• home
• About

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: On Lokation

Posted on June 21, 2007
Filed Under Men, Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | 4 Comments

Latino Royalty T-shirt, $78
Dekker cotton/linen jacket, $114 (marked down from $228!)
Model’s own jeans & shoes

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: I realize that the guys get somewhat neglected here at Project Beltway, so today for Think Runway, Shop Beltway I’ll feature a bunch of men’s looks from two different stores. I’ll also add a thing or two for the ladies though too, because I just can’t help myself.

I took Dominic, my “male model” over to On Lokation this past weekend, which is right above the 14U Cafe (fantastic coffee & comfy chairs at the intersection of 14th & U…duh). Owner Kellie Crawford stocks the showroom with gorgeous men’s and women’s clothing & accessories–stuff you won’t find anywhere else in the city. I’ve mentioned On Lokation before and I’ve been to a few of Kellie’s events; her showroom is still slightly under-the-radar and I almost hate to let the cat out of the bag. I couldn’t let Dominic have all the fun while we were there; I decided I couldn’t part with a gorgeous top from Israeli designer Lia Kes.

If you all decide to drop in, Kellie’s offering 10% off to PB readers.

Lots more, including my favorite look & something for the ladies, after the jump….
Read more

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Nana

Posted on June 7, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | 2 Comments

Lauren Webb is a 23 year-old DC resident who leads a style double life. She spends her workweeks in a cubicle on the first floor of the Navy Annex building, where uninspired pants, blouses and sensible shoes are the norm. However, on the weekday evenings and on the weekends, Webb needs to dress for an entirely separate set of stylistic expectations. As an assistant stylist to Margaret Lilly of Lilly’s Closet, Webb’s look can’t be boring. Especially on days where she’ll go straight from work to a shopping event (there are bound to be at least two “trunk shows” on any given Thursday in DC), she has to dress to do double-duty: look appropriate for work, but still fun and stylish for happy hour. It’s the dilemma of many a young female professional in Washington.

Enter Nana. Tucked into a sunny townhouse on the ever-expanding U Street corridor (the charming boutique is where you’ll find Manager Sarah Spies. A former “office drone” for the Coast Guard, Spies is familiar with the corporate office-to-happy hour dilemma, so she and owner Jackie Flanagan stock the space with clothes that meet that “cute-but-appropriate” criteria.

Suits at Nana are more the exception than the rule: “If we carry suit pieces, we’ll make sure they have some special details, like polka-dot trim or a vintage-styled collar,” said Spies. Generally speaking, if you’re looking for something sleek or slinky, Nana may not be for you. But for unique items wearable for work or play, Nana is a good bet. The store carries mostly cheerfully feminine separates, a well-edited selection of jewelry and bags, and a small rack of vintage clothing; Spies is a whiz at helping put it all together. Below, a few of her favorite styles for work or good, clean fun…and one LWD (little white dress) to rock all summer long.

Georgie skirt, Handcut by Preloved, $119
LA Made shirt, $30
Dirty Martini bag, Magnes Sisters, $300
Pieces of a Girl necklace, similar pieces available (this one has since sold out)

Canadian line Preloved makes the old new again by transforming a vintage trench into a high-waisted skirt. The look is at once youthful and sophisticated. Lauren points out that “the skirt accentuates my assets, but not too much,” and Sarah says that it’s got “the perfect mix of professional polish and sassy glamour. I think you could pair the skirt with most any top in your closet and you’d be ready for work.”

Read more

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Catherine Rapetti at Apres Peau

Posted on May 17, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway | 10 Comments

Every time I stop in to Apres Peau, there is something new to lust over. Owner Tina Alster (who was on The Daily Show a few nights ago btw) and partner-in-crime Liberty Jones have taken boutiques in Washington to a whole new level (“D.C.’s answer to Colette or Takashimaya” as Daily Candy put it). A witty take on Alster’s profession and gift-giving, the shop’s name is just as creative as it’s offerings.

The airy Hugh Newell Jacobsen-designed space is stocked with items that are often exclusive to the store or otherwise hard-to-find. With all of this fabulousness, you might assume that everything in the store is out of your price range. Not so. I recently did a double-take with the price tag on the men’s travel items from Rowallan, a Scottish leather goods desginer, and an of-the-moment acrylic pitcher from French line Murval priced at a mere $25.

Handbags like this tote from Catherine Rapetti have been flying off the shelves at Apres Peau. This smart canvas-and-leather tote has convenient zippered sections and is the perfect city-to-beach item.

Regularly priced at $330, Project Beltway readers can snag the tote for $295. And it just keeps getting better: stop into the store anytime, mention Project Beltway, and receive a free gift with any purchase!

…So, if you haven’t paid a visit to the store yet, now would be an apropos time, don’t you think?!

