The local hero recommendations column takes a stylish turn this week with Cathy and Katerina of Listopad at the wheel. The ladies run one of my favorite DC style blogs (http://www.listopadshop.blogspot.com/), rework and sell amazing vintage and are cocktail party throwing forces to be reckoned with. After their aces Mercedes Bien event, they are holding the fort down at Red Onion Records & Books this Thursday and in the meantime are here to tell you why DC is looking good.
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.
Katerina:
“I Am” Temple on Calvert St: I have no idea what goes on inside this temple…so please excuse my ignorance if they sacrifice babies or kill puppies within its stark walls. But everyday as I walk by it on my way to work, merely glancing at it’s white-washed iron details, stair steps and lovely sign, I am filled with inner peace. The minimalist message is clear: keep it monochrome, keep it simple. Maybe Jil Sander designed the place?
The Newsroom in Dupont: Sure, DC doesn’t have the kiosk magazine huts of NYC or other metropolitan locales on every downtown street corner, but the Newsroom more than makes up for it. In between munching on a croissant or downloading and printing an issue of Cyprus Weekly from their electronic resources, you can purchase any one of an array of the best international magazines in the world. Russian Vogue? Check. Jalouse? Check. Bedouin? Check. You will be reciting the names of obscure Dutch designers in no time. Good way to learn a new language, too.
Thrift store Double Whammy: 10141 New Hampshire Ave , Silver Spring, MD houses both Unique Thrift and Value Village in the same strip mall, separated only by a corridor (within the two stores) of cheap electronics bumping reggaeton. It’s like a paradise for me, really, and the ultimate place to find your high-waisted 80s denim and vintage pyrex.
Bonsai Garden at the Arboretum: Seriously the best garden in DC. Intricate, artistically overwhelming masterpieces of nature and human constraint are surrounded by white pebbles and overhead sunlight. Maybe an afternoon there can help you digest the new Comme Des Garcons collection more easily?
DC Museum Cafes: Is there a better place in America to temporarily convince yourself that you are in a European capitol than a musuem cafe? Overpriced coffee, dainty cakes and the essence of art and culture all around you…it’s a nice escape from workplace suit jackets and office-appropriate heels. My personal favorites are the Building Museum’s cafe and the National Gallery of Art’s cafe.
Cathy:
Joan of Arc in Malcolm X Park: Ghandi is always uplifting but I find Joan of Arc to be a style inspiration. The drape of her outfit with its defined shoulder structure, fitted riding pants, and armored hat are all huge style points for the upcoming season. Very Balenciaga.
Komi in Dupont: Eating at Komi is a humbling and beautiful experience. A tasting menu will bring a parade of minimalist appetizers and lovely wines that will leave you both satisfied and appreciating the style of food on an another level. For a more everyday experience, the Ochazuke at Teaism with salmon and rice in a green tea broth with a giant mug of warming chai tea brings me to a wintery and meditative place and the modular food plates at Yazuzu (hip Mediterranean cafeteria) foretell the future.
Franz Bader Bookstore in Farragut: This is my go-to place for browsing art and architecture books and hard-to-find books and publications I never knew I was looking for. Everything from the avante-garde to the historical can be found in this special little store.
Kennedy Center and Dulles Airport: As the Kennedy Center evokes a nostalgic romance, so does the Dulles Airport (yes, not technically in DC) by Eero Saarinen for me. If I could tie two buildings to my love of vintage, it would be these two. Driving upon the Kennedy Center at night with the colored beamed lights and the two-toned pillars is classic beauty, and I always get butterflies by the graceful feeling of flight evoked by Dulles
………….
Catch the girls next at their Listopad Cocktail Party
this Thursday at:
Red Onion Records & Books
1901 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.986.2718
www.redonionrecordsandbooks.com
I refused to fly in or out of Dulles because of who it is named for. Bastard *spit*
September 12, 2007 at 1:29 pmAlso, a tip:
National Building Museum allows you to picnic in the great hall.
Which, in case you haven’t been, is the greatest of all halls in DC.
And the Dupont News Room is my temple.
September 12, 2007 at 8:10 pmThanks for your support Svetlana/BYT!!
September 13, 2007 at 10:12 am
“very balenciaga” is a phrase that should be in everybody’s vocabulary. obviously.
September 12, 2007 at 10:24 am