Who (left to right): Kristen Swenson, 24, and Erin Derge, 28
Owners of the U Street shop Ginger Root Design

Where: The Ready Launch Austria jewelry and fashion show at the Austrian Embassy

How did the idea for Ginger Root Design come about?
Kristen: “I kind of accidentally started my own tailoring business last year. [Kristen started as a tailor at the 14th Street vintage shop Treasury. I got really behind, so I brought Erin out here.”
Erin: “One day, we were sitting outside, and we were like, ‘Do you wanna open a store?’ ”
Kristen: “We were working out of my apartment and broke the closet, so we took that as a sign that we needed to expand. We found the space [on U Street] and opened our store within six weeks.”

What kind of wearables do you offer at Ginger Root?
Erin: “We sell eight local artists and two from the Midwest, including my mom’s jewelry. And then we have our designs, which are all repurposed. For instance, this is a man’s shirt. And I made the tie from scrap fabric.”

Who: Ann Russell, 17
Junior at Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School

What she’s wearing: Her mother’s wool sweater and bag, an Urban Outfitters scarf, a coat from Anthropologie, and Guess boots.

How did you come up with such an intricate look?
“This sounds cliché, but I generally just wake up and pull things from my closet. I like the layered look, and I also like mixing feminine clothes and more boyish pieces, so sometimes I throw things on that don’t necessarily go together.”

Prom is almost here, isn’t it? Do you have a dress yet?
“I want to wear a shorter dress, probably an awesome sparkly vintage cocktail dress of my mom’s.”

Does fashion factor into your life on any other level?
“Yeah—I’m working on costumes for the school play, The Diary of Anne Frank. We design them and then send them elsewhere to get made.”

Brooke says:
I was shocked to find a 17-year-old with such a thoughtful approach to repurposing secondhand clothing. I love the textural differences between her coat and her cardigan as well as the whimsical nature of the whole outfit. Her bag also matches her hair, which is a nice touch. 

Who: Rashad Muhammad, 21
Graphic-design student


How would you describe your style?
“Urban professional. I always pay attention to what I wear, and sometimes—like today—I just like to dress it up.”

What do you have on today?
“A blazer and a skinny tie from a thrift store that doesn’t exist anymore, an Express shirt and pants, an H&M hat and bag, and Steve Madden shoes.”

What’s your thrift-store-shopping strategy?
“If I find something that I like and it happens to fit, I get it. Or if it doesn’t fit, I make sure it’s bigger so I can get it tailored smaller.”

Where do you get your clothes tailored?
“Luckily, I have friends who will sew for me.”

What do you do besides graphic design?
“I’m a photography minor, and I run the photo lab.”

Who: Chris Lin, 20
International Development major at American University

Where’d you find the pieces to this handsome ensemble?
“The pink button-down shirt is from J. Crew, and the tie is from China. I got the cardigan in Hong Kong.”

How does the shopping in Hong Kong compare to here?
“There’s this store called Georgiana, which is pretty popular—most of my stuff is from there. Everything in Hong Kong is a lot cheaper.”

Any particular reason you’re dressed so nicely?
“I have to go to a formal event after this—it’s for my fraternity. I dress for whatever the occasion calls for. But if I could wear a T-shirt every day, I would.”

It seems like you pay attention to fit, though.
“My mom doesn’t like me wearing stuff that’s too baggy.”