Support Local Business in March!

Posted on March 10, 2008
Filed Under Around Town, Only in Washington, Shopping Events & News, Think Runway...Shop Beltway | 1 Comment

I’m pasting in an entire release I got from Jackie Flanagan over at the boutique Nana on U Street announcing the birthdays of several great local stores. I hope everyone will consider how important it is to build local relationships by buying locally. Small shops and the creative minds who own them are a big part of what’s making Washington’s art & fashion scene take off….

Beating most small business odds, several businesses in the Logan Circle/U Street business community are celebrating their five-year anniversaries in March.

So much so, that several of these businesses and others born in the Logan Circle/U Street communities have expanded to other neighborhoods and cities. Logan Hardware has sprouted four more locations, the newest to open in June at 5th & K St. NW, Pulp has opened a sister store in Provincetown, MA and Pop expanded to Brooklyn, NY.

The District Sample Sale Keeps on Giving

Posted on September 19, 2007
Filed Under Only in Washington, Shopping Events & News, Think Runway...Shop Beltway | Leave a Comment

Didn’t make it to the DSS this year, or just couldn’t deal with the chaos? Check out the following stores for extended DSS sales!

Caramel:
Check out the Sample Sale rack: cute summer pieces by Marisa K and Nu Paris, as well as hip fall suits for work by Donna and Wendy Hill, all marked down 40% – 75%.
1603 U Street NW, Washington

Daisy:
All clearance merchandise: $5 to $50 until the end of the month!
4940 St. Elmo Avenue, Bethesda

Maggie & Lola:
DSS pricing continues Friday & Saturday: select 50% off fall and 70% off summer items!
1013 E Street SE, Washington

My Sister’s Closet: Two Full Racks at 75% off! Dresses, tanks, tops, sweaters, blazers & more!
111 Church Street, Suite 203, Vienna, Virginia

Proper Topper:
Save an additional 20% off all sale clothing for the next week, plus Proper Topper will donate 10% to Miriam’s House!
1350 Connecticut Avenue NW
3213 P Street NW, Washington

Queen Bee:
Extending wholesale prices for DSS shoppers through the end of October! Mention code DSS for discount.

Sassanova:
Mention the DSS at the register and take 20% off of your next purchase, now through October 3! 1641 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington

Zelaya:
Buy one pair, take 75% off; buy a second pair and get 80% off both!
4940 St. Elmo Avenue, Bethesda

The Spring 2007 date is not yet set, but the ladies of the DSS will be hosting events between now and then! If you attended this season’s event, you’re on their email list, but if you didn’t make it, contact them at info@districtsamplesale.com to put yourself on one of the hottest fashion lists in the District!

The District Sample Sale: Dashing of the Doyennes

Posted on August 8, 2007
Filed Under Around Town, Only in Washington, Shopping Events & News, Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | 10 Comments

Ladies, start scraping the change from the between the sofa cushions.

The Fall District Sample Sale is back, and if the Spring event was any indicator, the event on September 12 from 6-9 p.m. is going to be HUGE.

WHAT: The Fall 2007 District Sample Sale: Think SoHo/TriBeCa warehouse event meets Super Saturday. Local boutiques set up booths with their end-of-season and fall-preview items at insanely fantastic prices; local fashionistas of all ages and social strata leave with that contented I-scored-a-Phillip-Lim-dress-on-the-cheap-and-did-something-good-for-charity glow.

WHEN: September 12 from 6-9 p.m. at 3307 M Street (the old Staples space) in Georgetown.

HOW/COST: Tickets go on sale August 23 at 10:00 a.m. $40 gets you a general admission ticket before the event (show up to get in the line early), $55 gets you in the evening-of (but it’ll probably be sold out), $100 guarantees you a coveted VIP pass that lets you and 99 other savvy shoppers into the sale a full hour early, as well as a couture goodie bag and limited-edition tee. They’re only issuing 100 passes. WORTH IT.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK: Read up on the Spring event here and here. Catherine Andrews (accompanied by a somewhat overwhlemed male colleague) also had a great report.

