And then there were five. In what feels like an incredibly quick period, we’ve whittled it down to the remaining designers—who, unlike in years past, actually seem to be the top designers of the bunch. (Wendy Pepper, we’re looking at you.)

First there’s Jerell, whose overly ornate designs we’ve never been a fan of, but he can dish out a hilariously caustic barb with the best of them. And then Suede, who looks incredibly exhausted and stressed at this stage of the competition and clearly needs a big nap—and a hug. There’s sassy Korto, quietly talented and seriously fun. There’s Kenley, whose overly ’50s aesthetic totally matches with our own but whose incessant whining is the worst we’ve heard since Stella. And then Leanimal, who has blown everyone away with her massive creativity and unexpectedly dry wit. Er, no, we don’t have favorites. Okay, okay, we totally do.

Fashion shows aren’t generally accompanied by the smoky aroma of barbecue, and it’s unusual for the strident sounds of karaoke to compete with the pulsing music of the catwalk, but these quirks added to the eccentricity of a DC Fashion Week runway show last weekend at the H Street Festival. Local designers presented their ready-to-wear collections on an open-air catwalk between 12th and 14th streets, Northeast, and the audience mostly consisted of festival attendees rather than devoted fashion followers. The up-and-coming neighborhood, complete with a burlesque bar and a tater-tot-serving sushi restaurant, was an intriguing backdrop.

Style > Best Bargains Package

Do makeup artists have any cheap cosmetics in their bag of tricks? We asked four professionals to share their secrets.

Bargain cleansers: Kiss My Face olive soaps ($3.49 for eight ounces at Whole Foods). “If you want something gentle, this is great,” says Leah McKay. For dry skin, she likes Burt’s Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser ($7.99 for 4.34 ounces at Whole Foods).

Bargain makeup remover: Boots No. 7 Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes. A pack of 30 is $6.99 at CVS. Carola Myers says these wipes cleanse, tone, and moisturize skin and remove eye makeup.

Bargain men’s product line: Every Man Jack. Gustavo Mottola says the face lotion ($5 for 3.2 ounces at Target) “was silky and didn’t have much fragrance.”

Bargain aftershave: Mottola stays away from pricey aftershaves. In a drugstore, he says, “just walk over to the women’s cosmetics and grab a bottle of toner.” He recommends Neutrogena and L’Oréal.

Style > Best Bargains Package  

A good frame job can cost as much as the artwork—unless you do it yourself at the Framers’ Workroom in DC’s Tenleytown.

Not very handy? No worries. Assistance from the friendly, expert employees ensures that every job is as professional as their own custom work—but costs about 30 percent less. It’s fun to learn the craft and to create your own masterpiece—and no waiting as with custom orders. The 27-year-old business supplies everything, including a choice of about 250 frames. (It prefers to do anything over 32 by 40 inches itself.)

Last Friday marked the first time two prestigious Kazakhstani designers exhibited in the United States. The show was part of DC Fashion Week, an eight-day celebration of local and international designers intended to promote Washington as a fashion mecca, which ended Sunday. The designers’ launch was part runway show, part film screening; after the models took the stage and the audience was wowed by the colorful couture, the show concluded with a short film that denounced the movie Borat.

The Kazakhstani people are still feeling the negative effects of the 2006 film, in which comedian Sacha Baron Cohen painted their country as a backward nation. Designers Akkenje Devyatko and Kuralai Nurkadilova were determined to display Kazakhstan’s rich and diverse culture through fashion, and they both proved their aptitude on the runway.

Harper Holsinger, 25
Web developer, James Madison University

What he’s wearing: Jeans and (awesome!) bag from Goodwill, a Uniqlo T-shirt, and a plaid shirt he inherited from his friend Christian, who was scraping up money for his now-defunct local band, Mass Movement of the Moth. Harper got his Puma sneaks for free at a College Music Journal party in Brooklyn (Puma was a sponsor).

How would you describe your look? “Fashionable mountain man,” he says, laughing at the question.

Why the cuffed jeans? “It’s mainly for utility. I ride a lot of bikes.”

Where do you buy things? “I’m a thrift-store shopper. You can’t beat a $3 deal.”

What do you think of style in Washington? “It depends on what part of town you’re in.”