Shaye Winer

This year Fashion’s Night Out is turning four! On September 6, stars, editors, fashionistas, designers, and models will strut through stores across the nation in celebration of fashion. So, what’s the best part about this VIP night? It’s simple. Everyone is invited to mask in the glitz and glam of this annual party.

This night may sound too good to be true, but we promise it’s not. We’ve answered all the questions that may have come to mind in order to ensure that you have the best Fashion’s Night Out this year!

What is FNO? Fashion’s Night Out is a night dedicated to, you guessed it, fashion! This annual event began four years ago and started off as a night to kick off New York Fashion Week. The night is essentially one huge party that takes place at multiple locations. Stores host different celebrities, offer special discounts, and provide swanky atmospheres to give you a unique experience. Brands will also host glamorous parties in hopes to gather a crowd. One of the best parts of this night is that you can travel from location to location and soak as much as you’d like (or can) in!

Where is this taking place and how do I attend? This year Fashion’s Night Out has grown into something huge! It used to be a few locations in some of the top cities around the nation, but this year there’s so much everywhere. You can start planning your night around town by clicking right here. Once you pick your favorite events grab a few friends and hit the town. On this night everything is a runway and you are free to be whoever you’d like to be!

Many of you know Nina Garcia as the fashion director at Marie Claire and judge on Project Runway. However, the Fashion Institute of Technology knows her as one of our incredible alums. Nina once graced the halls of our buildings and explored our campus with eager eyes. She had hopes, just like us, of making her dreams come true and knew that FIT was the place for her to build her foundation at. We are so honored the Nina took the time to answer some questions just for us! Take a look at what it was like for her as a student here and make sure to read the advice she shared for you.

Her Campus FIT: How did you know that FIT was the school you had to go to? Or what was your deciding factor?
Nina Garcia: I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be in fashion. When I was 8 or 9 years old I would spend hours sketching dresses and collections. After graduating from Boston University, and moving to NYC to pursue fashion, furthering my education at FIT was an obvious choice. I had heard about the wonderful Fashion programs available at FIT and its stellar reputation.

HCFIT: Do you have any standout memories from your time at FIT and if so, what are they?
NG: I loved being able to explore the city with new friends. I went to boarding school all through high school and then lived in Boston, which is so much more of a college town than NYC. It was great to have the structure of still being in school but with the ability to take advantage of everything that NYC has to offer.

Back-to-school means tons of shopping. Pens, pencil cases, binders and books—but those things can get so boring. While they are necessary, and even fun to some, my favorite part of back-to-school is picking out my bag(s)! Purchasing my bag for school is always such a hard feat—I mean as smart collegiettes we want to make sure we’re okay with the price tag, that it’s big enough to fit all of our belongings, and most importantly that it defines our sense of style. Her Campus has approved 20 of the cutest bags for back-to-school, making sure to keep different personalities and budgets in mind!

$30 & Under

Stripe Your Stuff

 The on-trend navy stripes and brown leather accenting take this AEO Striped Satchel ($29.50) to that next style level. It’s for the preppy girl who likes to keep things casual and it will even pair perfectly with your brown leather boots—perfect for fall!

The Fiercest Kind of Fierce: Leopard Print

Fierce and feisty? Then this Leopard Print Canvas Backpack ($28.50) needs to find its way to your closet now! Rock this bag in class or even at the mall; it’s the perfect mix of convenience and fun.

Lazy Days

Congrats, grad! You’ve aced every test (ha!), attended every class (I’m sure), and every decision that you’ve made has shaped you into the grad that reads this today (right?). However, while those choices may have gotten you this far, the real tests in life start now. The choices that you make from here on out won’t receive a grade or get you into any program at school, but they will enrich your future in a very… real world way. From budgeting your money to job-hunting to finding your future hubby (whoa, that’s some real talk)—you know that HC is always here to help you.

Right now we know that summer is coming to a close and you probably have one huge worry on your mind: Do I stay at home now that I’ve graduated or do I move out on my own? If you are lucky enough to have parents that will take you in post-grad we know this decision is huge. But have no fear! We’ve already debated the important factors for you.

Your Bank Account:

I can’t even tally the amount of times I’ve heard a friend say, “By the time I graduate I’ll have $10,000+ in my savings account.” But I can tally the amount of friends who have actually achieved that goal: one. Saving money while you’re in school is hard—really hard—and HC understands more than anyone how busy you’ve been with classes and unpaid internships. Even though saving money as a collegiette is ideal, it isn’t the most realistic goal. So what’s the best place to live when it comes to money—home, or on your own? The money factor very well may be the biggest one.