fashion washington early spring 2012
Pastels cast a sweet spell on spring dresses, handbags and separates
Does being petite mean you get short shrifted by fashion? Donna Karan dishes on her travels and her island-influenced line In an old house without closets, our editor builds her own glam dressing room
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FashionWashington
Donna Karan tells how Haiti and Bali influence her clothing designs.
EARLY SPRING 2012
I used to think of
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Building your own closet can make you more organized and maybe better dressed.
pastels as the kind of colors my grandmothers might wear to lunch: overtly feminine, a little wimpy and best accessorized by a "Mad Men" era pillbox hat. Still, when it came time to decorate the townhouse my husband and I bought in Mount Pleasant last year, I kept reaching for pale paint swatches — Aegean blues, buttercup yellows. Such muted shades ended up on almost every wall in the place, including my dressing room, an unabashed chick cave/ walk-in closet we created in a spare bedroom. (To read about how we did it, see my story on Page 5.) Pastels impressed designers for spring, too, which explains why
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everything from cocktail frocks to jewelry is turning up in roses, lavenders and soft aquas. It's a womanly but strong trend we explore in our cover story on Page 11, which we shot on location in Meridian Hill Park, the grand, early 20th-century landmark experiencing a rebirth along with its trendy Columbia Heights neighborhood. Mint green may be the new power red, but if you're petite, you might want to read D.C. writer Katie Knorovsky's essay about the tall order of dressing well if you're short, on Page 9. (Yes, you can wear pink. Just don't try it in a maxi skirt — you'll swim in it!) This season, we're also seeing a return to piled-on bling. (Maybe we all miss Elizabeth Taylor?) We show you how to stack on bangles and heap on necklaces without looking like a pirate on Page 10.
Statement rings speak louder if you wear two or three of the sparklers on one hand.
We also profile two designers known for helping women dress powerfully yet prettily: Donna Karan, who dishes about how Haiti inspired her spring line on Page 6, and up-and-comer Yigal Azrouël, who chats about dress draping and good colors on Page 4. You'll find all this, plus our coverage of spring's most fashionable parties and the scoop on new stores for menswear, nail polish and more in this issue. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together — and maybe I'll spot you in the park rocking a bubble gum-hued bag?
Jennifer Barger, Editor
For information on where to find more copies of FW, please contact Sandra Ballentine at 202-334-5228.
EARLY SPRING 2012 | FashionWashington | 3
Oh, the places clothing designer Mary McFadden goes — Indian temples, Egyptian tombs, Balinese puppet shows. These treks — and the fantasy-heroine designs fueled by them — fill “Mary McFadden” ($75, Rizzoli). Photos juxtapose paintings BOOK SHELF of Mughal princes or pharaonic statues with McFadden in the dresses they inspired. Rarely has globe-trotting looked so glam.
THE SEASON’S HOT ITEMS AND HIP HAPPENINGS
Far-Flung Fashions
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The Bright Outdoors
Watch your back, Adirondack chairs! Innit’s Acapulco lounges — new at HOMEBODY (715 8th St. SE; 202-544-8445) — are at least as colorful and attractive as their wooden East Coast cousins. Plus, the made-in-Mexico darlings ($398-$476) might be even more comfortable. “They’re woven using nylon cord wrapped around steel, which ends up having stretch and give,” says company founder Paul Yacht. Sold in rocker and standard styles, the sweet seats come in fiesta-bright colors like aqua, red and yellow. And while you can use them indoors, their hammock-y feel seems best for basking on the deck.
Savanna Style
ONA Roll
Azure Thing
swiveled down the runways for spring. So it’s no surprise that shoe designers are also stepping to a tribal beat. Wild-at-heart styles include Lanvin’s braided leather and woven raffia heels (shown, $1,248, Neiman Marcus, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-9669700), Fendi’s espadrilles with earthy two-tone rope wedges ($505, Hu’s Shoes, 3005 M St. NW; 202-342-0202) and Frye’s woven, tan-on-brown leather ballerinas ($188, Simply Soles, 138 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, Md.; 301-749-1744, Simplysoles.com). Any of these styles works with one of spring’s Kenya-meets-New York patterned sundresses or latter-day safari jackets.
On vacation in South Africa in 2008, Bowie, Md.’s Tracy Foster loved taking photos of animals and mountains. “But my bulky, nylon camera bag was really cramping my style,” she remembers. That’s why she and her husband, Kmele Foster, created ONA BAGS (Onabags. com), a line of shutterbug carryalls that are fashionable yet protective of techy Nikons or old-school Leicas. Styles such as waxed-canvas backpacks ($429) or leather satchels (shown, $309) look like luxe bags outside, but on the inside, they’re full of lensstorage compartments, padding and pockets. “Some people even buy them who don’t have cameras,” laughs Foster.
