On May 31st, “the city’s chicest incentive to shop local” occurred and an incredible range of supporters and shoppers came out to celebrate Look Local Night in style! Look Local Night is hosted by Style Lush TV and is an annual celebration of our local retail entrepreneurs. In the spirit of valuing their hard work and the cultural integrity their businesses bring to our city, Look Local Night showcased their latest inventory on the runway and gave elite shoppers the opportunity to buy the fashion before anyone else at their pop up shop onsite.
This year, in honor of the Tricentennial, the event launched the official change of venue to one of San Antonio’s most famous locations, Houston Street. Rich in retail history, Houston Street served as the perfect backdrop for the evening and aimed to also support the Activate Houston Street Initiative that is currently gaining momentum.
Style Lush TV’s partner for the event is OPEN Downtown Pop Up Shops of the Center City Development and Operations Department (CCDO). Their initiative is in partnership with Downtown property owners and retailers to offer local entrepreneurs a no-cost/low-cost short-term lease in vacant properties. The OPEN Downtown Pop Up Shop Program creates an environment that engages customers, offers participants a vibrant urban space and shepherds those who are ready to move into a brick and mortar in the heart of our fabulous City.
The music was on fire as shoppers and patrons mixed and mingled to the sounds of DJ Soulstairs. Dana Cortez of 98.5 The Beat graced the event with her one of a kind individuality and co-hosted the runway in leather short, a striped tank and Chun-Li buns.
Thirteen local fashion boutiques took to the stage while having bios presented during their fashion shows. The shoppers got the chance to know more about these local entrepreneurs and the high fashion trends that are relevant in the current and upcoming seasons. The fashion shows ended with the owner of the boutique coming on stage to be recognized for their hard work and to say hello to their community.
The event was free to the public but elite shoppers purchased the Style Lush VIP Experience and gained access to the VIP Lounge. Elite fashion talent offered beauty pampering and free beauty advice while patrons sipped on luxury spirits sold by Bar 414 and Market on Houston. VIP Beauty Talent included, Color Me Polish & Nail Creations on Broadway offering mini mani experiences, hair and makeup touch-ups with the award-winning talent from TWIRL salon, and in addition to the pampering, FGI San Antonio also participated as a VIP vendor and sold their #ModelSanAntonian t-shirts exclusively to the VIPs. Ticket sales benefitted Project SMART of Southtown The Arts District.
As with all Style Lush TV events, great pride is taken in creating events that not only serve the fashion community directly, but also serve the areas of impact that affect the future of San Antonio as a whole. Look Local Night was created with a conscious effort to positively affect Downtown Development in the areas of economic impact, the potential for more downtown employment, and improved livability. Look Local Night also aims to impact Economic Competitiveness, increasing entrepreneurship, reducing unemployment, and improving the retail experience overall. As the years go by, this event will continue to serve as a fashionable, yet functional piece to a bigger puzzle, ultimately contributing to the vision of our developing city. A full video episode is available at StyleLushTV.Com Due to the event’s success in its numerous goals, plans for 2019 are already in progress.
