#1 Fashion & Beauty Event
Emceed by fashion expert and general cut-up Carson Kressley, the 11th annual fashion show for dogs again brought 1,000 attendees to the Grand Hyatt and raised $400,000 for the Humane Rescue Alliance. Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins, as well as other professional athletes from local teams, walked with the canines. Audi was the event’s top sponsor, while Design Foundry created the runway and the event decor. CityCenterDC sponsored the men’s clothing, while the women’s outfits were provided by a host of stores and designers including Lilly Pulitzer. The dogs were outfitted by Anthony Rubio Designs, Emily Abril, Mallory Debenedetto, Pet Elegance, Custom Dog Jackets, and Vladlena Design. Next: May 5, 2018
#2 Fashion & Beauty Event
Celebrating the city’s nine most fashionable men and women, named in its September issue, Washingtonian held a bash September 2 at the Showroom. Honorees and their guests were joined by past award winners, fashion bloggers, retailers, and the media. Whispering Angel provided the backdrop for a GIF photo booth by Booth-o-Rama, as well as rose, while Relish Catering produced the evening’s food. Highway to Hill Flowers outfitted bars and tables with pastel florals, and Mixing Maryland entertained guests with lively music. Attendees were able to touch up their makeup at an interactive Lip Bar by Sanctuary Cosmetic Center. Social Supply handled the decor, bringing in a waterfall chandelier and dramatic pink and purple uplighting by John Farr Lighting. Next: Fall 2018
#3 Fashion & Beauty Event
Held in February and September, the fashion week schedule this year was reduced from five days to four, but that didn’t stop crowds from coming. Attendance rose to more than 3,500 guests, with more than 100 designers and brands featured. An Instagram account was started this year, and new countries that took part in the shows included Estonia and New Zealand. Menswear collections, plus-size fashions, and emerging designers were consolidated into one show, called the Emerging Designers Showcase. The September edition included the Eco Fashions & Next/Gen Fashion Show, for which 14 fashion students created clothing from recyclable materials or by methods not harmful to the environment. Next: February 22-25, 2018
#4 Fashion & Beauty Event
Retail complex Bethesda Row made its annual Front Row fashion show into a more interactive experience June 10 and renamed the event. The lively gathering included activations such as lip-print readings, a bracelet toss that offered a bracelet as a prize, temporary tattooing, a sketch artist who drew fashion-oriented pictures—including of guests’ pets—and more. Welcoming about 600 guests, event producers were BrandLinkDC and Bethesda Row, a property of Federal Realty Investment Trust. A total of 30 retailers and restaurants from the complex participated. Design Foundry handled decor, DJ Alkimist served up music, and UrbanStems provided flowers. Organizers sought to “emphasize experiences, for everyone from kids to adults,” said a rep for the event. Next: Summer 2018