Julie Collection’s breezy, semiprecious stone and gold vermeil bangles, earrings and pendants win fans in beachy enclaves like Block Island and Miami. The line’s preppy, pretty vibe also recalls the classic cool of Georgetown, where CHARM (2910 M St. NW; 202-298-0420) just received a glut of spring items. Styles, most starring a dreamy greenish chalcedony, include a gem-and-bone bracelet (shown, $280), drop necklaces and sunburst-like earrings inset with cabochon stones ($125). “The aqua color is kind of like a swimming pool, and it’s got a Caribbean feel,” says brand founder Julie Lindsey. “Think of it with white or neutral prints when it gets warm.”
AFRICAN PRINTS
CHIC CHAT
What’s your spring line like?
Yigal Azrouël
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Who is the Yigal woman? JOHNNY MILLER
Call New York-based, Israeliborn designer Yigal Azrouël the duke of draping. His architectural-yet-feminine clothes draw fans of unfussy fashion. He’ll be bringing a trunk show of his crisp spring line to Hu’s Wear (2906 M St. NW; 202-342-2020) April 19-22. (To request an invite to meet him in person April 19, call Hu’s.) We chatted with him ahead of his visit. JENNIFER BARGER
It represents strong women, this idea of blending masculine and feminine. I played with nudes and whites and mixing a lot of colors — it all suits a woman with a strong personality.
She doesn’t try too hard. She’d put a sweatshirt on with a fur coat.
Continental Shift
French-Italian clothing house Raoul began as a men’s shirt label, a fact that’s apparent in the brand’s tailored-yet-on-trend womenswear, too. Just picked up by JULIA FARR (5232 44th St. NW; 202-364-3277), the spring line marries Jackie Kennedy ladylike with edgy, contemporary colors. Think a banded sheath (shown, $425), a cobalt blue maxi dress ($700) and a delightfully retro orange-tan printed jabot blouse ($200). “It’s stop-you-in-yourtracks stuff,” says boutique owner Julia Farr. “The simple lines and good, clear colors would make the pieces work for walking around Rome or strolling into lunch here in Washington.”
So you’re aiming for clothes that give that sort of confidence? Exactly. If you notice, you don’t even really have to accessorize my pieces.
I hear that you start your designs just by draping. It’s a big part of the process. When I begin a new collection, I don’t know what I’m doing. I start draping, which is like sculpting. The fabric gives me an idea of which way to go. Yellow wool pants ($550, Hu’s Wear), coat and blouse (prices upon request, Yigal-azrouel.com).
You just opened a SoHo boutique for your lower-priced line, Cut 25. Cut 25 is for a cool, downtown girl. It’s great design, easy stuff.
And you’ve spent some time in D.C.? I stayed with my sister there when I first came to the U.S. I had a sewing machine and I’d go to the flea market, pick up fabric and experiment.
You don’t have to buy all your storage gear at the Container Store. Vintage items — like this relish tray (search for similar ones on eBay) — both corral stuff and add personality. Other ideas: Mount a garden rake head on the wall to hang necklaces; use old wooden crates to hold shoes.
A Dressing Room of Her Own What’s a fashionista to do in a house with no closets? Build one!
A mid-century metal peacock decorates the author’s dressing room door. Deco-era fashion illustrations snagged at a Paris flea market also bring a touch of glam to the walls.
U.S. home? Six feet by 8 feet, which might be enough space for my admittedly large collection of shoes (um, maybe 100 pairs), cocktail dresses and vintage coats, with at least a corner left over for my husband’s stuff. But the builders of our 1921 rowhouse didn’t have a time machine to see what future buyers might like — or any inkling of what clotheshorses Americans in general, and I specifically, would become. Which explains why, though the Mount Pleasant abode we bought last spring came with many charms (a breezy porch, crown moldings), it lacked any reasonable amount of closet space. Within 1,800 square feet, there were just two measly, 3-foot-wide closets — perhaps enough rack room for a tween boy who wears the same shirt every day.
Color Blockade: To keep clothes and shoes easy to find (and easy on the eyes), the author sorted them and displayed them by color. Collection Agent: Leave room for small, personal touches — in this case, antique ink wells and jars.
Gem Locker: Velvet-lined, jewelry drawers help keep necklaces and bracelets at the ready — and untangled.
