Washington doesn’t exactly have the best track record with reality shows. DC Cupcakes has a singularly intense following (well, intense enough to get them a second season, anyway), but our versions of Real Housewives and Real World both aired with dismal ratings.

That’s why we’re rooting for the pilot local boutique Sassanova filmed last week at its Georgetown and Bethesda locations. Co-owner Sassy Jacobs tells us she, partner Sarah Cannova, and their employees worked with producer Colby Gaines (co-producer of the History Channel's Pawn Stars) and a crew from Back Roads Entertainment on three days of filming. The initial concept is similar to TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. Customers come in with “emergency” shoe and accessory situations, and Jacobs, Cannova, and staff solve them. Considering this casting call was posted to Hitched bridal salon’s blog earlier this month, we’ve got a feeling these “emergencies” are about as real as Kim Kardashian’s love for Kris Humphries, but we’re pretty okay with that. After all, what’s a reality show without a little prefabricated drama?

Sola Biu has always known two things: She wants to help kids, and she loves repurposing vintage items. Oynx Feather, the jewelry company she began in 2009 and runs out of her Union Station apartment, combines both of these passions.

“I was chatting with my girlfriends about how we all wanted to be doing something we loved but have it matter,” says the media relations coordinator of the beginnings of her jewelry line. One of Biu’s friends encouraged her to make this dream a reality, and when boutique owners started noticing the handmade necklaces she’d wear, Biu knew she’d found the perfect combination.

Nowadays, 15 percent of every Onyx Feather purchase is donated to the Invisible Children Legacy Scholarship Fund, which Biu picked for its use of creative methods to improve the lives of impoverished children in Uganda.

“They address not only a child’s immediate physical needs, but also his or her long-term needs,” says Biu of the education-based program. “That is how you change a community and help it to rebuild.”

We recently sat down with the bubbly, put-together do-gooder to discuss building a business in DC, local designers she loves, and jewelry essentials for every Washington woman. Read on for her insights.

This was a banner year for breaking the mold in DC fashion. Between the founding of the Capital Area Fashion and Beauty Blogger network and the launch of Refinery29’s DC branch, the Internet all of a sudden exploded with the fashionable adventures of women in Washington. After months of checking the blogs obsessively, we’ve rounded up our favorites from the year. Trust us—you’ll want to bookmark these right now. We expect big, stylish things from these women in 2012.

Who: Meg Biram, 28

The Blog: MIMI + MEG

Why We’re Fans: Biram brings a chic, polished eye—not to mention a major burst of color—to fashion, interiors, art, and trends. The former Hallmark card designer and current artist (check out her abstract paintings here) moved to Northern Virginia in April 2011, and we’re excited to see how she influences (and is influenced by) the area’s preppy, professionally focused style. New for Biram going into 2012: personal outfit posts (finally!) and entrepreneurial advice.

Where She Shops in Washington: “I can always count on Georgetown to steal money from my wallet. I frequent Wink, AllSaints, Cusp, Zara, Intermix, West Elm, and CB2.”

The Most Treasured Items in Her Wardrobe: “1) A chevron Diane von Furstenberg dress I bought for an important ceremony while my husband was in the Air Force. I cherish that dress. 2) A pair of Kate Spade wedges I received for hosting the launch party for the Kate Spade store in Kansas City. 3) A black leather Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. It was my first major purse purchase, and I don’t regret a dime of it.”

Style Advice She Swears By: “Only buy what you love. Then you’ll never have a hard time getting dressed.”

On Her Wish List: A Dannijo Lucas ring ($180).

In October 2009, Sydney Poulton decided on a whim to start a blog with her new husband, Tyson, as a way to document their life together and keep in touch with their families. But what began as a personal daily musing took off nationally when she began to showcase her own outfits.

“I was inspired by the street style photos from the Sartorialist and just figured, why not?” says Poulton. Though the rest of the posts never veered from discussions of her daily life, readership boomed once the blogosphere picked up on her impeccable style.

Two years later, and with 10,000-plus readers to boot, Poulton has created a part-time job for herself. Outside of her work as a photographer and time with her newborn son, Everett, Poulton puts in around 20 hours a week running her blog, the Daybook. Her most popular feature? The humorous Awkward and Awesome Thursday posts, which chronicle the embarrassing, peculiar, and laugh-out-loud-funny moments of her week. Awkward and Awesomes have become something of a phenomenon among bloggers, with upward of a thousand people replicating them on their own sites.

We recently caught up with the new Washington transplant (she moved to Northern Virginia in August) to find out the fashion must-haves that no Washingtonian should be caught without and how she thinks her blog will evolve in her new city. When Poulton waltzed in, looking effortlessly chic in her gingham button-down, faux-leather pants, red lips, and beachy waves, it was easy to see why readers from all over the world turn to this twentysomething for fashion inspiration.

For some women, no prouder moment exists than the post-breakup strut. Finally done shedding tears over that good-for-nothing ex, you shimmy into a stretchy little red number you inadvertently cried your way to fitting into, dab on some fresh lipstick, and proudly show off what you no longer care he’s missing. For former Annie Creamcheese partner Annie Lee, what’s even more satisfying is that in the middle of such a strut, she’s going head to head with her ex in the business world. With the late-March opening of her buzz-worthy Alexandria consignment house, Pretty People, the 34-year-old Rockville native says she’s ready to reclaim her stake in the Washington vintage scene.

Photograph by Chris Leaman.

Our September issue follows 19 of Washington’s most fashionable ladies and gents through a cool night out at the W Hotel. While the clothes do most of the talking in print, the Style Setters themselves get the last word online.

Who: Eric Felten, jazz singer and trombonist

Describe your style in ten words or less.
“A retro sensibility embracing the swing era and the Rat Pack.”

Favorite places to shop in Washington:
“The Polo store in Chevy Chase always has a great selection of suits cut in the late-’30s, Savile Row style. I get my suits tailored by Baytok in Georgetown. For casual clothes, I like Lacoste shirts, Brooks Brothers khakis, and Levi’s 501s.”

Fall gear you can’t wait to wear:
“A new navy-blue suit with an early-’60s, narrow-lapel Mad Men cut. Cut slim, with no break in the trousers, it’s both modern and vintage at the same time.”

Photograph by Chris Leaman.

Our September issue follows 19 of Washington’s most fashionable ladies and gents through a cool night out at the W Hotel. While the clothes do most of the talking in print, the Style Setters themselves get the last word online.

Who: Rockstar Diaries couple Naomi Davis, dance instructor and blogger, and husband, Josh, banking associate

Describe your style in ten words or less.
Naomi: “Vintage-inspired, colorful, classic.”
Josh: “Eclectic, pragmatic, varied, and not what it used to be.”

What do you love about your significant other’s look?
Naomi: “One of the first things I noticed about Josh was the way he dressed. I love that he has the confidence to wear things you never really see, and that he knows how to pair them with the appropriate shoes or blazer to make everything work. I’m glad I don’t have to ever worry about ‘dressing’ my guy.”
Josh: Naomi has a knack for color and matching different patterns. The way she dresses reflects her love of everything pretty, girly, and feminine.”