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Anyone seeing the constant line that wrapped around two sides of the Ace Hotel would have thought Opening Ceremony's Parisian Flea Market was the place to be for Fashion's Night Out. We entered the hotel as Opening Ceremony owner Humberto Leon blew past with a headphone-wielding assistant and found an adorable bazaar that felt like an elementary school Halloween carnival on stylish steroids. Unfortunately, though, the prices were nothing like buying a $1 ticket to play a game of Whac-A-Mole.
The cute was gonna cost, and from the looks of it, people weren't mindlessly scooping up Parisian goods. A table of $195 striped Jean Paul Gaultier tops seemed to still be in their pristine, folded piles, plain-looking Rodarte Prom t-shirts were unexpectedly expensive, with $100 for grey and $150 for purple, and even the Colette x Opening Ceremony's lower-priced products, like $25 totes and $40 tees with French phrases sprawled across, were in full stock.
One reason why the cash might not have been free-flowing is that the liquor at the bar wasn't either—Opening Ceremony appeared to be the only place on Fashion's Night Out that wasn't passing out free booze. And when you're sober Sally, it's hard to justify that $40 Band of Outsiders t-shirt just to get one golden, coffee and bourbon-flavored Momofuku cookie.
The cheapest way to get out your FNO kicks, surprisingly enough, was Alexander Wang's table. $1 pineapple buns and $5 to-go boxes of candy not only benefited charity and curbed said cookie craving, but provided an entry into a raffle to win a Fall '10 Sydney backpack at their orient-themed booth.
A table full of exclusive Proenza Schouler runway sample heels, offered only for that night ranged $750-$1000, and for direct-from-designer, never-produced footwear, it's justifiable. But, unless you came to the Ace for a striped shirt and were willing to throw down $150+ for it, you came to the wrong spot. Looking at expensive, cute stuff without a drink in your hand is fine for any other day in a boutique, but for Fashion's Night Out? Nuh-uh. Though, we must say—that pineapple bun was delicious.
· Official Site[Opening Ceremony]
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