ROOM/DETAIL PHOTOS BY ABBY GREENAWALT
The average size of a closet in a modern
Why did our new-old house have such puny closets, and why weren’t there more of them? “People didn’t have as many clothes,” says Toronto fashion historian Jonathan Walford. “They stored things in trunks or armoires. Closets were just for coats.” Still, on moving day, I kept hunting for phantom storage. Surely we’d missed a closet. By my not-so-scientific measuring (a DVF scarf makes a great yardstick), I estimated we had room for an eighth of our stuff, which would mean dressing in nothing but black (me) or parting with a zillion baseball hats (my husband). Visions of sweaters heaped in the kitchen and boots piled in the den went through my head. Does “Hoarders” have a “Buried by Fashion” edition? We went into “T his Old House” land knowing storage might be a problem. “There are closet challenges with older homes. Spaces can be small! You have to think vertically,” says Alabama pro organizer Amanda Le Blanc of Style Network’s clutterbusting show, “The Amandas.” So I decided, since I didn’t really have a closet, I’d build one. Like many older houses in D.C., our pad has what I call Uncle Fes-
Hanging Around: Unusual hooks, like these the author scored in an Austin, Texas, thrift store, make putting bags or scarves on the wall stylish.
ter’s Room, a rather useless space fit only for a kid or weird relative. Ours, across from the master bedroom, measures 8 feet by 10 feet, enough for all my clothes. “You want it to be like a little department store,” advised my pal Anna Kahoe, co-owner of GoodWood (1428 U St. NW; 202-986-3640), who turned the basement of her last house into a glam space of clothing racks and mirrors. “It’ll prolong the joy you get from shopping and help you see more of your clothes.” After debating ordering closet parts online and doing it all myself, I decided the oddness of the space (a radiator in one corner, a 1-foot-wide closet filled with HVAC pipes in another) meant I needed pros. I splurged on Arlington’s Eco-nize (Eco-nize. com), which, for $2,000, crafted me ashy-gray wooden shelving units with hanging bars, spots for shoes and bag cubbies. Eco-nize measured the room, then came back a few weeks later to noisily install the “closet.” The resulting dressing room’s new shelves soared close to the 10-foot ceiling, giving me enough storage to finally start unpacking. At Le Blanc’s urging, I organized everything by color. “That
“It ends up being about relishing your feminine side. You’ll buy fewer items of clothing but see them more and keep them in better shape.”
DECOR DATES
A Show of Color at A Spring Showhouse When the grand, 1956 mansion at 4951 Rockwood Parkway goes on the market later this spring, it’ll be listed in the millions. But just $20 will get you inside the Spring Valley spread during the D.C. Design House April 14 through May 13, when 24 local interior talents will use it to showcase the latest nesting trends. Among the talents reimagining the 10,0000-squarefoot space: Kelly Proxmire, who will tackle a mammoth ballroom, turning a zone where South American diplomats once mingled into a plush solarium. “I was inspired by the Orangerie at Versailles,” says Prox-
Allie Mann will mix crackled tile and polished nickel fixtures in a child’s bathroom at the D.C. Design House.
helps you know what you’ve got and can mean you’ll purge more and shop less,” she said. Sure enough, I found I had 27 black blazers, enough to outfit the Rolling Stones for several reunion tours. A few got dropped off at Goodwill (sorry, Mick!). Jewelry went into neat, velvetlined drawers; my tights and flats got organized into hanging bags on the backs of the room’s doors. And suddenly, there was bin-free, mess-free zen where there had been chaos, and storage where there had been none. Adding personality to my chick cave — framed fashion illustrations on the walls, a sparkly Pottery Barn chandelier on the ceiling — made me almost as happy as getting organized. A vintage vanity table from Craigslist and a big Ikea mirror meant I could blow-dry my hair and put on my makeup in the room, pretending to be some movie star. “It ends up being about relishing your feminine side,” says Kahoe. “You’ll buy fewer items of clothing but see them more and keep them in better shape.” And who knows? Having all my stuff on display might even inspire me to shop less. Which I’m sure will help my husband stop resenting his crummy, tiny closet. JENNIFER BARGER
Smaller jewelry items get stored in a Little Black Dress Organizer hung on the back of the door ($20, Containerstore.com).
mire. “I’ll do orange drapes, white walls and comfortable furniture. It’s got three walls of windows, and I think people would rather sit in a sunroom than dance in a ballroom these days.” Upstairs, Case Design Inc.’s Allie Mann subtly riffs on Lilly Pulitzer’s prepDrawing on the Gallic glam py pinks and greens of Versailles, Kelly Proxmire in a child’s bathroom. will bring “it” color orange to “I want it to feel soft, a ballroom-turned-solarium. almost romantic,” says Mann. She’ll combine pastels with “blingy sconces, crackled tiles and polished nickel, which is fresh.” Other spaces also weave in colors both muted and bold, including Marika Meyer’s cobalt-infused music room and Victoria Sanchez’s rainbow-bright bedroom. Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat.-Sun. noon-5 p.m. Dcdesignhouse.com. JENNIFER BARGER
EARLY SPRING 2012 | FashionWashington | 5
Caribbean Dreaming
What inspired the spring collection? I’ve been spending a major amount of my time in Haiti. Preservation of cultures is so much of what I’m about. People ask me where I get my inspiration, and I always say, “Traveling the world.”
