The Crowd: Fall fashion season kicks off locally

Shopping malls across America are preparing for Fashion's Night Out on Thursday. The evening, which launches the fall fashion season, has grown in stature. It has become not just a night of shopping, but a major social event on the calendars of cities and towns everywhere.

In Orange County, some of the more spectacular in-store happenings include an hors d'oeuvres reception at Tiffany & Co., South Coast Plaza, hosted by store director Michael Botsko joining forces with the highly regarded Capital Grille Restaurant. It will offer butler-passed hors d' oeuvres and desserts to customers visiting Tiffany & Co. from 6 to 9 p.m. They are calling the event, which is free to the public, "Diamonds and Delicacies."

On the opposite end of South Coast Plaza, the trendy An Qi by Crustacean, is joining forces with Bloomingdales hosting what organizers are calling "Fashion, Food, Fire, Hot Fashion Show." The men of the Costa Mesa Fire Department will be modeling fall fashions from Bloomingdales on An Qi's elevated glass runway in the main dining room.

Cocktails and Asian fusion tapas will be served. This event has an event ticket price of $55 for general admission or $150 for front-row seating. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Costa Mesa Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund.

Fashion Island is working with Nordstrom to celebrate Fashion's Night Out with a personal appearance by the Fowler Sisters. Elle and Blair Fowler, bloggers and web personalities, are well known for creating more than 700 make-over tutorials and videos that have gone viral on YouTube, reaching more than 262 million hits. With millions of girls following them globally online, the sisters will be available at Nordstrom Fashion Island from 6 to 8 p.m. to meet the fans and chat about the coming season and newest makeup trends.

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Local society photographer Ann Chatillon and her husband videographer Rick have been invited to grace Bloomingdales Fashion Island with an exhibit of Newport Beach surf historical memorabilia based on their collection, used in the making of their 2010 award winning surf documentary film "Living It Forever."

The evolution of surf culture will be on display on the first floor men's department beginning Thursday night and running for 10 days. Rick and Ann Chatillon will be on hand Thursday for a wine and hors d'oeuvres in-store reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Surfers will bask in archival photographs and vintage surfboards on display.

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