evening.

Visit Signature9 UK on Monday for our shortlist of events to bookmark. While the event is organized by Vogue UK, many of the retailers ship to the US (and other countries around the world).

Last yearâ€s FNO produced mixed financial results, with some retailers reporting the night was far more successful in terms of energy than from a business perspective. This yearâ€s event was, however, more promising, with 1,000 retailers participating to last years 800 and added pre-event buzz.

So how did retail sales fare this year?

Unfortunately, not much information exists on the topic. Apparently, many retailers did not measure the exact business results, with some admitting they were more concerned with the social aspect. {Vancouver Sun} We’ve reached out to retailers large and small, but are still awaiting responses on questions related to sales for the evening.

Here is what we do know:

-New York City foot traffic increased 50 percent after last yearâ€s event, according to research firm ShopperTrak, and this yearâ€s FNO is estimated by many to have attracted an even larger crowd.

-Seventy-five percent of FNO attendees bought something, according to a survey of 1,300 consumers by NYC & Co. {Vancouver Sun}

-The official site for the event claims only that FNO was a “huge success.”

-Anna Wintour said in a CBS News interview following the event, “We were thrilled. It was already a huge success last year. Last year we were really running a campaign with an unknown candidate. And this year we had the incumbent on our side, so at least we were talking about an event that people knew what it was. They were excited about it and they turned out in droves…If you walked through the streets, as I did, of New York on Friday, everbody was dressed up, they were having fun, but most importantly they were shopping.” {ShoppingBlog}

It is all very vague, and we suppose it may be a bit soon to say whether FNO had a lasting impact on retail sales. We just cannot understand, however, why so little information exists on the economic success of an event whose purpose was to be an economic stimulus. A search for Fashions Night Out of Bloomberg News, for example, yields no results pertaining to the financial outcome of the event.

Perhaps more information will become available in the coming weeks, and if it does we will be sure to update you.

Balenciaga

Who: Karen Elson

What: A performance from Elson’s debut album, produced by husband Jack White (of the White Stripes) and the US exhibition debut of the Cindy Sherman Untitled (Balenciaga) Series.

Where: 542 West 22 Street btw. 10th and 11th Aves

Dolce & Gabbana

Who: Naomi Campbell, undisputed featherweight champion of the modeling world

What: A collection of limited edition t-shirts featuring Naomi Campbell sold exclusively at the Dolce & Gabbana boutique to support Fashion for Relief, a charity founded by Naomi to raise funds in the fashion world in time and places of need. A performance choreographed by Laurie Ann Gibson at 7:30pm and 9:15pm. T-shirts signed from 6:30pm to 9:45pm.

Where:  825 Madison Avenue at 69th Street

DKNY

Who: Donna Karan and Leigh Lezark

What: Cocktails, music, a digital photobooth, and the launch of the DKNY Delicious Core Club.

Where: 655 Madison Avenue at 60th Street

Payless

Who: Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Patricia Field and Isabel Toledo

What: The designers will be available for a meet-and-greet and photo opportunity from 8-10 pm. at 716 Lexington Avenue. A limited-edition charity tote available for $10 that features the official “cityscape graphic” created by Vogue for 2010. Five dollars from each tote sold will be donated to the NYC AIDS Fund.

Where: 716 Lexington Avenue at 58th street

Piperlime popup

Who: Rachel Zoe (literally!) and the Project Runway cast, though there’s no mention of if this includes Heidi, Michael or Tim.

What: Photos and autographs from the cast of Project Runway, and styling advice from Rachel Zoe. Plus, a gift with purchase.

Where: 93 Mercer Street

Kirna Zabete

Who: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Peter Som, Jason Wu, Aurelie Biderman,Chrissie Morris, Elise Overland and Tracy Anderson.

What: Exclusive products from the designers, an exclusive Celine purse and a Kirna Zabete designed limited edition iPad case all launching in store.

Where: 96 Greene Street

Kate Spade New York

Who: Tim Gunn and Deborah Lloyd, creative director of Kate Spade

What: A window styling contest at the kate spade Broome street flagship, judged by Tim and Deborah. Autographed  copies of Tim Gunn’s book, Gunn’s Golden Rules, and a limited-edition cosmetics case, available exclusively for Fashionâ€s Night Out

Where: 454 Broome Street New York NY 10013

Ralph Lauren

Who: Jessica Alba, Andre Leon Talley, Halle Berry

What:  Jessica Alba and Andre Leon Talley are downtown at Ralph Lauren Soho for champagne and a performance by Grammy nominated singer Janelle Monae. Halle Berry’s in midtown autographing covers of the September issue of Vogue. Granted, Halle and Jessica would easily make the celeb list, but any fashion follower worth their salt will be lining up just to hear ALT tell them if they look dreck or not.

Where: 379 West Broadway (Alba and ALT) and 867 Madison Avenue (Halle Berry)

Saks Fifth Avenue

Who: Donna Karan, Viktor & Rolf, Charlotte Ronson, Zac Posen, and Sergio Rossiâ€s Creative Director, Francesco Russo.

What: The debut of the Sergio Rossi ‘Cachet†pumps, exclusively at Saks. Dancing with the designers and a fashion sketch-off.

Where: 611 Fifth Avenue

Salvatore Ferragamo

Who: Elettra Weidemann, Alek Wek, and Creative Director, Massimiliano Giornetti

What: The launch of the highly anticipated W bag. Designed in the ‘70s exclusively for the House matriarch, Mrs. Wanda Ferragamo, the bag was the centerpiece of the Fall runway show. Guests are invited to customize their own W bag. A percentage of sales will benefit the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Where: 655 Fifth Avenue

Events are sure to draw a crowd, but will they draw buyers?

This yearâ€s event promises to be even bigger and more star-studded than last year, with retail store appearances from such celebs as Mary J. Blige, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Bar Rafaeli, Nigel Barker and Simon Doonan among others. The hype has been spiraling for weeks now, but, while part of the point of Fashionâ€s Night Out is to boost enthusiasm for fashion among shoppers, the goal of boosting retail sales is just as, if not more important for the future of the fashion business.

So, will Fashionâ€s Night Out 2010 exert the desired push on consumers to come out and buy products to ignite fashionâ€s economic state?

It really could go either way. Last year, an impressive $500,000 was raised for the NYC AIDS fund with the sale of FNO T-shirts {Gather Business}. This year, 40 percent of sales from the shirts will again go to the AIDS fund {Fashionâ€s Night Out}, and the charity initiative is likely to be a continued success.

As for actual retail sales, last yearâ€s results were quite mixed. {The Huffington Post}

Barneys Creative Director Simon Doonan said last yearâ€s FNO was not “incredible from a business point of view. But from an energy point of view, it was fabulous.” {Gather Business}

The 2010 event, however, already has a leg up on last yearâ€s festivities. Even more events and celebrity appearances have been planned, with 1,000 retailers scheduled to participate to last yearâ€s 800. Add to that the augmented pre-event buzz and the fact that more people are likely now aware of FNOâ€s existence and legitimacy (as well as Mayor Michael Bloombergâ€s support) and FNO 2010 could be the financial success that last yearâ€s event fell somewhat short of.

It certainly looks promising, but here is why we worry that once again the energy of the night will outperform the actual sales: the average shopper is not in much better shape financially than they were last year. This shopper for one is not even sure she wants to attend FNO because she knows she cannot afford to buy a damn thing, and there will be just too much temptation. If she does go, she is leaving her credit cards at home. Letâ€s hope not too many other fashion lovers feel the same way. Check back here soon to find out how the night went!