WHY: All event profits will be donated to Miriam’s House, the Washington-based organization that provides shelter and assistance to women infected with HIV and their families. The first two events yielded $10,000 (Fall 2006, Suited for Change) and $11,400 (Spring 2007, S.O.M.E. Place for Kids).
…And because you want to get your photo taken, meet some of the most fashionable women in the city, and fill your closet with gorgeous clothes.

EXTRA AWESOME: Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton will spin during the VIP hour–hot. Occasions Catering (only one of the best caterers in the city) will fill our bellies like they did last year; this year they’ll be joined by local faves Nage, Morton’s, and M Street Renaissance. Bare Foot Cellars will provide wine & Snow Queen Vodka will be on hand with vodka that quite frankly tastes like magic.

See you there….and hands off my Loeffler Randalls.

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Bailey, Mid-City Thursdays

Posted on July 19, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway | 5 Comments

If you’re planning to head over to the U Street/Adams Morgan area after work today for the Mercedes Bien Vintage event (which may be insanely crowded since the Post’s DC Scout picked it up on Tuesday), you might also wanna take advantage of the sales going on for Mid-City Thursdays…EVERY Thursday! As Supporter of Small Business points out, big chains have the money to quash small businesses and remove much-needed character from our fair city. So if you want to own unique items at fair prices and support cool indie boutiques, you should know about Third Thursdays.

Shopping locally is sort of the point of Think Runway Shop Beltway anyway….so if you’re a local designer or shop owner, I hope you’ll drop me a line!

Speaking of independent designers….
PB friend Bailey Handbags is offering PB readers a 30% discount (enter discount code SHOPBAILEY at checkout) through the end of July on her line of leather clutches, hobos, satchels & totes. I love the James Satchel in Midnight, and the Parker Tote looks like the perfect work-to-play bag (it’s currently sold out, but if you contact designer Lauren Bailey directly, I bet she can make you happy).

BAILEY
Use code SHOPBAILEY
Through July 31

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Unsung Designers Goes Patriotic for Charity

Posted on June 28, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | Leave a Comment

Limited Edition Circa63 Lucite Bangles, $80 (100% of proceeds to charity)
Available at Unsung Designers online here or go visit in person silly (look for the light pink, recently tagged, doors in the alley). If you’ve never been, you’re missing out on some of the best merch in DC.

Unsung Designers
2412 18th Street NW
Rear Door A
Washington, D.C. 20009
202.234.1788 or 202.528.9525

SUPPORT INDIE-PENDENCE!!
Starting today, local indie-design mecca Unsung Designers will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of a special limited edition collection of Circa 63 vintage Lucite bangles to the
Fisher House Foundation, which supports America’s military families during times of medical emergency. Unsung Owners Grace Wang & Alishia Frey have teamed up with local designer Danielle Insetta of Circa 63 to offer the red white & blue bangles, were created for fashion labels such as Trifari and Diane
von Furstenberg in the mid-70s.

…And congrats to Jesse Walker of REALM, a Think Runway, Shop Beltway veteran who’s jewelry is now being sold at Unsung.

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Kickballers

Posted on June 22, 2007
Filed Under Men, Think Runway...Shop Beltway | 3 Comments

Sorry I couldn’t get this up yesterday….

So, Kickballers and I got to talking right after they saw that I had posted this. After talking to those kids that day and then hearing what partner Neran had to tell me about his soon-to-open M Street store (former Smash! space, dangerously close to Annie Creamcheese), I was eager to know more about streetwear clothes. Really, streetwear is a huge market that deserves major industry props—for its cusumers’ buying power alone. It’s a whole segment within the industry with a highly coveted demographic as its customers: young dudes. And if you can crack what it is that young guys want (sex? intricately detailed custom skateboards?–why, yes!) and not just sell it to them but create a whole “lifestyle” around it’s products, then you are a Golden God.

Can you tell I studied PR…?

Beyond that though, the clothing is inventive and everything is art-based and has this playful mood; so much so that toys have become a big part of the genre, and I can love any style of clothing that embraces toys. I could also love a company that embraces naps. Below: a bunch of looks from Kickballers, a Q&A with Carlo, one of the partners, and me trying to look like a badass.

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