After working with charities in Haiti, Donna Karan riffs on the island’s art in her spring line
Since she started her body-friendly
womenswear line in 1985, Donna Karan has been a major multitasker, spinning off diffusion lines (DKNY), perfumes and even bedding. These days, the design power is also deeply involved in giving back. She’s spent the past few years working with artisans in Haiti, helping to rebuild after the country’s 2010 earthquake. “You go there and realize it’s not about the me, it’s about the we,” she says. So it’s no surprise that the philanthropist-designer’s spring 2012 collection (sold locally at Neiman Marcus) takes its cues from the work of Haitian painter Philippe Dodard. K ATHERINE BOYLE
And how do the Haitian people inspire you? Every person is artistic. There is so much creativity there, and they work from their soul and spirit. I don’t know many designers who aren’t inspired by the world. My first trip to Africa was a rebirth. That’s what really brought me to Haiti: I got Africa three and half hours away. I felt connected to the land. You’ve always melded your philanthropic work and charities with your designs. How have you found that balance? You can’t separate the two. I always say to people, “I can’t just dress people on the outside, I dress their insides.” You can wear all the pretty clothes in the world,
Spring handbags include a cream tote, a camel hobo and a wood clutch ($2,295, $1,895 and $795, Donnakaran.com).
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“You can wear all the pretty clothes in the world, but if you don’t feel good on the inside, the soul isn’t there.”
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BEAUTY ON THE BEAT
everything I do. Seven easy pieces, a bodysuit, pull-on pants and a scarf… the rest is history. You took over Anne Klein at 25 years old. How did you have the foresight to know how women wanted to dress? I grew up in fashion. But honestly, I didn’t want to be a fashion designer. I wanted to be a mother and to stay at home, but that’s not what the universe had planned for me. As much as I didn’t want it to, fashion kept coming back! And what type of women do you dress? I’ve always dressed for comfort. For me, the methodology of my clothes is if I can’t sleep in it and go out in it, I don’t want it. Women who are constantly on the go have to be prepared for anything. But we’re all the same. When you like something, you like something. It makes you feel good and gives you confidence.
but if you don’t feel good on the inside, the soul isn’t there. And this has always been the overriding theme of your clothes. Yes, my clothes, by their nature, are inspired by yoga and what women need. It all started with the bodysuit. I’ve been a yogi since I was 18, so I started in yoga practice, and that created
CITRUS SLEEK: A dramatic orange shade sparks a jersey column dress ($3,295, Donnakaran.com). TRIBAL BELT: A flattering twisted neckline and a Haitian-style print lend a silk sundress exotic edge ($3,800, Neiman Marcus and Neimanmarcus.com). GRAPHIC, NOVEL: A painterly black-and-white pattern graces a oneshouldered dress (price upon request, Donnakaran.com).
Local Colors
“We had decades of inspiration and style growing up here,” says Tiffany Burriss, one of three sisters behind Studio 85 (53 Florida Ave. NW; 202-606-3640) in up-and-coming Bloomingdale. The shop’s nail polish lines ($6 a bottle) take their names from D.C. landmarks. ERIN CUNNINGHAM
Of all your travels, what places continuously inspire you? Bali has always been my inspiration. It’s the answer to a lot of the world’s problems. It’s been able to preserve its culture. Their artisans create products, and it has a spirit that takes you on a journey. When you travel, what can’t you live without? A scarf. And I need a mug. If I don’t have one with me, I buy one at the airport. I think I might have one from every city I’ve visited.
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WHAT WE BOUGHT
Short Shrifted Why do petite women get cut off when it comes to high fashion?
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Shorty. Ever the runt of the room, I’ve heard all the euphemisms. My college roommate towered a full head above me — fighting with her for mirror time was a nonissue. At 5’3”, my height has never alienated me from society in any meaningful way (yes, I can ride all the roller coasters, no matter what the boys in junior high said). But with fashion, I’ve drawn the short straw. “Choice is very limited in petite sizes,” agrees Kelly Tucker, the 4’11” style siren/ blogger behind Alterations Needed. “There aren’t many brands and designers producing petites. And even fewer are fashion-forward or sell lines with quality tailoring.”
ANNE BENJAMIN
Half pint. Vertically challenged.
For those of us tormented by (not-so) petite shopping demons, a casual stroll through a mall can be enough to stir the ghosts of fashion failures past. Flipping through a rack of skinny jeans, suddenly I’m in fifth grade, my well-meaning but clueless dad coaching me on pants fit — “Baggier is better!” “Leave a few inches to grow!” — while standing by in his “relaxed
paltry petite options for a gown to wear to my wedding. (After days of failure, her criteria became less picky: any dress within reach of a tailor’s magic.) Mom isn’t alone in her woes, says D.C. stylist Kaarin Moore. “Petite sizing isn’t just about getting a size small. Just because something is smaller doesn’t mean the cut will be correct.”
fit” faded Lees. That episode resulted in a mess of oversize denim that, in comparison, made the era’s grungesters look sleek. It also ushered me into my tween years wearing stirrup leggings. Even the ghosts of other petites’ fashion foibles haunt me. I pause at a display of floor-length frocks — or a rack of flowing maxi dresses — and I’m wormholed back to a Chicago dressing room, my similarly proportion-shrunk mom desperately searching the
I can deal with the flashbacks; the real problem is the grip they still hold on my wardrobe. Ever since my nightmare with Dad, my dalliances with denim have been fraught with poor decisions. I flirted with flares, cutting my losses far too late (alas, you just can’t hem a bell-bottom). Skinnies fare better, but the slim-cut styles always seem extra-long, as if they were simply yanked like a rubber band on the assembly line. I try not to seem bitter, but it’s
“There aren’t many brands and designers producing petites. Even fewer are fashion-forward.”
