The Growing Las Vegas Fashion Community: Fashion’s Night Out LV

by Tiffany Lauren Jamero

I was scrolling on Instagram on a Wednesday night, when my algorithm graced me with a post about a clothing swap. If you don’t know what that is; it’s when you and your friends gather clothing and accessories that you no longer want, look through each other's items, and grab what you do want. I’ve never heard of or been to a clothing swap event before, so I thought, “why not?”. I knew I had a lot of pieces I haven’t worn in a while or have never worn and I thought it would be a great way to meet new people. The event was on Friday, two days before I found out about it, so it felt very spontaneous and fun.

The swap was hosted by Fashion’s Night Out Las Vegas or FNO LV, a runway and shopping collective, showcasing luxury and vintage shopping. Honestly, sounded right up my alley. The event required a paid ticket for a total of $18 and it was hosted at one of my favorite coffee shops, Better Days, at their Summerlin location. The ticket did come with a complementary beverage and ran from 7pm to 10pm. How did the swap work? The amount of tickets you received at the event after check-in depended on how many of your items were accepted. According to their event website, the swap had two tiers, the “core” tier were white tickets and included contemporary, everyday brands like GAP, Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, and Zara. The “elevated” tier were tan tickets and included designer, premium, or vintage brands like Reformation, Ganni, and designer vintage. The swap also accepted accessories, jewelry, and gently used perfume. The event also had vendors like flash tattoos, tooth gems, permanent jewelry, and a Swedish candy bar (vendors listed at the bottom of the page).

I arrived at the location on Friday night at 7:03pm and I could see that it already seemed busy. I joined the line, nervous about how I would be perceived, “was my outfit cute enough”, “does everyone know each other and I’m the odd one out”, “oh god, everyone is carrying a cute tote bag, why did I bring my clothes in a trash bag”. I was anxiously texting my fiancé in line until it was finally my turn for my items to be evaluated. The people checking me in were very nice, accepted my items, and let me know they would find me and give me my tickets. I grabbed my drink, a matcha of course, and attempted to mingle. As I started to get comfortable, I got a tap on my shoulder and my tickets. I brought in about ten items and received four tickets, three tan tickets and one white ticket. Not a bad turn out.

At 8:20pm, it was bustling with people. People mingling, people checking out vendors, people keeping their eyes on the ever-growing rack of clothes for the taking. The environment was open and welcoming, making my previous insecurities feel silly. I even had a few people come up to me and compliment my outfit. I was surprised by the variety of styles I saw around the room. I saw the chic, designer-clad, alternative grungy styles, baggy pants and streetwear, and Y2K low-rise shorts and fur coats. Fashion lovers of all kinds came to the event and it showed in the clothes that ended up in the swap. There were a lot of us packed in this intimate coffee shop and many of us were scared the event would end up like a scene from a 2005 Black Friday. 

However, once the swap began, everyone was actually very respectful. No pushing, no shoving, just a lot of tight squeezes and awkward “excuse me’s”. I knew I had to be decisive because who knew how long a piece would stay on the rack. While overwhelming, I was in awe of the amazing pieces I saw. I saw a Louis Vuitton bomber jacket, a white bandage dress (I can’t believe that it’s considered vintage now), vintage denim, and a studded bustier top. There were also many pairs of shoes, a few handbags, and a surprising amount of gently used designer fragrances.

Determined to be decisive, I picked out my haul fairly quickly, as the amount of people was very overstimulating. I picked out a black and white polka dot dress, a vintage black and white striped corset top with rhinestone detailing down the middle, a white baby tee that had “C*NT” written in rhinestones (absolutely iconic), and the best deal I got, a gently used bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle eau de parfum. I even met the woman who contributed the perfume to the swap and she was so nice. I let her know that it is my signature scent that will be used at my upcoming wedding. 

The event was a fun, fashion-focused event, outside of the clothes themselves. Fellow attendees were stylish and kind. I loved speaking with fellow fashion lovers in Las Vegas. As the city grows, it’s clear that its communities are growing with it. FNO LV proves that the local fashion community is present and I’m excited to see it grow along with the city’s own style and fashion identity. From what I gathered, the event had a larger turn out than expected, so some delays in timing and the limited space made sense. In the future, I would love to see fashion swap events held in larger venues that can accommodate FNO LV’s increasing role in the Las Vegas fashion community. 

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*Fashion Night’s Out LV- @fno.lv

*Venue- @betterdayscaffe

*Tooth gems- @icemypearls

*Flash tattoos- @heynicetatt

*Permanent Jewelry- @iced4life

*Swedish candy bar- @elsebets