Vogue’s Fashion Night Out: Mark Fast for Jonathan Aston launch at House of Fraser

Last night saw the annual fashion and shopping extravaganza for the masses that is Vogue’s Fashion Night Out (FNO). The brainchild of Vogue head honcho Anna Wintour, FNO for one night of the year brings together the stars of fashion, music and celebrity and we the everyday people, to celebrate and shop and raise money for the Refuge charity.

Across London, shops pulled out all the stops to lay on the best in retail entertainment and at House of Fraser, there was one of the biggest parties of them all. Hundreds descended upon the venerable department store to celebrate FNO for what is billed as fashions biggest party. Luckily for us at The Upcoming we were greeted outside by the lovely ladies of Bright Light PR who ushered us into one of the main events at Frasers; the launch of Mark Fast’s Fast at Jonathan Aston, a hosiery collaboration that brings Mark Fast’s famous knitwear designs to hosiery and bodywear. The man is well recognised as one of the most talented knitwear designers out there today and this collection definitely shows why he holds such a reputation. Sexy, fun and beautifully intricate, who said hosiery has to be boring?

Mr Fast himself was on hand to meet and greet shoppers and we were given the rare honour of a short interview with Mark to discuss his collaboration. Mark told us that the reason he entered into partnership with Jonathan Aston was primarily to make his designs accessible to a broader market and that it was also a logical collaboration for him as his whole love for fashion and the reason he got into knitwear in the first place stems from his obsession with hosiery, so in essence this collaboration for him feels almost like going back to his roots. Mark also told us that he really enjoyed the technical and manufacturing part of the process in designing the hosiery, an aspect of fashion that has always fascinated him. Above all though, what Mark was obviously most delighted with regarding this collaboration was seeing women buying and wearing the products; “I want women to enjoy wearing something, to feel confident about themselves and know they are looking good.”

We also asked Mark about his forthcoming London Fashion Week SS13 show, but his lips were staying sealed, we will just have to wait until the event itself.

As Mark dashed to the next stop of his FNO tour, we spent the rest of the evening enjoying the best of what House of Fraser had to offer. From cocktails in coconuts from Mahiki at a Tiki bar hosted by Donna Air, to copious champagne and shopping all to the soundtrack of the wonderful Edith Bowman of Radio 1, the department store buzzed with happy FNO’ers. Women were lining up to enjoy complimentary makeovers in Fraser’s Beauty Box and the ladies of Triumph International were handing out lanyards whilst modelling the latest range (they are currently running a Facebook competition that you too can enter by liking their page).

At House of Fraser, UGG Australia’s concession was one of the most popular of the evening with shoppers lining up for cocktails made by mixologists and the opportunity to pose for photographs against a backdrop of New York which would then be printed, framed and available to collect 10 minutes later, all free of charge providing a wonderful keepsake memento of the evening.

Post House of Fraser we stopped by Aspinal to see Hugo Taylor of Made in Chelsea; then caught The Alpines at All Saints; enjoyed an impromptu hoedown in the middle of Bond Street; and took a peek inside the new Victoria’s Secret store.

Another memorable Fashion’s Night Out, many thanks to House of Fraser, Bright Light PR and Mark Fast, and here’s to next year!

Ian  Michael Turner

Visit House of Fraser here.

Find out more about Fast for Jonathan Aston here.