On her blog, Alterationsneeded. com, Kelly Tucker shows and tells petites how to dress for their height. Her tricks? Push up the too-long sleeves of a blazer, get to know your tailor, and keep statement jewelry smallish in size.
hard when I hear about the trousers-shopping plight of Gisele-like gazelles with legs that start higher than my shoulders. (Maybe Gisele and I both struggle with hems, but at the end of the day, she’s a model raking in millions, I’m just a girl without proper pants.) I’ve picked up a few tricks, both obvious (heels, heels, more heels) and a bit more clever (nude pumps with bare legs). V-necks are a short gal’s best friend; cropped pants are our foes. Crowding my closet: dresses that hit at or just above the knee, which seems to best flatter my frame. But one of the tallest hurdles facing petite women is, simply, being taken seriously. In D.C., where everything is a potential power grab, that’s worthy motivation to embrace the hand (and legs) I was dealt. “Because short height is often related to being young, I love petite women in ‘power clothing,’” Tucker says. “People are surprised by the strong attitude given off by a short woman in sharp clothing. It’s not what they expect.” K ATIE KNOROVSK Y
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1. Beautania cosmetic bags stash toiletries in lush style ($35-$40, Space NK counter, Bloomingdale’s). 2. The colorblocking trend spices up Chie Mihara heels ($380, Simplysoles. com). 3. Yosca’s jeweled cuffs ($116 each, Proper Topper) add exotic edge to simple frocks. 4. Plug your phone into Jonas Damon’s beech wood iPhone alarm dock and you won’t have to reach for it again until morning ($40, Areaware.com).
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lOts tO
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RUNWAY READS
Staking His Spot in Style
Brad Goreski earned his fashion cred as stylist Rachel Zoe’s assistant. Now he’s taken his “geek chic with a little bit of showgirl” vibe solo with a new book, “Born to be Brad” ($25, It Books), and his own Bravo show, “It’s a Brad, Brad World” (Mon., 10 p.m.). ADAM GRIFFITHS
THE NEW TV SHOW It’s showing my firsts — my first big red carpet with a celebrity client, my first big photo shoot. People can delve into the world of a stylist from the ground up.
A NEW JOB As the new brand stylist for Kate Spade, I’ll be doing everything from consulting in product development to styling ad campaigns.
STRAIGHT VS. GAY FASHION
Chicer By The Dozen Layer on rings, cuffs and necklaces for a look that’s high in style, not in price Coco Chanel advised ladies to get dressed, then take one thing off before leaving the house. But the new trend in jewelry involves fabulously overdoing it, stacking bangles all the way up your arm, flaunting three rings on one hand and donning so many necklaces Jack Sparrow might get jealous. “The piled-on look is happening because of the economy,” says style guru Joyce Corrigan, author of “Marie Claire Outfit 911” ($25, Hearst). “The stuff isn’t real, usually; it’s just a way to sparkle.” When layering gems, “keep your outfit clean-lined,” says personal shopper Rosana Vollmerhausen of DC Style Factory (DCstylefactory.com). “My favorite look is a menswear jacket, skinny trousers and heels
STAR NECK
Amanda wears a blue flower necklace, black beads ($72 and $35, Periwinkle, see Where to Buy), a green beaded necklace ($172, Sassanova) and long silver faux pearls ($72, Sassanova). Black lace dress by Yoanna Baraschi ($330, Proper Topper).
The line is blurring. We’ve finally started seeing straight males taking from the gay community, style-wise. Now it’s kind of the reverse, and it’s blending a little bit. There’s been this push for a return to tailoring and dressing like a gentleman.
ARM CANDY
Clockwise from top of model’s right arm: Oxidized metal bangle and textured metal bangle ($75 and $80, Tabandeh); wood bangle ($35, Proper Topper); grid-textured metal bangle ($85, Tabandeh); wood bangles ($22 each, Proper Topper); weathered metal bracelet ($110, Tabandeh); Hive and Honey bangle set ($34, Piperlime.com); thick black bangle ($20, Target stores); wood bangle ($24, Proper Topper).
SARTORIAL WIMPS
People don’t embrace style bravery, because they’re afraid to stand out too much. It’s my job to let them know it’s OK to experiment.
