On July 29, 2016 at 6:30p.m. The Fashion Group International® of Greater Washington, DC, Inc. will present The Art of Buying with Ken Downing, Fashion Director & Senior VP of Neiman Marcus.
FGIDC Regional Director Elaine Mensah will lead an intimate discussion on the ins and outs of buying in the fashion industry with Ken Downing, the famed tastemaker who oversees women’s and men’s trends for Neiman Marcus, manages a team of fashion editors in the company’s New York office, and provides a vision for over 200 merchants on the season’s trends.
“Mr. Downing is widely recognized as one of the most influential personalities in fashion. We are so honored to host him and bring his energy and multi-faceted knowledge of the fashion industry to our members and the Washington DC area fashion professionals interested in joining our organization,” said FGIDC Director Elaine Mensah.
Downing rose through the ranks of Neiman Marcus after starting with the company in 1990 in the Visual department of the Beverly Hills store. His experience covers the worlds of visual display, public relations, buying and trend analysis. Downing is a graduate of Seattle Central College and The Fashion Institute of Technology and has a degree in apparel design.
The event will be held at a location to be announced before the event on Friday, July 29, 2016 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and is open to all at $25 for FGI Members and $40 for non-members. Downing has generously agreed to sit down with 4 FGI members & DC based designers for one-on-one discussion and collection review. Individuals interested in this opportunity can email rsvp@fgidc.org for more information on how to secure one of these coveted spots. For tickets and more information on The Art of Buying, visit fgidcxkendowning.eventbrite.
Haute Haus Agency hosts Rock the Runway DC, an original couture NY-Fashion Week preview of headlining designer Marchesa. Musical accompaniment to collections convey the aesthetic of a designer’s work in ways which presenting the collection on its own, cannot, so a live performance will be paired with the original runway production to artistically convey that creativity is style. Live music is now adding to the manifestation of runway; the shows of many major fashion houses now like concerts, its musicians their muse.
Guests will be presented with an original couture fashion show, live concert, Kendra Scott trunk show, two open bars, haute gift bags, and more. Proceeds benefit Music Unites, a 501(c)3 charity that supports music education around the world.
VIP guest: singer/songwriter Traci Braxton (Braxton Family Values) and hosts HeyFrase/FOX5 hosts Sarah Fraser and Samy K; live entertainment to be announced soon.
7 a.m., 8 a.m. Lattes with Lincoln
Get caffeinated with the 16th commander-in-chief and learn how legislation signed by Abraham
Lincoln during the Civil War is considered by many to be the birth of the National Park System!
Meet the park ranger at the kiosk at 10 Henry Bacon Drive (north of the memorial).
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Living National Park Service Emblem
Be a part of the world’s largest National Park Service emblem created on the grounds of the
Washington Monument on our 100th birthday! More than 1,000 participants will be assembled
into a living Arrowhead using brown, green and white umbrellas; once the Arrowhead is formed,
an aerial photograph will be taken and shared with participants on the National Mall and
Memorial Parks website and social media pages. The first 1,000 participants to check-in will
receive a t-shirt commemorating their participation in this historic event, as well as get to keep
their umbrella. Assemble at 9 a.m. on the west side of the Washington Monument grounds.
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Celebrate 100 Years with Music, Comedy and Beers
Join the National Park Service for a hip, high-energy evening program and beer garden featuring
live entertainment celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service. Comedian Ryan
Singer emcees a line-up that includes D.C. power pop band Jukebox the Ghost, Baltimore
alternative rock band The Last Year, and comedian Yoram Bauman. Enjoy refreshments in the
beer garden (21+ only). Gates open at 5 p.m., entertainment starts at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, September 17 from 8pm – 10pm, Shinola (1631 14th St NW) will partner with The Social Club Grooming Company to host an in-store ShopTalk event
Please note that though this event is public, an RSVP email to RSVP_DC@shinola.com
Just in time for this fall’s political cycle, piano-playing political satirist Mark Russell returns to Ford’s Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW) for one night only, Monday, September 19, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. With impeccable timing, twinkling eyes and shock-of-recognition insights into American politics, Russell draws from material ripped from daily headlines. Russell’s unique brand of comedy earned him the Mark Twain Award for political comedy and made him a popular favorite on PBS.
