We know. We UNDERSTAND this dilemma. There are over 300 places that you could be…all…at…the…same…time.

Fashion’s Night Out is a terrific idea, but come on…whose idea was it to have a zillion amazing things all at the same time? Come ON Anna Wintour!!! This colossal event should have been spread out over the gorgeous course of a year. Instead everything is crammed into one night like a Cracker Jack clown in a box.

But to make your life (and ours) easier, we’ve spotted a few events that CANNOT (repeat, CANNOT) be missed. And here they are – the best of FNO. Spoil yourselves and your wardrobe because Recessionista needs no sugar daddy to look her best.

Purple Lab at Scoop:

861 Washington Street (at West Thirteenth Street)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-1905

Karen has put together the most incredible evening: burlesque performances by the inimitable Veronica Varlow; free lychee martinis and yummy cupcakes by yours truly. Plus Ford Fiestas will be available taking people to and from the events.

Adam Lippes

Will offer customized Havaianas to T-Shirts to all shoppers.Free cocktails.

Alexander McQueen: raffles the FAITHFUL it bag to one lucky shopper!

Alice + Olivia: be a model in their fashion show!

alice + olivia will be hosting two events for Fashion’s Night Out: The alice + olivia Bryant Park boutique will be transformed into a photo studio where modeling hopefuls will have a chance to compete for one of the coveted spots in the always over-the-top alice + olivia Fashion Week presentation the following week. Attendees will be treated to professional hair and makeup as well as wardrobe styling before posing in front of photographer Brian Boulos’s camera. Hopefuls’ photos will be posted on the alice + olivia Web site, where a winner, to be chosen by designer Stacey Bendet and Cheri Bowen, head women’s booker from Marilyn Agency, will be announced the following day.

Anya Hindmarch: win a Hindmarch bag!

Anya Hindmarch will be there at her SoHo store,asking would-be modesl “How Do You Wear Yours?”. Simply choose an autumn/winter Anya Hindmarch bag, pose with it, and have your photo taken. Anya will personally judge all entrants; the individual with the best picture will win the bag they posed with and see their photograph on the Anya Hindmarch Web site.

Aveda: free pedicabs and consultations and raw food; a $250 sweepstakes

BCBG Maz Azria: recreates the Spring 2010 Runway show in the boutique! The designers will be there.

Bergdorf Goodman: too much to list, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Guest Bartend and Zac Posen decorates the windows!

Bloomies: free tix to Hugo Boss Rooftop Party with purchase; custom painted tees by Marc Jacobs!

Clarins: free gift bags to ALL who participate in mini beauty actives at counters in all five boroughs.

Dior: Charlize Theron signs copies of Sept. Vogue

DSW: Stop by the Union Square Location between 6-11pm and be entered to win a year’s supply of shoes.Free pair every half hour.

Armani: special reading by Nora Ephron.

H&M: strut the catwalk for a chance to be featured in a Billboard in the Meatpacking District!

JCPenney: Meet Cindy Crawford and get your photo taken in her new styled line.

Kate Spade: free Cha-Cha lessons on the pavement and Havana Highballs! FNO Tote free with $175 purchase…

Korres: great natural snacks and detox bar; free makeovers; FREE beauty gift bag with intl’ favorites and bestsellers.

Lancome: win a set of tickets to Chris Benz’ fashion show! Special Pout A Porter Lipstick to be unveiled..

Magnolia Bakery: unveils a special FNO cupcake!

Prada: Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington (an absolute genius!) will tell an extraordinary visual story throughout the store.

Rebecca Taylor: chance to win two tix to the Spring 2010 Show and cotton candy bar!

Sephora: win a cut, color, style with Oscar Blandi valued at $1,500.

Tory Burch: Gives a neighborhood block party!

A.J. Cutler went where no previous documentary filmmaker has gone before: behind the glass doors of Vogue to see what really working with Anna Wintour is like. The result is a brilliant film that shows the making of Vogue’s annual largest blockbuster: the September Issue, which contains the most ads and pages of all issues in any given year.

Anna at home, talking to AJ Cutler about her life and vision

The documentary focuses on the massive issue of 2007: a whopping 840 pages with 727 pages consisting only of advertisements.

