After two years at the Carnegie Library, Fashion Fights Poverty, a runway show and fund-raiser promoting ethical reform within the fashion industry, made the move to the St. Regis hotel on Friday for its fourth annual incarnation. "We thought it would be a different touch, more intimate and more private,” said Kadrieka Maiden, director of communications for the Style & Image Network, which produced the sold-out evening. Cutting the guest list from last year’s 500 guests to 250 also gave the night a more exclusive feel, Maiden said. (Last year's show topped the fashion and beauty category in our 2008 ranking of Washington's Top 100 Events.)
This year the event focused on a dual mission: to spotlight designers who are committed to principles of social responsibility, eco-sustainability, and community development; and to benefit NEST, a nonprofit that provides micro-loans to female artisans in developing countries.
Although the event was smaller than last year's incarnation, Maiden aimed to garner more publicity than in years past by enlisting actress Parker Posey to co-host with Fox-5 news anchor Will Thomas. The pair mingled with guests during the reception, where Posey tried on jewelry from vendors and even donned the baubles during the fashion show.
Title sponsor Glacéau Smartwater outfitted the hotel’s Astor Ballroom with a sleek lounge featuring white couches and glowing blue cube tables. A custom-designed ice bar provided Smartwater bottles during the pre-show reception and silent auction, while Tommy Bahama offered samples of drinks like the "Goldentini," made from Golden Sun rum and sweet tea.
Held in a tent outside in the St. Regis courtyard, the fashion show featured a white fabric-covered runway and clothing from five designers, including dresses by Annatarian and Adele Wechsler’s dramatic, hand-beaded wedding gowns. After the approximately 90-minute show, guests headed to Lotus Lounge for the after-party, toting gift bags loaded with products like L'Oréal Professional hair styling cream, Green Works dish soap and a scarf from D.C. designer Moojoo Ken. (In fact, the bags were so overloaded, the bottoms ripped out when picked up off the damp tent floor. The bags were recyclable, “but they are not waterproof,” FFP creative director Michael Dumlao warned the crowd. Fortunately, planners were able to distribute extra bags so guests could haul their swag home.
