Ostensibly the focus of last Thursday's Jamaica Observer Celebrates Fashion's Night Out was to bask in the glorious five hours of retail therapy where prices were slashed up to 75 per cent. Truth be told, the thousands of customers who turned out to shop provided a much-needed stimulant for an otherwise frail economy. And while the pieces went flying off the racks and shelves alike, it was not apparent that the true meaning behind FNO is giving back. Retailers give back to their customers by marking down prices drastically, and customers give back to retailers by turning out in numbers to shop.

One such retailer who has focused her energy on giving back is go-to make-up expert Racquel Jenkins Moss-Solomon, director of Permanent Cosmetics Studio and Boutique. For FNO 2012 Moss-Solomon hosted a Charity Designer Auction at the city's highest point -- Top of the World, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. "People expected me to invite another celebrity to Jamaica this year, but I didn't," she told SO. "FNO should not only be about us retailers making money for ourselves. FNO should be about helping those who are less fortunate, and giving back." With the right thinking, Moss-Solomon reached out to celebrities and designers and received 26 fabulous pieces for the auction. The guest list featured much of Kingston's well-heeled, bidding on pieces from the globe's leading designers that were tremendously marked down for charity. Think: Christian Louboutin, Dior, Gucci, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL).

It was no wonder, then, that the auction under the gavel of noted auctioneer William Tavares, was a huge success and all items were sold. "I felt a greater level of satisfaction for this event than any other event I have put on," explained Jenkins Moss-Solomon, post-auction. It is her hope that with the success of this auction, others to follow will reap even more success. A presentation of the books purchased for the charities — Summerfield Basic School in Clarendon and Windward Road Primary and Junior High in Kingston — will take place next week. SO shares highlights.