Fashion's Night Out 2012

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour conceived Fashion's Night Out as a globe-straddling nocturnal celebration of the glories of haute couture (and its related pastime, shopping), so it was a little awkward when Tokyo held its 2011 edition a couple of months after the rest of the world – and during the afternoon, at that. Things are back on schedule this year: the after-hours shopathon will run from 6-11pm on September 8, with over 400 stores and boutiques in Harajuku, Omotesando and Aoyama getting in on the act. There'll be DJs playing at Omotesando Hills throughout the night, and hardened shopaholics can clock up stamps in the official guidebook (one for each time you spend over ¥5,000) to take part in a raffle for all kinds of covetable goodies. And even if you aren't in the mood for shopping, it's worth hitting the streets just to inspect some of the remarkable fashion wildlife that comes out for the event.