SPRING STYLE
I’m obsessed with sparkle for men. It’s funny watching people’s reaction to a discoball shoe. I also might do a full Versace print look, à la the 1990s.
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with a mass of necklaces,” says Vollmerhausen. She advises limiting yourself to no more than five necklaces and “make sure they’re all different lengths, or it’ll look jumbled.” Feel free to mix metals or even eras — a ’60s mood ring with a current knuckle buster; a flapper chain with J. Crew rhinestones. Still, don’t throw your entire jewelry box on at once. “Put on 15 crosses, and you’ll look like the girl with the dragon tattoo,” Corrigan says. TE X T: JENNIFER BARGER; ST YLING: CATHY PHILLIPS; PHOTOS: MARGE ELY; MODEL: T.H.E. ARTIST AGENCY; HAIR AND MAKEUP: DANA SPENCE
COUNT ER TALK
Federal
5 2216 14TH ST. NW; 202-518-337 P.M. 12-6 . SUN , P.M. MON.-SAT., 11 A.M.–9
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“The piledon look is happening because of the economy. The stuff isn’t real, usually; it’s just a way to sparkle.”
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Dazzling Digits 1. Chrysoprase ring ($450, Tabandeh). 2. A faceted orange ring ($138, South Moon Under). 3. A purple quartz ring ($128, Proper Topper). 4. Faux diamond and faceted orange stone ring ($22, Piperlime. com).5. A chalcedony and silver stunner ($354, Tabandeh).6. A pink quartz and sterling cocktail ring ($235, Tabandeh).7. A blue cabochon and sterling silver ring ($354, Tabandeh).
14th Street, Manning Up Is Columbia Heights the new Brooklyn? You’d think so at Federal, a new menswear shop that pledges allegiance to the Americana-heritage movement. In a space decked with animal skulls and rustic furniture, find laid-back cool pieces by Timberland, Redwing and Herschel. ERIN CUNNINGHAM
BACKSTORY
BEST BUYS
DUDE DECOR
Thick-framed Moscot eyewear for your inner Colin Meloy ($225); Tanner’s rugged wallets and belts ($49-$79); Levi’s LVC vintage collection’s reproductions of archived styles ($225).
Owner Greg Gramman also runs Palace 5ive, the hipster skate shop next door. He launched this more grown-up venture late in the fall of 2011. “D.C. needed a store where you could get these classic brands,” he says. “These are labels I like and wear that just get better with age.”
Herschel bags sold at rugged Federal include the Little America, $140.
The interior — all exposed brick, concrete floors and taxidermied animals — might inspire a man cave or two. Keep an eye out for vintage Playboy mags and bottles of liquor wryly displayed amid the work boots.
What’s Pastel Is Present
spring’s dresses, shoes and sportswear sweeten up in candy-shop shades of bubble-gum pink, mint, buttercup and lavender styled by neely dykshorn
photos by marge ely
EARLY SPRING 2012 | FashionWashington | 11
Georgia shines in a yellow wool Chanel suit ($4,565, Neiman Marcus, see What's in Store, page 15); Chanel rain boots ($395, Neiman Marcus); a Ted Rossi snakeskin cuff ($280, Roanshop.com); and vintage earrings and a Miriam Haskell brooch ($20 and $240, Halcyon Vintage).
Above:
Meridian Hill's Cascading Waterfall fountain serves as an apropos background for a Chanel lilac dress with a tiered, ruffled skirt ($4,535, Neiman Marcus); Bettye Miller gold espadrilles ($210, S Westwood Red Label dress ($950, Muleh); DeSoria DeSign sterling silver and brass bat wing earrings ($70, Desoriadesign.etsy.com); and a Ted Rossi snakeskin crisscross bracelet ($295, Roanshop.com).
Above:
12 | FashionWashington | early spring 2012
All
the color chatter lately focuses on Pantone’s official hue of 2012: the citrus-bright Tangerine Tango. But there are also softer shades tiptoeing into the frame this spring, the sort of shimmery pastels you might find in a Monet painting or an old-time candy store. “Paler colors are such a quiet, thoughtful counterbalance to all the brights of the past several seasons,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Institute, the color forecasting collective. “But some people think pastel means Necco Wafer, kiddie colors, and they’re not — they can actually be quite sophisticated.” Think ice-cream parlor sherbets from Diane von Furstenberg, made new by color blocking, or macaron-sweet prints from Vivienne Westwood. We shot some of spring’s best faded shades in Meridian Hill Park, the neoclassical, early 20th-century greenspace in Columbia Heights that, like pastels, is experiencing a major revival. JENNIFER BARGER
Diane von Furstenberg lime “Desta” embellished dress (price upon request, Dvf.com), DeSoria DeSign pearl earrings ($80, Desoriadesign.etsy.com) and a Ted Rossi snakeskin cuff ($280, Shoproan.com). Right:
Shoe Hive) and a Ted Rossi snakeskin crisscross bracelet and snakeskin earrings ($295 and $210, Roanshop.com). Opening page: Beside a 1922 statue of Joan of Arc, Georgia wears a Vivienne ).
