Last Thursday, the world went on a shopping spree. American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and NYC & Company collaborated to jump-start the fashion industry and encourage consumers to get back into stores.

On the night of Sept. 10, the island of Manhattan was buzzing with activity generated by the industry’s elite. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen spent their time knitting at Barneys New York. Coco Rocha was spotted doing an Irish-step dance outside of DKNY. Blake Lively was seen in the Ralph Lauren store, soaking up every bit of the chaos that developed in the wake behind her.

Celebrities weren’t the only ones making a commotion for the sake of Fashion’s Night Out. Almost every store boasted a personal appearance by its namesake designer at some point during the night.

Manolo Blahnik was available at his boutique to sign shoes and offer his advice on fall’s hottest shoe trends. Opening Ceremony, mecca of all things young and chic, housed Alexander Wang as well as Erin Wasson and Band of Outsider’s Scott Sternberg. Margherita Missoni hosted a party at the Missoni boutique and served up cocktails alongside her style wisdom to her clients.

The magic and excitement of FNO did not end in New York City. Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center joined in on the fun with several events of its own.

“Fashion’s Night Out is very clever. The idea is to make people not feel guilty about shopping, and that’s the way we are approaching the fall season in general,” Karen Katz, president and CEO of Neiman Marcus stores, said about FNO. “The customer has to have a reason to come into the store, and relax, have a drink, look around at the fall merchandise and feel no pressure. It’s about having a nice night out. We haven’t really thought of it in terms of the competitive landscape. The idea is to promote shopping as fun and entertainment and to try to give a boost to the fall season.”

Shoppers chose from several activities to participate in throughout the night. Matt Tyrnauer, director of “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” greeted fans and signed copies of the newly released DVD from 6-7 p.m. The film was originally supposed to be viewed outside in CenterPark, but due to changes in weather, the screening had to be moved inside.

After a few remarks from Tyrnauer, guests of Cibus café enjoyed a light Italian dinner while they watched the number one documentary in the world flash across the screen.

Throughout the night, shoppers were able to play a life-size version of Fashion Rules!, the “world’s first fashion board game.” Winners took home a variety of prizes, including shoes, makeup and gift certificates. There was also a booth set up where clients could make their own flipbook by PicFlips with fun props like bright feather boas and funky sunglasses.

Apryl Churchill, public relations manager for Neiman Marcus, was thrilled with the outcome of the event.

“Fashion’s Night Out was a celebration of fashion. We had hoped customers would come out and enjoy the evening, and they did! We are pleased to see a diverse crowd of guests both young and mature having a great time. Fashion is fun, and we wanted people to remember that enjoyment,” she said.

FNO was not solely about furthering the fashion industry; it was also about benefitting a cause.

All proceeds from the purchase of the official FNO T-shirt were given to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.