September is the most highly anticipated month of the year for fashion devotees. Not only is it the time of the year when telephone book-sized fashion magazines come out (Why hello there, 532 pages of Vogue), but it’s also when fashion weeks and Fashion’s Night Out are held. And there’s enough fashion coverage to satisfy even the most voracious fashion lover’s appetite.
But stay hungry.
Even though New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will wrap up tomorrow, the excitement in Washington is just beginning.
New York Fashion Week started Sept. 9, but this month’s events truly kicked off Sept. 10 with Fashion’s Night Out, which was initiated last year by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America to encourage shopping during the recession.
This year, the event expanded to cities all around the world, including London, Paris, Beijing and our very own Georgetown.
At Georgetown’s event, hosted by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, the streets overflowed with glamorously dressed Washingtonians who flocked to the edge of the District to take advantage of the special discounts and promotional events.
In Betsey Johnson, shoppers flitted from one tulle and glitter cocktail dress to another while sipping wine and nibbling on cupcakes. Music spilled from the DJ’s booths at Diesel, adidas and CUSP, giving the street an energetic pulse as shoppers sashayed across the brick sidewalks in their stilettos.
By 9:30 p.m., the promotional events were already winding down. Complimentary cake and Juicy-branded Silly Bandz went fast at Juicy Couture. Fortunately, Juicy shoppers, sipping from water bottles served on platters by male models, could still take advantage of Fashion’s Night Out’s deals, such as 25 percent off regularly priced merchandise or 40 percent off sale items.
“It’s good, but D.C. will never be New York when it comes to fashion,” said April Speight, a senior linguistics major and a sales associate at Juicy Couture.
Yet the nation’s capital is quickly becoming more fashion conscious.
“It used to be just Ann Taylor; now we have CUSP, Intermix and Proper Topper,” said Sara Damelio, founder and CEO of the locally based organic beauty product line Skincando. “It’s no longer just a blue-suit town.”
In addition to Washington’s increase in fashionable boutiques, D.C. Fashion Week is growing in prominence every year. In its 13th year, D.C. Fashion Week, which runs from Sept. 20 to Sept. 26, promises to continue to promote Washington with a week of fashion and other special events.
The week is a key instrument in showcasing fashion talent through a combination of up-and-coming local and international designers.
According to Ean Williams, D.C. Fashion Week’s executive producer and director, the international couture collection — the final show of the week — will feature 15 to 20 designers, the largest group of international designers on one catwalk. The event will take place at the French Embassy on Sept. 26.
Despite an international presence at the week, the District is still primarily known as a political city rather than an worldly artistic melting pot.
However, local designers are not trying to shed the city’s political reputation — instead, they are inspired by it.
“Local artists are surrounded by [the political environment], so they have to infuse that power into their designs,” said Diallo Brooks, a local fashion designer participating in D.C. Fashion Week. “If we think about it long enough, we can do something exciting.”
Washington being a power center also provides local designers with a unique opportunity to influence the industry in more ways than initiating trends.
“We are connected to fashion by law,” Williams said. “Laws that affect the fashion industry are drafted and drawn right here in D.C. … There needed to be some type of entity that promoted the talent. … Before D.C. Fashion Week, there was no professional trade show that highlighted local designers’ talents.”
D.C. Fashion Week provides a platform for area artists to show their collections to the community and increase their visibility.
The fashion week pre-show at the H Street Festival on Saturday and the Corjor International (Williams’ label) show Sept. 24 will feature local designers and are free and open to the public.
The Washington menswear collection show Sept. 25 is a ticketed event and will feature musical performances by D’Angelo, Redman, No Label, Denarian McCants and Judah.
And what would fashion week be without celebrities and parties?
Expect to see politicians, professional athletes, socialites and reality stars from shows such as America’s Next Top Model and The Real Housewives of D.C. in attendance.
One show will even feature the soccer players from D.C. United as guest models.
The Sept. 23 Fashion Industry Networking Party is open to the public, and guests will have the opportunity to mingle with industry professionals and VIPs.
Washington may not have a voice in the U.S. Senate, but area designers and their fans will certainly have a say with D.C. Fashion Week.
diversions@umdbk.com