Tickets for An Evening with Mark Russell: I’m So Mad I Could Sing! range $18 to $67, and are available atwww.fords.org. This performance is recommended for ages 16 and older.
MARK RUSSELL
Long before Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Mark Russell dared to joke and sing about the often-absurd political process. Though he actually knew little about politics when he began performing, his ability to find humor in anything made him an immediate hit. After serving in the Marines, Russell began playing at a piano bar on Capitol Hill before he earned a 20-year stint at the Shoreham Hotel. Russell’s television credits include nearly 30 years on public television on the eponymous Mark Russell Comedy Specials. His composing credits include two children’s musicals for the Kennedy Center: Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe (premiered December 2009) and Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major (2006).
Reading three or four newspapers a day allows him to constantly update his material. The result is that no two shows are ever identical. “I thrive on newspapers,” he frequently states. “And it looks like I’ll be thriving longer than them.” Russell performs annually at colleges, conventions and theatres, including frequent visits to Ford’s Theatre. He and his wife live in Washington. Russell is the father of three and the grandfather of seven.
Ford’s Theatre Society
One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression.
The Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatregoing public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed “Big River” to the world premieres of “Meet John Doe,” “The Heavens Are Hung In Black,” “Liberty Smith,” “Necessary Sacrifices,” “The Widow Lincoln” and “The Guard,” Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. In the last decade, the mission of Ford’s Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, which opened in February 2012. Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, the Society is building Ford’s Theatre into a national destination for exploring Lincoln’s ideas and leadership principles and finding new ways to bring Lincoln’s legacy to life for the 21st-century learner.
- At this shopping party, you can score stylish handbags, shoes, apparel and more from coveted designers like Chloé, Valentino, Tibi, Maje, The Kooples, Derek Lam, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Oscar de la Renta and GANT—all at up to 80 percent off retail.
- While stocking up on fall’s hottest designer trends, enjoy award-winning SOTO sake.
- Be sure to leave your bag and jacket at home to skip the coat-check line. Then, head straight through the FastPass entrance to navigate the constantly replenished racks.
- Stay hydrated while power shopping with organic iced tea refreshments from the Pure Leaf Tea House Collection.
- At this shopping party, you can score stylish handbags, shoes, apparel and more from coveted designers like Chloé, Valentino, Tibi, Maje, The Kooples, Derek Lam, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Oscar de la Renta and GANT—all at up to 80 percent off retail.
- While stocking up on fall’s hottest designer trends, enjoy award-winning SOTO sake.
- Be sure to leave your bag and jacket at home to skip the coat-check line. Then, head straight through the FastPass entrance to navigate the constantly replenished racks.
- Stay hydrated while power shopping with organic iced tea refreshments from the Pure Leaf Tea House Collection.
On Monday, September 26, 2016 at 6:30p.m. The Fashion Group International® of Greater Washington, DC, Inc. will be hosting a fall/winter trend presentation and meet the press event at the American Institute of Architects.
FGIDC will present the Fashion Group International’s curated trend presentation followed by a conversation with the city’s fashion editors, writers, and digital influencers on the seasons trends and how to communicate with them about your brand, product, or service.
Panelists will include:
- Stephanie Green – WWD
- Suzy Jacobs – Capitol File Magazine
- Catherine Trifiletti – Washington Life Magazine
- Holly Pan – Petite Flower Presents
Attendees will take away inspiration and valuable tips on which trends to invest in this season. From runway to real world, the best bets for fall include: AthLuxury, gender free clothing, oversized coats, and Maximalist prints and patterns.
Tickets cost $20 for FGI members and $35 for non-members. For more information, RSVP, and purchase tickets, please visithttp://www.fgidc.org/. Attendees will enjoy a cocktail hour viewing of the FGI trend presentation video, followed by the media panel.
