This post was written by Hatchet reporter Samantha Hatton.
D.C. has already established itself internationally as a center for government and politics, but is this city ready to take on another role?
D.C. fashionistas sure hope so.
Designers, models and fans of the fashion industry gathered at several events this week as part of D.C. Fashion Week’s 15th season, an event key to transforming Washington, D.C. into the global fashion capital that some believe it can be.
The week-long event kicked off Sept. 19, at the Perkins + Will Building with opening remarks by Ean Williams, executive producer and director of D.C. Fashion Week, followed by an eco fashion show.
The eco fashion show showcased 14 finalists from the Inova Health System Blue Wrap Contest, which challenged contestants to design a look using only blue wrap, a plastic-based sterile fabric hospitals use. The challenge encouraged a more eco-friendly use of the material, as blue wrap is rarely recycled and leaks harmful chemicals into the environment.
Kelly Tang presented a ready-to-wear line that played with geometric cutouts and designs that balanced modernity with femininity.
On the runway for Aidah Collection, a line that uses natural and recycled materials, were designs featuring mostly shades of blue and purple. Each garment also bore the designer’s signature hand painted golden motif.
The closing show by designer Elizabeth St. John was led by the only child model of the night. The young girl modeled a blue dress fit for a flower girl. The collection also featured bridal dresses and eveningwear, using mainly silk-based textiles.
St. John, who graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in environmental studies and cultural anthropology, was able to combine her two passions of fashion and the environment in her new eco-friendly collection. The collection now sells in the U.S. and overseas.
The Textile Museum welcomed D.C. Fashion Week Tuesday to experience “Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles,” an exhibit demonstrating the innovative ways in which old, treasured textiles have been recycled and reused.
Thursday provided D.C. models, designers, bloggers and other media personnel the opportunity to network at the Fashion Industry Networking Party held at Dirty Bar on Connecticut Avenue.
Executive producer Ean Williams showed a collection from his own label, Corjor International, Friday night. His fashion show was held at the Alex Gallery, which is also exhibiting the work of fashion design students from the Geneva University of Art and Design.
D.C. Fashion Week concludes today with the International Couture Show at the French Embassy. The event will showcase three American designers along with designers from India, Iran, Thailand and Bolivia.
