Fashion Valley cozies up to fall

It may still be summer in San Diego, but it’s going to feel more like fall on Saturday at Fashion Valley.

Style experts from two of the country’s leading fashion magazines, Glamour and GQ, will be at the mall for a four-hour interactive event that will showcase the runway trends for the coming season and how to translate them into everyday wear.

“There are a lot of fashion events around, but I don’t think there’s anything of this caliber to come here yet,” said Chris Lane, director of marketing for Fashion Valley.

“It’s nice to have that New York or L.A. experience come down to San Diego.”

Retail sales at clothing and clothing accessory stores were up 3.6 percent over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

While the industry doesn’t break out dollar amounts spent specifically on fall fashion, industry analysts estimate that the heavier, more durable cool-weather garments, like jackets and boots, make up about a third of the approximately $1,450 shoppers annually spend on clothes and shoes.

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And retailers gear up for the shopping season with special events like Saturday’s “LOOKBOOK Live” to help consumers figure out how to spend that money.

Named after the photo compilations, or lookbooks, that have been put out by design houses after each new collection for years, and now by department stores and mass-market clothing lines, the fashion fest will offer consultations with the magazine stylists in four trend-themed “closets” outfitted with fall apparel and accessories.

The experts will take into consideration shoppers’ lifestyles, body types and budgets. And with Southern California’s temperate weather, what may be in vogue in New York — or on the pages of Glamour and GQ’s September issues — won’t necessarily be on the racks at Fashion Valley.

“We’re not wearing parkas out here,” Lane said. “We’re localizing the event to make it meaningful for San Diego.”

While there won’t be a catwalk per se, male and female models will appear onstage as the stylists discuss what they’re wearing.

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