Thousands of art and fashion fans deluged the Lower East Side on Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the second annual Lower East Side Opening Night: Art + Fashion. As part of the event, more than 40 L.E.S. galleries held their opening fall receptions. Orchard St. between Broome and Grand Sts. was closed off for a block party featuring a “Looks of the L.E.S.” fashion show, complete with runway models, with the styles selected by Amy Odell of Cosmopolitan.com. Musical entertainment featured DJ beats by Anton Bass and Onda Skillet, as well as punk bands Threats and Nancy. Natalie Raben, marketing and communications manager for the Lower East Side Business Improvement District, said the turnout surpassed last year’s inaugural event, which coincided with the since-canceled Fashion’s Night Out. “It was shoulder to shoulder,” she said. “I’m going to say there were 1,000 people on that one block; and there were people clustered outside of the galleries in other spots. Fashion Week is very exclusive and a little bit snooty; and the way this was organized really reflected the laid-back nature of the neighborhood: ‘We’re doin’ it for free. C’mon out. Enjoy it, and be part of the action.’ ”
