Photograph by Jeff Elkins.
At the end of every school year, students and alumni from Marymount University’s fashion design program compete to showcase their creations at the school’s prestigious Portfolio in Motion fashion show. (Missed the show? Check out a slideshow of our favorite looks.) And to go along with the show’s festivities, each year the program bestows upon one person the honor of Designer of the Year—an announcement as highly anticipated as the fashion show itself.
Last Thursday, Marymount University added Tadashi Shoji to its already impressive roster of honorees, which includes Eileen Fisher (2012), Peter Som (’09), Michael Kors (’07), and Carolina Herrera (’05).
Marymount University’s Portfolio in Motion 2013 fashion show. All photographs by Jeff Elkins.
Each spring, students from Marymount University’s fashion design and merchandising program celebrate the end of the school year with an elaborate fashion show showcasing the work of the graduating seniors. Last Thursday—after months of brainstorming, planning, and rehearsing—the 2013 Portfolio in Motion fashion show took place at the school’s campus in Northern Virginia.
This year’s theme, Cosmic Dreaming, took an extraterrestrial approach with a galactic backdrop and otherworldly designs. Entirely produced by jury-selected design students, plus a few alums, the show featured women’s day and evening wear, menswear, and girls’ and bridal apparel, running the gamut from elegant and expertly tailored to sporty and tribal.
As part of the annual show’s tradition, Tadashi Shoji joined past honorees such as Eileen Fisher, Peter Som, Michael Kors, and Oscar de la Renta in receiving Marymount University’s Designer of the Year Award. Check back tomorrow for our exclusive interview with the iconic designer—and for now, click through the slideshow to get a closer look at our favorite designs from the show.
Who can blame us for shamelessly counting down the days (that would be ten) until the silver-screen release of Baz Luhrmann’s remake? From a fashion perspective, The Great Gatsby is pretty much the holy grail: Combine an unapologetically decadent decade with a costume closet stocked with adapted archival dresses from Prada and Miu Miu, and it’s obviously going to be fab. Imagine the feathers! The fringe! The beading! The anticipation alone makes us want to completely redo our wardrobes to exclusively feature drop-waist dresses, T-strap pumps, and a glam palette of blush, white, black, and gold. And clearly we’re not alone: This season saw a major uptick in styles channeling the era. Click through the gallery to see our most coveted deco pieces—we’ve picked 20, of course. And guys, check out our earlier post on Brooks Brothers’ Gatsby-inspired collection.
Following in the footsteps of Andy Cohen, Kelly Cutrone, Tinsley Mortimer, and Christian Siriano, Jessica Alba will be the next celeb attendee of Bethesda’s Front Row fashion event, slated for May 16 through 18, Shop Around has learned.
Alba, who made headlines today for admitting she wore a “double corset” day and night for three months post-pregnancy to help mold her body back into shape, will sign copies of her new book, The Honest Life, on May 17 in front of Redwood Restaurant and Bar. The Front Row has become one of the area’s biggest style-centric events, particularly the fashion show portion, which immediately follows Alba’s book signing and which typically morphs the boutique-heavy ’hood into a rollicking runway extravaganza.
If you’re feeling your inner fashionista, you might want to snag a VIP ticket—which puts you in good Alba-sighting territory and includes a seat at the runway event, admission to the VIP party, and reserved seating to the screening of the fashion doc The Tents, as well as the after-party—via Gilt City. Tickets go on sale Monday at 10 AM.
Check back Monday for our exclusive interview with Alba.
Just when you’re feeling so very grateful for the gloriously warm sunshine and rising temps—BAM: The attack of the air conditioning throws a curveball into your hot-weather wardrobing. Suddenly the carefree sundresses, shoulder-baring tanks, and breezy sleeveless blouses necessary for surviving the outdoors become totally inappropriate for the frigid indoors. Sure, you could throw on a basic cardi or wrap yourself with that emergency scarf you’ve stuffed into your desk drawer. But why would you? Here’s a chicer approach: Try a structured blazer (for work) or a soft, silky bomber jacket (for play). This year’s infatuation with bold, no-wallflowers-need-apply prints means these pieces are far from boring.
Click through the gallery to see 22 of our favorite options. Our suggestion: Stock your closet (and/or office) with these babies, layer as needed, and compliment yourself on sidestepping the sartorial status quo. Problem solved.
See Also:
Covetable Cover-Ups: 15 of Our Favorite Spring Jackets (Slideshow)
Spring Shopping List: 10 Must-Haves for Sartorial Success
All photos by Michael Kress Photography.