EARLY SPRING 2012 | FashionWashington | 13
Above: In the upper portion of Meridian Hill Park, Georgia wears a The Row white cotton dress ($1,275, Hu's Wear) with a Balenciaga lilac bag ($1,495, Hu's Wear); Delman coral flats
($250, Shoe Hive); a Ted Rossi cuff ($280, Roanshop.com); and a DeSoria DeSign sterling silver chain-mail necklace holding an inflated balloon ($350, Desoriadesign.etsy.com).
Model: Modelogic Digital tech: Jim Osen styling assistant: LAUREN GUIDRY
Hair and makeup: Victoria Stiles for Modelogic Photo assistant: Dave Buchanan special thanks to the national park service
14 | FashionWashington | Early spring 2012
THE BEST OF WHO, WHAT AND WEAR
An Evening with Simon Doonan
Old Town Warehouse Sale
FEB. 1, 2012 THE W HOTEL
FEB. 4, 2012 GEORGE WASHINGTON MASONIC MEMORIAL
Barneys NY fashion guru Simon Doonan knows about kitschy style, evidenced by the flower throne he perched on while signing copies of his new book, “Gay Men Don’t Get Fat.” Fashionable souls stood in line while sipping cocktails. They seemed to have heeded Doonan’s tip: “Give your sensible clothes to Goodwill and wear party clothes the rest of your life.”
Simon Doonan
Author and style guru
Wearing: A Tom Brown blazer, Liberty print shirt and Naked & Famous jeans.
Kate Warren
le Halston frock. Sty r all your philosophy? “Wea once!” favorite pieces at
Wearing: A Barneys NY sweater with vintage jeans and bag.
Sarah Wildman
Blogger, Seekateshoot.com
We love: Her 1970s
Jason Barnes Johnny Rogers
Performance artist
Journalist
Wearing: A Cos dress from Berlin, Rakeliton bag from Majorca and Camper shoes from Madrid.
Stylist, Salon Bleu
Wearing: A vintage Alexander Wang top with a Helmut Lang trench coat.
Michelle German Makeup artist
Wearing: A DVF vest, Urban Outfitters blouse, vintage shorts and ASOS color block heels.
A chilly winter morning didn’t keep bargainistas from lining up to score deals on fashions and housewares from some of Old Town Alexandria’s chicest boutiques. A crowd of local women — and a few dudes — came to score deeply discounted boots from Shoe Hive, marked-down pottery from Red Barn Mercantile and more. ERIN CUNNIGHAM
Annie Yu
Fox 5 News Reporter
ess reh (found at the wa d over sale), edgily layere skinny jeans.
dr We love: Her silver ouse
Anna Fravel
Wearing: A Brit-chic blazer and pants from Harrods.
Maurisa Potts
Lily Walker Krakowski
Wearing: A Juicy Couture top with leggings. “I’m not afraid to push the fashion envelope in a conservative town” she says.
Wearing: Missoni for Target top and leggings, accessorized with a homemade knit brooch.
Public relations pro
CHARM 2910 M St. NW; 202-298-0420; Charmgeorgetown.com.
March 2012
FEDERAL 2216 14th St. NW; 202-5183375; Federalstore.com.
March 16 – May 4 — Join Capital City Mamas and Bloomingdale’s for a seven-session series for mamas and their babies, ages 0-4 months. From 10 – 11:30 a.m., experts will give you the real deal on all things mama and baby. Meet other mamas and get tons of info about the things that matter most, brought to you directly from the experts. 5300 Western Ave.; 240-744-3700; Bloomingdales.com.
GOODWOOD 1428 U St. NW; 202-9863640; Goodwooddc.com. HALCYON VINTAGE
117 N. Robinson St., Richmond, Va.; 804-358-1311.
HOMEBODY 715 8th St. NW;
202-544-8445, Homebodydc.com.
March 27 – April 10 — Macy’s Cherry Blossom Show. Spring is in bloom at Macy’s DowntownMetro Cherry Blossom Show! Celebrating Washington, D.C.’s beloved Cherry Blossom Festival, Macy’s main floor is transformed with over 30 Okame and Snow Goose Cherry trees, three Japanese Gardens and a Bouquet of the Day series. After the show, the live trees will be donated to the city of Washington, D.C. 1201 G St. NW; 202-628-6661; macys.com/campaign/flowershow/ Washington/index.jsp.
HU’S SHOES 3005 M St. NW; 202-342-0202; Husonline.com. HU’S WEAR 2906 M St. NW; 202-342-2020; Husonline.com. JULIA FARR 5232 44th St. NW, 202-364-3277; Juliafarrdc.com. MULEH 1831 14th St. NW; 202-667-3440, Muleh.com. NEIMAN MARCUS Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-966-9700, Neimanmarcus.com. PERIWINKLE 4150 Campbell Ave. #104, Arlington, Va.; 703-379-5242, Periwinkleshop.com.
