Chevy Chase Teen Takes to the Runway

Chevy Chase teen Scotty Lesmes modeled at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation's Be Yourself Be Beautiful Gala, a star-studded event headlined by Sheryl Crow this past week in DC.

Metro DC Sheds Staid Image to Put Young Designers on Fashion Runway

Washington's stiff fashion image is being erased by a confluence of forces that are putting DC on the fashion map.

By Anamika Roy, Capital News Service The nation’s capital has long been known as a place full of stuffy gray suits and neatly pressed ties, but these days, designers are loosening the top button. “There has been a stigma with DC fashion,” said Michelle Gibson, a fashion designer and Howard University senior. “It’s gray, tacky and uninspiring.” That stiff image is being erased by a confluence of forces that are putting DC on the fashion map: Up-and-coming, home-grown designers, showcase venues in DC Fashion Week and the DC Fashion Incubator, plus a young, hungry, well-heeled consumer market. In Chevy Chase, a strip of high-end stores that include Christian Dior, Cartier and Ralph Lauren was dubbed "Rodeo Drive of the East" by developers.  …

Reddz Trading To Open Georgetown Location

Reddz owner Wendy Red will now operate Bethesda and Georgetown storefronts for the popular fashion resaler.

Woodmont Avenue favorite Reddz Trading, a high-end fashion resale store, is expanding into Georgetown. Wendy Red, the owner of Reddz, told Patch that she decided to open a shop in Georgetown because many of her customers come out to Bethesda from DC. "We also just feel like there’s a void there," Red said. The new shop will be coming to 1413 Wisconsin Ave. NW, which is currently occupied by Monarc Antique Rugs. It could be open by June. Unlike consignment shops, Red's resale model means you get paid up front for handing over your high-end bags or shoes. Reddz accepts clothes that are no older than two years, are in good condition and are in style. Their website explains the payment model: "We pick the desirable items that we think we can …

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Asia-based Women's Fashion Boutique Set To Open At Montgomery Mall

Hoamgar and women's shop Free People will take over the former American Apparel space in May.

A women's fashion boutique chain based in Asia is set to open its doors at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in May. Hoamgar, which sells women's apparel in cities including Beijing, China, and Singapore, Taiwan, will take over the space formerly occupied by the recently-closed American Apparel near the mall's Nordstrom entrance. While it's not clear why the hipster fashion hub closed its doors, Hoamgar will likely be a more sophisticated replacement. The line doesn't appear to have a US-based website, but the Marina Bay Sands shopping center in Singapore describes the clothing as "fresh, elegant yet casual style, ideal for the professional woman." An announcement at its future Westfield location calls the line "exclusive high fashion." Next …

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Hair Do's, Don’ts for Local News Anchors

NewsChannel 8 reporters discuss “anchor hair” during morning newscast.

Call it the latest installment in the news anchor hair files. Websites such as Super-Hair rate the hair of on-air reporters, celebrities and other public figures. Richmond’s Style Weekly magazine gives out an award for “Best Hair on a Male News Anchor.” Now, local on-air personalities are debating the intricacies of “anchor hair” while on the air. During the Wednesday morning broadcast, Newschannel8’s Brian van de Graff commented on the knit cap Adam Caskey was wearing while reporting from Southwest DC, sparking a debate about “anchor hair.” Van de Graff admitted that fellow on-air personality Katherine Amenta had given him a hard time for wearing earmuffs, as he was “worried about his hair.” Amenta charged onto the set, armed with a can …

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Bloomingdale's Helps Sandy Victims with Trendy T-Shirt

The celebrity-designed T-shirts retail for $50, and 80 percent of the proceeds go toward helping victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Bloomingdale's has a new T-shirt out, and while its $50 price tag may be high, it's for a good cause: 80 percent of the shirts' proceeds will go toward helping victims of Hurricane Sandy, style website Miss A reported. "Partnering with Alternative Apparel, these shirts were exclusively designed for Bloomingdale’s by ... celebrities including: supermodel Carolyn Murphy, professional surfers Kassia Meador and Jon Rose, fashion designer Billy Reid, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, musician and designer Pharrell Williams, and Saturdays Surf NYC designers Josh Rosen, Colin Tunstall and Morgan Collett," Miss A reported. The proceeds benefit Waves for Water, "a non-profit organization that focuses on rebuilding the families and businesses …

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Stuart Weitzman Opens At Westfield Montgomery

Mall's latest offering features high-end footwear.

Spotted in Bethesda: Stuart Weitzman is open at Westfield Montgomery Mall, giving area fasionistas another option for high-end footwear. The store opened Jan. 3, according to Westfield Montgomery Mall spokesperson Joanna Caputi. Currently, Stuart Weitzman is having a sale – up to 50 percent off select shoes – as an opening promotion. For more on recent openings at Westfield Montgomery check out our list of new stores here. What stores would you like to see come to the area? Let us know in the comments!

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Order Michelle Obama's Convention Dress from Georgetown Boutique

Proper Topper is taking orders.

Fashionistas may special-order the dress design that Michelle Obama wore for her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. Proper Topper, owned by Georgetowner Anna Fuhrman, is accepting orders via email for the Tracy Reese pink brocade dress. Reese is a Michigan-based designer who met the First Lady at a 2008 Obama fundraiser. Since then, the First Lady has sported her dresses on several occasions. This past weekend, Proper Topper hosted a Tracy Reese Trunk Show that had been scheduled well before the rose dress turned heads. To find out more about the dress, which will retail for an estimated $395 and will be available in November, email customerservice@propertopper.com.

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Montgomery Mall Celebrates Fashion's Night Out

Check out fun-filled fashion events in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria this Thursday.

If you’re looking for fun events around town to celebrate Fashion’s Night Out, look no further than the Westfield Montgomery Mall. The shopping center and more than 50 retailers will be hosting the event from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, complete with special offers, gifts, giveaways, live entertainment, makeovers and snacks. The event, founded in 2009, is celebrated in New York and 100 other cities across the United States. It supports retail shops and restores consumer confidence in the wake of the recession, according to a mall news release. A collaboration between American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company, and the City of New York, events across the country will include designer appearances, celebrity guests, …

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Get Out: Ideas For the Weekend

Check out fashion events on Bethesda Lane, catch a free summer concert or take in a film screening this weekend in Bethesda.

Fashion, film screenings, festivals and more round out the weekend in Bethesda. Check out our picks: Summer Concert In Veteran's Park Where/When: Veteran's Park, at the corner of Woodmont and Norfolk avenues, Thursday, May 17, 6 - 8 p.m. Why Go: Check out jazz music from Adrian Duke as a part of the Bethesda Urban Partnership's free outdoor summer concert series in Veteran's Park. The concerts are happening each Thursday evening during May and June. Price: Free. The Front Row on Bethesda Row Where/When: Thursday through Saturday at restaurants and retailers across Bethesda Row Why Go: More than 40 fashion events, a film screening and a cameo by the Bravo Network's Andy Cohen are on the agenda during The Front Row. The annual fashion event …

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