Fashion Week Spikes Sales of Champagne and Cigarettes

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Lincoln Center is the epicenter of Fashion Week, and the influx of show-goers and street style photographers causes a ripple effect felt throughout the area. We stopped and talked to some of the busiest Fashion Week haunts around Columbus Circle to find out how they have been impacted.

The closest restaurant, Ed's Chowder House, has seen more stylish patrons and a higher demand for mimosas and Champagne. One of the nearest bodegas, Shami Smoke & Magazine, has noticed a dramatic increase in the sale of cigarettes.

The manager at the Duane Reade around the corner from the tents, Gail Trippodi, told us that there has been a never-ending line at the checkout and they are selling more water, oatmeal and single serve cereals. The beauty department has also garnered attention as the fashion crowd realizes their "LOOK Boutique" sells higher-end brands like La Roche-Posay and BECCA.

Daniel Boulud's cluster of eateries on the corner of 64th and Broadway have been the most affected since Fashion Week began. We caught up with Georgette Farkas who handles PR for the Boulud restaurants and she told us that their newest restaurant, Boulud Sud, did twice as many covers as normal the first day of Fashion Week. Although it's too early to tell what entrées will be particularly popular with this year's Lincoln Center crowd, last year at Bar Boulud the hottest items were French fries and the highly indulgent croque monsieur.Now we really know why everyone is late to the shows.—Michelle Persad
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· All Fashion Week Fall 2012 coverage [Racked NY]