Let's Go for a Trolley Ride - FNO

Last Thursday was Grand Rapid's version of the NYC Fashion's Night Out. This was the second year of the event but my first time attending. FNO had the whole city buzzing within the art/design/fashion circles. I had an early morning ahead of me, so I wasn't able to make my rounds to all of the participating stores, but I did make sure to visit my top picks. Participants were able to trolley-hop from store to store around the Grand Rapids for free, which created a unique experience in itself for many. Our first stop of the night was at A.K. Rikks, an extremely high-end men's and women's boutique. The second stop was at Lamb on Cherry Street. I've driven and walked by this store dozens of times and it has never been open, even during "normal" business hours. So, I was looking forward to finally being able to see what it is they actually sold. They had a bunch of great art + design books, a few pieces of furniture by Blu Dot, and my favorite: moleskin books! I just barely got in the door and snapped this first picture when I was immediately notified by a store worker that photographs were not permitted. Which, I must honestly say, is a rather stupid policy, especially on FNO when people are going out willing to share their store experience much more than they would on a usual shopping trip.
A beautiful building on Cherry St.
The third stop was to Richard App Gallery, which also happened to be a small pop-up shop for A.K. Rikks. They had it all: art, fashion, and little bites of food. The fourth and final stop was at none other than ACK. Need I say more? All in all, FNO was a great evening for Grand Rapids. It was a good time for the fashion and art people, for local business, and for the continued progression of GR as a whole. As FNO and the fashion industry continues to grow along side of ArtPrize, it may not be long until Grand Rapids really puts itself on the map.