Right after the super-cute outfits (of course), the first thing you notice about Kendal Stopak’s personal style blog, Metropolitan Thread, is the exceptional photography. Perfectly framed to suit Stopak’s look—sophisticated, uncomplicated pieces dialed up with flashes of neon, bold graphic prints, and edgy detailing—the shots can really only be described as utterly gorgeous. That’s just what happens when you fuse fashion blogging with a day job as (and for) a professional photographer.
After attending Clemson University’s visual arts program, Rockville native Stopak returned to her home city and joined Michael Bennett Kress Photography. Two years in, she found herself craving a sartorial outlet, an excuse to get creative with her wardrobe. In January she decided to marry her love of fashion with her passion for photography, and voilà—Metropolitan Thread was born.
All photographs by Jeff Martin.
Maybe it was the special tent Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase erected in the parking lot, maybe it was the fancy outfits, the high-heeled patrons, the long, white, u-shaped runway complete with oversized crystal chandelier, or maybe it was just being able to see designer darling Jason Wu in person—but it all felt very “New York Fashion Week-comes-to-DC,” and we loved it. Wu, a favorite of Michelle Obama and countless celebrities, on Thursday showed his fall ready-to-wear collection during the third annual Great Ladies’ Luncheon, which raises funds for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. More than 350 women enjoyed a duo-salad lunch and the 15-minute fashion show—which included a booming, remixed soundtrack of Amy Winehouse and Adele songs, and lithe, expressionless models (we told you it reminded us of Fashion Week). Wu’s designs were feminine, sexy, and came mostly in black, with pops of red and purple. Wu told me he was very into luxe textures this season, showcasing fur, leather, and sumptuous, see-through chiffon, perfect for the flowy evening gowns that closed the show. View the slideshow of some of our favorite looks.
Some trends are not universally adored. Take leggings, for example. Crop tops. Harem pants. Denim on denim.
This season, we’d add wedge sneakers to the list of especially divisive, love-’em-or-seriously-hate-’em fashions. (For the record, we’re on the “love ’em” side of the argument. We love us a heel—on anything.)
But we have a theory on one reason a relatively innocuous pair of shoes might incite such emotion: They’re just so very tricky to wear—or wear well, at least. That’s why when we spotted the elevated sneak on the feet of two local style bloggers, we immediately wanted to know their secrets to making this trend look chic, not silly. Read on to see how our brave fashionistas styled theirs, then shop 12 of our fave versions on the market.
“They give a tomboyish edge to any outfit and are a welcome alternative to the flats and heels we’ve seen season after season. I wear mine with skinny jeans and short skirts to really show them off.” Sanaa Ansari Khan, the Style Matrix
Alice + Olivia Catherine gathered skirt A-line dress, $597.
Though the seemingly never-ending cold has managed to push back the peak bloom date of Washington’s tourist-magnet cherry blossoms again (and again, and again), there are still plenty of National Cherry Blossom Festival events happening, with or without the namesake flowers. So obviously you need something appropriately festive to wear, right? Luckily we found this ruffly confection of a cherry-blossom-print sundress right in the nick of time. Apparently Alice + Olivia’s design team was really feeling the DC-centric print this year—check out the brand’s delicate, feminine pumps and this darling (and perhaps more practical) cap-sleeve silk frock. Best part? Even once the pretty pink blossoms are long gone, the dress will still be equally lovely.
Oh, wedding season. As we launch into the spate of nuptials, it can feel like a girl needs nothing more than dresses. A sassy little number for the bachelorette girls’ night out. An elegant choice for the wedding itself. And, of course, the trickiest of them all: the shower outfit. This one poses its own set of criteria: It can’t be white, obviously. Or black. It has to be day- and grandma-appropriate. So what to wear, then? Read on for our tips on finding the perfect party frock, then click through the slideshow for 20 adorable options.
Fit comes first. For this, think classic femininity. That means looking for simple, elegant sheaths, hourglass fit-and-flares, or retro shifts. Avoid super-tight body-con styles and too-bare strapless types.
Go for color. We already mentioned avoiding solid black or white (and we might even add red to the no-no list, too). This is a celebration, so it’s a great opportunity to indulge your color-loving side. Go for poppy pink! Sunny yellow! Languid blue!
Pick a print. While we love a sophisticated solid, this is a fab time to spring for spring’s flirty florals, a playful polka dot, or a preppy stripe. Have fun with it.