March 29 — Nordstrom. From 6 – 9 p.m., bridesto-be take part in an exclusive opportunity to meet and mingle with Matthew Christopher. Enjoy passed catering and informal modeling while shopping the collection. Tysons Corner Center, 8075 Tysons Corner Center; RSVP to 703-761-1121 Ext. 1730; shop.nordstrom.com.
PROPER TOPPER
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-842-3055; Propertopper.com.
SASSANOVA 1641 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-471-4400, Sassanova.com
March 31 — Nordstrom. From noon – 3 p.m., join us for a month-long focus on prom in the dresses departrment. On Saturday, March 31, enjoy cosmetic make-overs, music, and one lucky winner will win a free pre-prom party hosted by Nordstrom. Tysons Corner Center, 8075 Tysons Corner Center; 703-761-1121 Ext. 1230; shop.nordstrom.com.
SHOE HIVE 127 South Fairfax, Alexandria, Va.; 703-548-7105, Theshoehive.com SIMPLY SOLES 138 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, Md., 301-749-1744; Simplysoles.com. SOUTH MOON UNDER
2700 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, Va.; 703-807-4083, Southmoonunder.com.
TABANDEH Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-244-0777, Tabandehjewelry.com.
Wearing: A flirty Double Zero dress with Hunter rain boots.
in
Student
Store
calendar of advertiser and editorial fashion selections
BLOOMINGDALE’S 5300 Western Ave., Chevy Chase, Md.; 240-744-3700; Bloomingdales.com.
STUDIO 85 53 Florida Ave. NW; 202-606-3640, Mystudio85.com.
Lawrence Miller Lawrence Miller
Wearing: J. Crew khakis and a leopard-print top with Chanel flats.
What’s
where to buy
Meaghan Foran Tim Shaheen
Civil servant
Find Yigal Azrouël’s bold styles at Hu’s Wear.
March 31 — Nordstrom invites you to a private presentation of the Jason Wu fall collection given by Jason Wu representatives in the collectors department from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Guests will also enjoy a trunk show, passed cocktails and hors
d’oeuvres while receiving one-on-one assistance from Jason Wu representatives and designer specialists. Tysons Corner Center, 8075 Tysons Corner Center; RSVP to 703-761-112 Ext. 1350; shop.nordstrom.com.
April 2012 April 19–22 — A trunk show of New York fashion designer Yigal Azrouel’s femme-yet-architectural spring line comes to Hu’s Wear. The designer will be at the boutique April 19; contact Hu’s to request an invite to the event. Hu’s Wear, 2906 M St. NW; 202-342-2020; husonline.com. April 20 –21 — Nordstrom Fits America. RSVP to the lingerie department at your favorite Nordstrom store. Join us at our free bra-fit event. Our certified fit experts will find you the perfect bra to enhance and complement your lovely shape. For every bra purchased at our event, $2 will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. All Nordstrom locations; shop.nordstrom.com.
May 2012 May 10 — Nordstrom Cosmetics. You are invited to a personal appearance and seminar hosted by Trish McEvoy, followed by our two-day Mega Artistry Event. Receive a professional makeup lesson with a senior member of the Artistry Team and learn the latest tips and techniques. RSVP to the Trish McEvoy Cosmetics Counter. 8075 Tysons Corner Center; 703-761-1121; shop.nordstrom.com. May 25 –26 — Nordstrom. Embark on a beauty getaway, highlighting the newest makeup, skincare and fragrance must-haves. Book your appointment from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. to receive a complimentary, personalized makeup or skincare consultation from industry experts. 1400 South Hayes St.; RSVP to 703-415-1121; shop.nordstrom.com.
EARLY SPRING 2012 | FashionWashington | 15
love it, want it, get it now
BAR III™
Only at Macy’s. Chevron print dress. Misses. $69.
MACY’S BY APPOINTMENT
Call Linda Lee and her personal shoppers for our free service. Call 1-800-343-0121.
FREE SHIPPING AT MACYS.COM
Advertised merchandise may not be carried at your local Macy’s and selection may vary by store. 2020126.
with $99 online purchase. No promo code needed; exclusions apply.
39610_M2020126B_FashWash_Mar.indd 1
FASHION WASHINGTON MAGAZINE MARCH) - Single
Job #: 39610_M2020126B
Month/Week: Mar Wk1
Merch: RTW1/IMpulse/Bar III
TRIM: 0 BLEED: 0 SAFETY/LIVE AREA: 11.25” x 20” Live Matter Area only Ad Art Dir: Julie (x:xxxx) Writer: Ali (x:xxxx) Coord: Meredith (x:1785)
Production: Leah (x:5519)
2/2/12 1:03 PM