Author Archives: Kendal Gapinski

The American University Public Relations Student Society of America held ProFASHIONal, a fashion show, on Tuesday night in the Tavern that featured professional fashions chosen and modeled by students.

Continue reading “AU PRSSA Holds Fashion Event”

CRYSTAL CITY – Crystal Couture, a weeklong fashion event and trunk sale in Crystal City, returned this year from Feb. 5-9, bringing together more than 80 of the Washington D.C., area’s fashion boutiques and designers in a vacant office space in downtown Crystal City, Va.

“It is a runway show, a trunk sale, a time to sip and shop and save in a really cool venue that you might not expect,” said Angela Fox, chief executive of the Crystal City Business Improvement District, which runs the event. “People can come with their friends, sip a little wine, shop and enjoy the runway at the same time. It’s a really creative way to showcase Crystal City and make fashion fun,” she said.

Unlike traditional Fashion Weeks, Crystal Couture featured a non-stop rectangular runway, as well as a “high-end trunk sale” where local boutiques and larger retailers were able to sell their products at discounted prices. This event, which was held over five days from 6-10 p.m. every night, just two weeks before D.C. Fashion Week.

Events like Crystal Couture are helping to market The District as a more fashionable city. As the region continues to grow and expand, more people are moving here for things other than politics and business.

“I think it sort of a natural progression as the city evolves away from politics. The food scene is really growing, the art scene is growing and all of these things are growing together to give us a fuller city,” said Philippa Hughes, a emcee at Crystal Couture and chief creative contrarian at the Pink Line Project.  “All of these things are working hand-in-hand to give us a better city. It’s more attractive to people. It offers more than just a Capitol Hill job,” she said.

In its fifth year, Crystal Couture was held in a vacant office building that featured a 400 foot wraparound runway that highlighted the top floor windows of the office building in downtown Crystal City. This continues a tradition of the Crystal City BID showcasing unique, empty spaces according to Fox.

“The DC area has such talented local creatives,” said Kate Michael, a host of Crystal Couture. “I love seeing their visions come alive on the runway.  And this year, that runway was over 400 feet, circling the entire floor of the building.  How cool is that?,” she said.

While models were showing off the latest fashions, makeup and hair, makeovers were being done by local organizations such as the Paul Mitchell The School Tyson’s Corner and Makeup by Mauridi. The majority of the retailers at the event hailed from the metro area. So the fashion was tailored to the needs of locals.

“The kinds of dresses we were seeing and the ones that caught my eye were the ones that embrace the fact that we do live in a place where you can’t just go super crazy with fashion,” said Hughes. “The designs added creativity to something you could still wear to work and feel comfortable,” she said.

Compared to previous years, this year’s Crystal Couture stood out for its large space and runway that models walked continually for the full four hours, with five minute breaks in between different shows. Fox says the event has grown considerably, and that more than 4,000 people attending the event this year.

In addition to the various designers, the fashion event was hosted by local personalities such as  Karen Sommer Shalett of D.C. Magazine, former Miss D.C. Kate Michael and Hughes, who has hosted the event for three years now.

As the district’s fashion scene continues to grow the event will too, says Fox, who added that even after the event ended Saturday the Crystal City BID began talking about plans for next year.

“Part of the job of the BID is to transform way people think about Crystal City area and showcase the market for new retailers, and show how easy it is for people to get here,” said Fox.  “People can walk away from the event and think ‘Wow that was really cool, I wonder what else they do,’” she said.

Kendal Gapinski
Advanced Reporting

Sarah Zlotnick comes rushing into the hip Filter coffee shop in Dupont Circle. She marches down the concrete steps, walks over to the coffee counter asking the young barista for his recommendation. The shabby-chic young man dressed in a black t-shirt and thick black framed glasses slowly starts discussing the benefits of the various beans from Kenya and Columbia. After listening for a minute, Zlotnick decides to just stick with a latte, walks over to the high chair next to the counter, throws down her bag and stack of Washingtonian magazines. It’s clear she’s a little frazzled.

Continue reading “Hard work pays off for Washingtonian Fashion Editor”

Sitting in Capitol Auditorium on Tenley campus I waited with a room full of students to hear Bob Schieffer speak about his career in political journalism. Shuffling in our seats, we began hearing whispers among some of the professors that Bob Shieffer had canceled. It wasn’t until our professor, Iris Krasnow, explained the situation that we heard the big news.

Continue reading “Publicity problems for U.S.”

Hannah Gapinski rolls over in bed and slams the snooze button on her alarm. It’s Saturday and much too early for most 18-year-olds. But she drudges out of bed and slips on some comfy black leggings, a hot pink tank top and oversized Millersville University sweatshirt. She hops in her car and heads to a strip mall outside of Lancaster, Pa. Parking outside of The Training Löfte, she pops her trunk and grabs her yoga mat and block. Once inside, she meets up with her yoga instructor, a woman in her mid-40s, and the two begin opening stretches.

Continue reading “Trauma survivors find comfort in Yoga”

Walking into Kramerbooks, Thomas Kloiber stops and takes a look around. Greeted by the front cashier, Kloiber moves from shelf to shelf, checking out the biography section then moving to history then yet again to travel. Sliding past other customers in the small aisles, he stops at a small bookshelf label staff picks. Skimming over the wall of novels, he begins pulling book after book off of the shelves, reading the back covers.

Continue reading “Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe and Grill”

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney smiled and smooth talked his way to a win at the Presidential debate last Wednesday night. He looked calm and poised, like a high school quarterback ready to win, attacked President Obama every chance possible and somehow managed to turn vague statements into a political “win”.

Continue reading “Obama sits back while Romney attacks”

The North Carolina Press Association recently admitted Carolina Public Press into its membership. It is the first online nonprofit news service in Western North Carolina to be accepted.

Continue reading “Carolina Public Press Becomes First Online Member of NC Press Association”

Good Charlotte always reminds me of the smell of birthday cake. Just like Reliant K brings me back to warm May afternoon, singing and dancing in the grass at a concert with Becky.

Continue reading “Life’s musical journey”