A Night of Sales, Promotions, and of course, Fashion
Last Thursday night, the Columbiana Mall off Harbison Blvd. held a Fashion’s Night Out. The event, catered to the fashion-consumer audience of Columbia, included a fashion show, free food, a photoshoot, booths full of freebies and promos, and sales in almost every store in the mall.
My Experience:
As I traveled the booths surrounding the fashion show, I was showered in freebies and coerced into entering my name into almost every raffle possible. From a free goodie bag from Sephora to pretzel bites from Auntie Anne’s, I was enticed and indulged as I journeyed through the maze of tables. Once I broke free, the Chick-fil-A cow was there to give me a hug and some free chicken strips before wishing me luck on my adventure through the mall.
Specials
Every store was on its A-game, advertising special sales just for the one night. Blasting music reeled in the crowd, and trays of delicious finger-foods were seen everywhere. Belk’s shoe department had a spread of cheese and a vegetable tray, along with one-time discounts. Gap drew in shoppers with cookie cake, topped in their icing logo, as well as their very own DJ spinning beats. Bath and Body Works offered a special promotion on hand soaps, along with premiering their new autumn scents. Some stores made cookies, others poured you a glass of lemonade. Still others tried to pull you inside with talkative sales associates manning the doors.
The Perfect Ending
In between shopping and snacking, people lined the fashion stage to watch models showcase new fall trends. Shoes and handbags were in no short supply, displayed at the edges of the runway. Those weren’t the only models of the night, though. Before the evening was over, you had a chance to be a model, yourself. Setting my shopping bags down, I adorned a fuzzy boa, peace-sign glasses, and beaded necklaces. Alongside my roommate, a photographer snapped our picture. Too bad I didn’t get a copy…if I did, it would for sure be hanging on my wall.