At the Annual Vogue Retail Buyers Breakfast

AJ Cutler follows Wintour and her key staff (Creative Director Grace Coddington; fashion news and features director Sally Singer; and editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley) throughout the creative process and photography of the issue.

One of the “Color Block” spreads styled and directed by Coddington

We see behind the scenes of Anna talking to the camera about her life, her perspectives on fashion, the future of fashion and her biography. We also see her talking with her daughter, Bee Schaeffer, who at one point in the movie shakes her head with a smile and says she would rather go to law school than be an editor at Vogue. At which point Anna gently smiles and says, “Well…there’s still time.”

At Fashion Week

The star of the show was easily Grace Coddington. With frizzy red hair that was clearly as dehydrated as a desert cactus and sheathed in frumpy dark dresses and ugly flats, Grace looks like the very antithesis of what you’d expect a Vogue Creative Director to look like. The entire movie I kept wishing I could send her enormous bottles of hydrating conditioner so she could use some!

Coddington’s unused 1920′s spread that Anna cut from the issue

Coddington styles and directs all the key spreads and her work reminds us of Frederico Fellini‘s baroque and fantasy vision with a strong grounding in reality. She is soft spoken but very stubborn. Most of the fun of the movie was in watching her direct and style these beautiful Color Blocking, 20s and Couture photo shoots with the vision of a Walt Disney. Indeed, if I learned anything from that documentary, it was that Anna’s a damn lucky woman to have Grace on her team.

A “Texture” spread styled and directed by Coddington

The film also addresses (although for not an extended period of time) Andre Leon Talley’s over the top style. One of the funniest bits of the movie was when we see Leon Talley show up for tennis lessons with a huge Louis Vuitton towel draped over his neck!

At a tennis lesson…

Without giving too many secrets away, let’s suffice to say that this is a must see for all people in the industry. It did not delve into the Beauty Department of Vogue as much as I would have liked (in fact, not at all), but it provided some solid color on the myth and mystique behind the “Ice Princess” Wintour.

At the Vogue office

The screening was held at the intimate and charming Screening Room at the Bryant Park Hotel off 6th Avenue. The movie opens in select theatres next week, August 26th.

For more information, visit the official site, or log on to MovieTickets.com to purchase.

Backstage at Marchesa the makeup artists from NARS Cosmetics and hair stylists from John Frieda were rushed at 2:30pm because the models were doing a private, closed runthrough for Vogue Editrix Anna Wintour.

Harry Josh, who did the hair for John Frieda says, “There are a variety of fantasy-themed hairstyles for Marchesa. One is wearing the hair down, the other a loose ponytail, another one is a low ponytail with bobby pins.” When asked why there were so many hairstyles, he replied, “Because the clothes are so different and we wanted to show there were several “Marchesa” women…not just one.”

He used John Frieda’s “Root Awakening” product line including the Health Boosting Detangling Spray, the ever popular Frizz-Ease, and the Luxurious Volume All Out Hold Spray. John also used lots of powder to get the hair to look textured and loose.

Julio Sandino, the makeup artist for NARS Cosmetics said, “There’s a lot of eye color like how a teenager does makeup, and the clothes are very rich so they complement the makeup.” Sandino used no blush on the cheeks, and the emphasis was all on the eye (which should come as no surprise, since that seems to be the dominant makeup area in most of the shows).

“Her eyebrows are wild, the face is very matte, and the eyeshadow is very light, you know…white and pink eyeshadow.” He used eyeshadow in Kilimanjaro at the base of the eyes and on top he used Matte Lilac. The eyelashes were curled using NARS Eyelash Curler, and a Blue Mascara (launching in Fall 2009) was applied. The complexion was finished with the new SHEER MATTE Foundation that launches this fall.

The nails, done by CND, were silver in tone (a custom blend).

And as for the clothes, Georgina Chapman outdid herself by creating red-carpet ready gowns. The pieces were exquisite, heavily detailed (think large satin bows, crystal embellishments, fabric blooming into flowers, and ruched tulle). Yes, we’ll probably see celebrities vying to wear these museum pieces very soon.