Apres Peau
1430 K Street, NW
202-783-0022
www.aprespeau.com

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Ayanna

Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Shopping Events & News, Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | 1 Comment

Yellow Chain necklace
Ayanna
Available at Lettie Gooch & The National Building Museum
Items range from $42-$350

Admit it, your jewelry routine is in a rut: you wear that same set of safe pearl studs every day, and your Tiffany & Co. bean necklace is cute, but so it every other girl’s in the office. Think outside of the jewelry box with a gorgeous new necklace made from–believe it or not–paper! Using a hand-rolling technique passed down by her Trinidadian great-grandmother, local designer Dana Ayanna Greaves painstakingly crafts each bold, colorful piece. The process can take days. “There are a lot of steps involved when going from a piece of paper to a durable high-quality piece of jewelry,” she said. Half Trinidadian, half Barbadian, Greaves lists the music and culture of India, China, Africa, and the Caribbean Islands as influences. “A lot of my pieces are considered exotic chic,” said Greaves.

Greaves’s pieces rarely go on sale, but she will be discounting some current and past season items at tonight’s Femme Fete event. Go and get your hands on select Ayanna jewelry from 20-60% off, shoes from PB fave Gigi Favela, Ananas bags, Peroni beer, and Sweet Treats from Shoe Box Oven.

Femme Fete Spring Suite
Numark Gallery
TONIGHT, 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.
$35 (yes, you can use plastic) at the door, must be 21+

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Kathlin Argiro

Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Shopping Events & News, Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | Leave a Comment

Hulda dress, vintage floral organza, $350
Kathlin Argiro

Designer Kathlin Argiro’s design philosophy is simple: pretty is always in style. It’s always appropriate. This may be why women like Katie Couric and What Not to Wear’s Stacy London have been seen in her dresses, which are unabashedly feminine. Women in Washington tend to like to look appropriate and preferably loaded; Argiro’s brocade suit-pieces definitely achieve that. Argiro’s designs have been featured in Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, In Style, and The Washington Post. While many of Argiro’s dresses cater to the bridal market (lots and lots of satin ribbon sashes…), some of her ready-to-wear pieces are really stunning; probably even more so in person.

Take a look at Argiro’s Spring 2007 line this Friday and Saturday, when the Potomac Partners townhouse will host Argiro in an open house on the Hill (210 D Street SE, between 2nd & 3rd Sts.). Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m; Saturday 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

check back later for another Think Runway, Shop Beltway post…

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: A Whole New REALM

Posted on April 26, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway | 4 Comments

Clear Quartz & Lapis Pin Choker
$100

Double Strand Pearl Pin Necklace. A badass take on the pearls-and-cardigans uniform.
$40

Aventurine & Wood Stretch Bracelet, $40 and Ring, $15

Local REALM designer Jesse Walker is all over the city, literally: formally trained at FIT, the multitalented designer sells his jewelry at Eastern Market, creates the exclusive pillow line for Apartment Zero downtown, and recently teamed up with Lori Parkerson of the darkly hip Redeem on 14th Street for an exclusive line of jewelry. Oh and he was @ STYLEistics the other night. Pics from that tomorrow I promise!!

It’s easy to see why Parkerson chose REALM: the designs are often ironic and edgy twists on classic looks. Walker takes classically beautiful semi-precious stones and other traditional jewelry components & mixes them with modern, industrial elements like steel ball chain and kilt pins. “My work is about contrasts,” says Walker. “I’m always amazed at how new and fresh certain materials can look, when taken out of their traditional contexts, and mixed with the unexpected.” Walker takes his inspiration from the great cities of the world and well as seventies & eighties punk style, and the overall effect is incredibly textural and surprisingly pretty. Walker sees Washington as beginning to break out of its style mold: “DC style has come a long way in the past few years. I still find it frustratingly conservative much of the time, but it’s definitely getting better. It’s exciting that it’s kind of up and coming in that way. It means there are lots of possibilities.”

REALM by Jesse Walker
Online, at Redeem and Eastern Market.

« go back — keep looking »

Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Queen Bee

Posted on April 12, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | 2 Comments

Rock quartz “Eleanor”
$190
Queen Bee Designs

It’s clear that for women, one of Spring’s hottest trends is more about hat you can’t see than what you can: see-through bags, acrylic bangles and yes…clear heels. Apparently they’re not just for strippers anymore.

It’s not likely that many women in Washington can pull off the clear-heel thing, but we can still give a nod to the trend with a gorgeous rock quartz necklace from local jewelry maven Allison Priebe Brooks of Queen Bee Design. Washingtonians including Ana Marie Cox, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Laura Bush all own Queen Bee pieces. “Everyone from interns to first ladies can wear–and afford–my designs,” said Brooks, a former Hill staffer.

Get in on the trend THIS weekend, when Brooks will host a trunk show and sale at her “hive” in Alexandria. Expect steep discounts (umm…EVERYTHING at wholesale price…including the “Eleanor,” above), hors d’ourves and bubbly. RSVP here.

« go back — keep looking »