While D.C. is used to its share of questionable creations, they usually come in the form of congressional bills rather than runway fashions. But although the nation’s capital is not known as a center for fashion, D.C. Fashion Week represents an effort to change that conception, with a full line-up of stylish events running from Monday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 26. Showcasing both local and international up-and-comers in design, the collections will spotlight fall fashions that even the haute couture denizens of New York have not had the privilege of seeing.
Straight on the heels of New York Fashion Week and in the middle of London’s own seven days of style, D.C. Fashion Week works to distinguish itself from its more famous counterparts. As a nonprofit event, the District’s incarnation strives to nurture new talent by opening its online registration to any designer, model, or volunteer. Several events are also open to the public, including the Fashion Industry Networking Party tonight at Dupont Circle’s Dirty Bar Lounge, where there will be a show catering exclusively to jewelry and accessories. Knowing D.C., these may or may not include election campaign buttons.
In a press release, Founder Ean Williams promised that “D.C. Fashion Week will rock,” as he kicked off the event’s 16th season this year with an eco-fashion show at the Wooly Mammoth Theater. Though no cavemen were present, the show was free of admission charge and open to the general public. While “Sexy and I Know It” blasted from loudspeakers, attendees were free to pose in front of an official backdrop and try their best Blue Steel impressions. The runway show itself featured both rising designers like student label Emore’J Couture and established names like Elizabeth St. John Couture, which showcased a number of eco-friendly gowns. Though the designs were mostly fresh and appealing, the show featured a few outfits that looked like they belonged at an awkward high school dance. As the debut event of the week, however, the runway show did a generally praiseworthy job of spotlighting local talent.
D.C. Fashion Week is also making a new addition this year by featuring local musicians in conjunction with top designers from local universities (Georgetown, apparently, is not included). This event, the Metropolitan Emerging Designers and Indie Artists (M.E.D.I.A.) showcase, will include MTV’s “Making the Band 4” season one finalist DeAngelo Redman and will be held on Saturday at the Washington Post Conference Center.
In harmony with its internationally focused setting, D.C. Fashion Week makes a point of highlighting designers from across the globe. Says Founder Ean Williams in the press release, “international designers who have come to the U.S. for the New York show consider it a treat to have their designs featured in Washington, D.C., the world’s political epicenter.” Two of the week’s events focus especially on designers from overseas, including a Ukrainian design show on Friday and International Couture Collections show and bazaar at the finale event at the French Embassy on Sunday. Hailing from everywhere from Germany to Nigeria, the eclectic group of featured designers is sure to make for a diverse showcase. As Williams points out, “this event builds on a 15-season tradition uniting a fabulous mix of vendors, over 100 diverse models, and dozens of world media outlets, for a sell-out affair.”
Though it lacks the prestige of more established and renowned fashion events, D.C. Fashion Week brings its own flair to the industry. By highlighting both lesser-known names from the area and international labels, the event brings something to the table that famed fashion weeks ignore. And if anything, it raises the status of fashion in the nation’s political center above the level of Rick Santorum’s sweater vest.
