Giving Back Is the New Black

Tomorrow marks the first day of fall, and with Fashion Week now but a memory, we’re updating our wardrobes with our favorite autumnal garbs. We’ll be pairing our favorite dresses with embellished cardigans, getting cozy in our grandfather sweaters, dusting off our boots to pair with our skinny jeans. All our favorite colder weather garments that this summer’s heat wave kept banished in our closets--it’s finally their time to shine again.

Don’t get us wrong, though: We plan on reinterpreting some of our airy favorites as the temps start to drop, holding onto those last dog days of summer before we stow them away for next season. There’s just something so fresh about fall, something so exciting about pulling those (slightly) heavier articles out to wear into the crisp, clean air, adding more layers while the trees shed theirs, the traces of summer literally floating away. But before the warm weather disappears, let us remember all the wonderful memories Fifth on Main helped create in the heat of 2010.

If you know anything about fashion, then you know that it’s just a form of expression, an artistic medium we wear to define ourselves and proclaim our individuality. To that end, we’re avid supporters of the arts, which is why we donated a $1,900 Andrew Gn cuff to the Bay Street Theatre. The Long Island not-for-profit takes pride in presenting new, classic, and contemporary works, and offers innovative educational programs for all ages, highlighting the power of live theater. And we here at Fifth on Main don’t discriminate; we want to encourage anyone and everyone’s artistic ability, no matter where their talents lie. After all, Rodarte sisters Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy studied art and literature at UC Berkeley. Who would have thought that the duo behind such a romantic, refined, and always unique brand would receive all the success they’ve seen without having even attended design school?

Ask anyone where the world’s fashion capital resides, and we’re sure answers will vacillate between Paris and New York. Sure, the houses of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent might have set the bar high and kept Paris on the map, but New York has always given it a run for its money. And every summer, its money heads to the Hamptons to bask in the sun, enjoying the beach and a (slightly) slower pace of life. And with so many city-dwellers seeking a beachy respite out East, what could be a better time for a hospital to host a fund-raiser? That’s just what Southampton Hospital did, and the fashion folk came out to show their support--including us. We donated two $200 gift certificates toward Fifth on Main, as well as a Philippe Ferrandis emerald cuff, retailing at $600, which really helped raise some serious funds as it was auctioned off in a silent auction.

Of course, we weren’t merely visiting when we took part in the Southampton Hospital Fund-raiser; one of our three locations is nestled in the middle of all the excitement! So when we found out that Donna Karan, Charla Lawhon, InStyle Magazine, and special guest host Kelly Ripa were behind the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund’s 11th Annual Super Saturday in an effort to raise some dough for the fund in neighboring town Water Mill, we just knew we had to take part. We had Fifth on Main T-shirts in black, white, and purple custom-made especially for the event, which 1,600 lucky attendees found in their gift bags.

Obviously, we couldn't let Fashion's Night Out take all the credit, raising money all in the name of fashion. We just like to do anything and everything we can to help out those in need, proving that giving back never goes out of style.