Brightest Young Things

Tucked in the heart of the city, hidden from the majority of DC denizens—something is happening.
Crowds are stowed away in auditoriums and international embassies waiting for the lights to go on and the music to pulse. It’s an event that happens twice-a-year, yet no one seems to know about it.
We closely monitor Fashion Week as it jumps from Miami to Milan, but when it hits DC, it seems to go unnoticed.

DC Fashion Week swept into town February 24^th and ended March 2^nd. The shows brought together designers from around the Metro DC area, across the
U.S., and across the world. The Ukrainian Embassy show kicked off the week with an invitation-only show in the heart of
Georgetown. Five of the top Ukrainian designers showed off their skills and their Eastern European style. Oksana Karavanska, Elena Burenia, Zemskova & Vorozhbyt, and Aleksey Zalevskiy premiered their collections in DC and previewed what’s to come during Ukrainian Fashion Week—which runs March 11 - 19. Next, was the African Student Association show at

Howard
University. Twelve designers showed everything from couture gowns to swimwear, all in the spirit of charity and bringing African fashion into the limelight. Designers came from all over, some from as far as Nigeria and
Ethiopia, to prove that there’s more to African fashion than just Kente cloth. Ticket proceeds from the show went to the Nothing But Nets Campaign—an organization dedicated to protecting African children from Malaria. Saturday’s show was definitely my favorite. Five menswear designers, Stella Bonds, Bonidacci, Corjor International, Ray Vicente, and featured designer, Andrew Nowell, showed that playing with fashion isn’t something strictly for the ladies. While some of the designs were a little “avant garde,”in their designs, one trend that piqued my interest came from Ray Vicente’s Asian-inspired line. Vicente cinched the back of many of the tops and jackets he showed—accentuating the waist and widening the upper back. After the show, I asked him if he thought the style was something that all men could wear. He told me that it actually is a very complimentary look for many men, but and for those guys who may not have the best bodies, he offered this advice, “Work with what you’ve got. If you can’t hide it, decorate it.” The week culminated in a final show at the French Embassy as 18 designers from all over the world paraded their pieces down the runway. The International Couture Collections showcased fashions from places like Columbia, Miami, Siberia, and
Liberia. It was a perfect ending to the week. There were plenty of hits, and lots of misses too, but it’s official—D.C. has a Fashion Week whether we like it or not.   

In a city where international cultures mix everyday from 9-5, it was only a matter of time before we were invaded with fashions from all over the world. “D.C. is a very conservative town. Between the politicians and the government workers, it’s easy for the city to become pegged as a fashion pariah, said designer Andrew Rowell. “But, you can see that there is something happening in the city. Fashion in D.C. is beginning to evolve.” And as designer fashion evolves in the city, suits are starting to make way for stilettos and events like Fashion Week are sure to start happening more and more often.

For more information and a complete list of the designers from the shows, visit dcfashionweek.org