We ask costume designer Deb Sivigny for her take on Francisco Costa’s fashion-design discussion.
Deb Sivigny designed the costumes for Rorschach Theater Company's Skin Of Our Teeth, which was performed last summer. Photo by Colin Hovde
Dreamt up in 1997, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum’s National Design Awards honor outstanding achievements in the professional arts world, including architecture, fashion, sustainability, interiors, landscape, product, and graphic design. The winners are selected by a panel of experts and invited to Washington for an initial round of congratulations before the awards ceremony in the fall. Traditionally, the First Lady is the host. In the past, that’s meant a celebratory luncheon with Washington elite.
Much to the delight of the local design community, that wasn’t the case this year. In a for-the-people twist on standard procedure, Michelle Obama sent the recipients into the city before they could start chowing down. Winners were paired according to professional fields, and in a series of five free open-to-the-public lectures, they were given the opportunity to speak about where the design world intersects with the science and technology.
We attended the Corcoran’s Materials and Their Effects lecture, in which Francisco Costa, the Brazilian creative director behind Calvin Klein’s women’s wear, and Calvin Tsao and Zack McKown, the architects responsible for such cutting-edge spaces as Los Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits and Singapore’s SunTec City, represented the winners of the 2009 fashion and interior-design sectors. After individual presentations of their work (including a video fashion show of Costa’s geometric spring collection), the trio sat down with a White House staff member to answer questions on inspiration, working with textiles, and the social necessity of creativity.
Curious to see how the big-shot experience might resonate with a seasoned local arts veteran, we brought Rorschach Theater Company costume designer Deb Sivigny along for the talk. With the Obamas acting on promises to raise arts awareness in the country, Washington’s creative movers and shakers are ready to be recognized as real-time contributors to the area’s professional vivacity, and Deb agrees that it’s an exciting time to be moving in the mix. Miss last week's lecture? Read on for Deb’s insider take on the talk, including the highs and lows of the lecture, how working with fabric for the stage differs from fashion for the street, and where to go in Washington for clothing-design inspiration and education.
Sophie’s casual, collarless H&M white shirtdress, accented by a simple belt and colorful jewelry, caught our attention this week. It says “stylish,” not with an edge but with a youthful, carefree attitude. “I try to keep it classic with a bit of a twist,” Sophie says. “Nothing too funky or bright.” Her look is a combination of store finds and vintage items that she collects from her mother’s and grandmother’s closets. Watch the video to find out her favorite vintage store in the area and what fashion (we use the term loosely here) accessory she simply cannot tolerate.
Flip-flops are a longtime summer staple that we can’t get enough of, and the cheap-chic sandal can be a fashionable addition to your summer wear.
Priced anywhere from $5 to $500 per pair, these three styles of warm-weather footwear can serve as everything from a fashion statement to a simple shoe.
Just Jellin’ These aren’t the jelly sandals you remember from childhood. Designers have updated the plastic footwear and elevated the simple sandal to an art form.
This week, we stop a photographer (and her photographer fiancé) with an eye-catching red dress.
Photograph by Ken Wyner; www.kenwyner.com.
Alice Ng, 46 Photographer, Anfoto
What she’s wearing: Vintage dress from a shop in Charlottesville, Kenneth Cole shoes.
What do you like to wear? “Anything that looks good. I’m not afraid of color. I’m a very colorful person.”
Where do you like to shop? “Rerun in Takoma Park. And I go to Hong Kong every two years and shop there.”
You moved here from New York recently. What are the differences in style? “People are a little more playful in New York.”
Anything on your wardrobe wish list? “No, I already have too much. People just don’t need that much stuff.”
Rachel says: Maxi dresses were big last summer and this season, but the silhouettes have gotten somewhat predictable. This accordion style is a bit unexpected.
Urban Chic celebrated its new blogger, Tracy, with sweet treats, style steals, and an appearance by a TV fashion personality.
What: Urban Chic may have gone virtual, but thank goodness it knows there’s nothing like a real-life celebration. The upscale boutique threw an intimate soirée in honor of Living Chic, its new blog, last Wednesday. We saw Tracy—the peppy blonde behind the online scoop—and an enthusiastic Stacy London, host of TLC’s What Not to Wear and the Today Show fashion correspondent, mingling with the trend-conscious crowd.
Where:Urban Chic’s flagship location in Georgetown.
When: Wednesday, July 22.
Attire: Dressed to impress. The mostly female crowd donned modern ruffles, high-waisted skirts, summer cocktail dresses, and multiple variations of gladiator sandals—proof that Washington wears more than suits.
Food and drink: Such sweets as chocolate-covered strawberries, logo-encrusted cookies, M&M’s, and jelly beans were sprinkled among the merchandise. Our favorite treat? The sprinkle-covered cupcake lollipops. Who knew cake could complement Champagne so nicely?
Party favors: Gifts were on hand for anyone who made a purchase. Highlights included a weeklong guest pass and a guided workout at Equinox gym in Tysons, a Milly charm necklace, advance movie-screening tickets to Julie & Julia, Rebecca Taylor lip gloss, and a collection of travel-size Luxe city guides.
The best sales and fashion events around town for the week.
July is the month for sales—nearly every store is celebrating summer with sales of at least 30 percent off. Here are are a few of our favorite selections from around town:
Ongoing Can you say 65 percent off? Mauro Farinelli (839 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 703-647-9856) has slashed prices on names such as Vena Cava, Diesel, and Pencey to make room for incoming fall merchandise.
At SimplySoles (1438 Park Rd., NW; 202-232-0072), shoes are 40 percent off until July 27. They’re marked down even further (up to 75 percent) next week.
Score the best bargains on pre-fall and fall merchandise by shopping early at the famed Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. You’ll find great deals on denim, jewels, boots, and more. Prices return to normal August 3. Multiple locations; click here to find a store.
Linda Daschle is one of the many familiar faces at Violet, Mesut Ozaydin and Jimmy Cehreli’s salon. Photograph by Scott Suchman
Hot Salon
At Violet (1513 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-337-3477), a new salon in Georgetown, don’t be surprised if you see Obama advisers Rahm Emanuel, Desirée Rogers, or Valerie Jarrett getting their dos done or lobbyist Linda Daschle in a chair. Owner/stylists Jimmy Cehreli and Mesut Ozaydin—who once worked at Toka Salon, where they counted Laura, Jenna, and Barbara Bush as clients—opened their place in February. A woman’s cut starts at $100, a man’s at $50.
Cut-Rate Cut
Why do some women from Georgetown—where you can’t toss a hairbrush without hitting a salon—drive to Rockville for a haircut? Because Maryam Sepehrfar has a following—and she’s a bargain. The stylist, who works out of Hair Cuttery in Congressional Plaza (1609 Rockville Pike; 301-881-9546), charges as little as $21 for a shampoo, cut, and blow dry. Hair Cuttery doesn’t take appointments, so people line up to see her—and on weekends can wait an hour or more.
Gone are the robust bureaus for the Los Angeles Times, Newhouse News, and other once-healthy news organizations. Digital media bureaus now are taking their places with as many reporters and plenty of swagger.
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