Fashion Corner

Kelly Skahan

Quick quiz: what are the three things college students like the most? If you said free food, free clothes and free alcohol, you’re right. Unfortunately, these three bringers of happiness rarely align, so any event that puts them together is truly a gift.

Lucky for Villanova, such an occasion will occur this evening at the King of Prussia Mall. In an effort to jumpstart the struggling retail and fashion industries, Vogue, the CFDA and the City of New York have planned a late-night bash in stores and shopping centers worldwide.

The King of Prussia Mall is the only place participating locally, and they’re definitely making it count; plan on free cocktails, appetizers, desserts, beauty styling and more throughout the night. Starting at 6 p.m. tonight, stores will apply crazy discounts to all of your purchases, raffle off big-ticket items, provide manicures, hairstyling and makeovers and offer alteration and customization services for super-low prices (or, in some cases, for free). All stores will stay open until at least 11 p.m.

Not interested yet? Check out some of the best deals and prizes.

Everything at American Apparel is 25 percent off after 9 p.m., selling limited-edition tote bags to benefit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and hosting DJs and models all night long.

Banana Republic is hosting a shopping happy-hour (though it lasts all night) and providing 25 percent off all full-priced purchases.

Betsey Johnson and Kiehl’s are joining forces; the neighbor stores will feature roving models and give out gift bags to shoppers all night long.

Bloomingdale’s, Lord and Taylor and Macy’s are all offering refreshments and previews of their fall merchandise. Macy’s is also providing free manicures and makeovers.

David Yurman is providing free champagne and truffles, so you can ogle ridiculously expensive jewelry and look classy while you do it.

Gap is all over the charitable side of the evening. If you bring in school supplies they’ll give you a 25 percent discount, so go snag some notebooks at the bookstore before you hit the mall. They’re also raffling off Phillies tickets, and all proceeds go to charities for children.

Kenneth Cole is also serving refreshments like the “Flirtini” and a smorgasbord of desserts.

Lily Pulitzer is offering a sneak peek at the new collection and providing free hair and makeup styling to customers, so pop in for a preppy makeover.

Madewell is providing manicures and giving everyone 20 percent off any pair of jeans as part of their Denim After Dark party.

Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are both hosting fashion shows and trunk shows throughout the evening. Neiman has a “lash bar” where you can sample Shu Uemura mascara, and Nordie’s says they’ll have catering (read: real food), manicures and a studding station where you can bedazzle your Uggs. If jazzing up your boots doesn’t appeal to you, they’ve also got a cupcake bar.

Finally, Michael Kors and Tiffany’s are both raffling off some big-ticket items. At Michael Kors, stop by to enter a shot at winning a hot handbag. Tiffany’s is giving away a strand of pearls.

Nothing float your boat? Try a little charity. When you purchase a Fashion’s Night Out T-shirt at any of the big department stores for $30, all of the proceeds go to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. That ought to make you feel good and look good at the same time.