Brightest Young Things

It's no secret that BYT hearts Katerina and Cathy (known citywide as "The Listopad Girls"), but it's hard not to when their traveling vintage cocktail parties, their ever-readable Listopad fashion blog, and their unabashed love for DC all just keep getting bigger and brighter. Kata and Cath were kind enough to catch us up on all things Listopad before this Saturday, when their Spring collection (and DJ Chris Burns) hit the upstairs patio at Marvin. Get there at noon for free champagne and stay until 4 for vintage treasures and BRUNCH. See you then...

There are new bloggers at Listopad! Fill us in.
Cath: Emily and Fiona are both great friends of ours, whose styles we personally admire. We love having them as contributors to the Listopad blog since they have a long history with D.C. and we all share a mutual adoration for this city. With four knowledgeable women, we think we can even better stay on top of the style and cultural goings-on.

We can keep up with your current influences in the sidebar of your blog - but what else inspired the current collection?
Kata: We're constantly inspired by DC--the ginkgo trees, the Freemason temples, the plentiful art museums...but also by the needs of DC'ers, including ourselves. Sometimes the political and the 9-5 nature of the city can be stifling, and Listopad allows us to get our creative energy out and to share with and inspire other DC peeps.
Cath: DC has its own very unique face with international residents and travelers, strong African roots, musical history from jazz to go-go to punk -- it's multi-faceted, both casual and refined, and culturally heterogeneous compared with other cities. This season we wanted to focus on all these rhythms and offer a collection of ethnic prints, colorful streetwear, and classy Deco pieces. Mixing and matching these ideas for daytime and evening would make for an amazingly colorful landscape. We really want people to be inspired by our own neighbors.

When do you consider a collection complete? Is the editing process ever difficult?
Kata: YES! It's extremely difficult for vintage enthusiasts like ourselves to reign it in, but working with two minds helps the process. We usually feel that we've completed a collection when we're satisfied both with the quantity of items (we like to cover both genders and the accessories departments especially) and with the quality...IE we've gathered so much good stuff that we would love to own that we've worn ourselves out...

What's your favorite Spring trend? Your least favorite?
Kata: I don't care for the sheer trend but I'm loving the return to femininity--florals, dresses, draping silhouettes.
Cath: I love the re-thinking of shapes so that it is not just about skinny jeans and strappy tanks this year. Looks such as drapey linen pants with a slender silk top, short hemlines with broad shoulders really appeal to me. For our current collection, we tried to focus less on overabundant polyester and more on fabrics and shapes that work with our bodies and environment. Expect more silky, fluid pieces, architectural boxiness, bold and uncompromising jewelry pieces.

Who or what, to you, epitomizes Spring style?
Kata: Sadly, flip flops. Let's change that to expertly tailored dresses! (K)
Cath: Finding the perfect balance between the hard and the soft. Go with some cool vintage sandals with some natural details like linen or rope or leather fisherman mixed with a great silky dress. D.C. Spring breezes are great for such outfits. For guys, more vintage hats please!

Favorite thing to do in DC in the Spring?
Kata: Picnics at the Arboretum.
Cath: Wandering aimlessly around parks, through hidden neighborhoods with beautiful D.C. architecture, and weaving in and out of all the free museums and galleries. And preferably while slurping a super-fresh smoothie from Mint or a horchata from Pepito's.

What are you all most looking forward to on Saturday?
Kata: I only drink Belgian beer, so Marvin really hits the spot.
Cath: I second that. Ever since Marvin opened, I have obsessed over their food, drinks, and especially that grand patio. It feels like an urban oasis and we are really happy to throw our cocktail party there on Saturday.

Preview images provided by the ladies of Listopad!