Aidah Fontenot on The District Dish

Designer Aidah Fontenot of Aidah Collection not only celebrated her 1 year anniversary of being in business in the District last Wednesday at L2 in Cady’s Alley, but she is also our latest guest on The District Dish.  Watch as Aidah dishes with hosts Kate Michael, Ebong Eka and me about how she got started, her upcoming men’s line, and for whom she designs.

Thanks for watching!

Note:  We are now on a new summer schedule.  Thursday we’ll have a new webisode up for you instead of Wednesday.

Amuse Bouche

March is Women Celebration Month and just like women like to change their minds, they also like to dine in style.  Thank you to Zena Polin for sending this to the Punch:

As part of Women Celebration Month, The French International Culinary Society (FICS) is hosting a lovely event. The FICS is an exclusive membership organization dedicated to preserving the traditions of quality in the French culinary arts, through education and professional development. Members include most of Washington’s most famous French chefs.

Friday, March 20, 2009
The Washington Club
15 Dupont Circle
Washington DC
7 PM – 10 PM

Join us for an elegant cocktail evening as we celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women. Meet other professionals and gastronomes as we recognize business leaders and philanthropic women who have contributed to their community.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and seasonal specialties from up and coming chefs, specialty cocktails, open bar, Champagne, music, shopping from local women fashion leaders and a silent auction to benefit the Washington DC chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a women’s foodservice organization that award grants and scholarship for women in the Washington, DC area.

Ticket Price: $ 75 members  -  $ 85 non-members
Your ticket for the soiree includes:
elegant hors d’oeuvres and seasonal specialties by up-and-coming chefs of the nation’s capital
music
shopping from local women fashion leaders
a luxury silent auction
Champagne, specialty cocktails and open bar

Event sponsors:
French International Culinary Society
The Washington Club
Style & Image Network (Kadrieka Maiden of SIN PR will be on Monday’s The District Dish!)
Les Dames D’Escoffier
Moet Hennessy Champagne & Sparkling Wines
Sterling Vintner’s Collection
Johnnie Walker
Emperor’s Vodka
The Mayflower Floral Decorators
1 West Dupont Circle
Belabumbum Lingerie
Aidah Collection
UNDP USA

FOR MORE INFO AND PURCHASE CLICK HERE TO GO TO: www.FICSevents.com

Fashion Takes Flight – February 25th

While I am sorry to miss this as I will be attending the Denyce Graves performance at the Kennedy Center and after concert reception, I wanted to make sure folks knew about this upcoming fashion fundraiser since it’s for a great cause and because Kate Michael is the Mistress of Ceremonies.  

"FASHION TAKES FLIGHT," a fashion show to benefit Luke’s Wings will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at L2 Lounge.

Washington fashion takes flight as we salute our armed services and raise money to bring a little piece of home to the wounded while recuperating at military medical centers.

Local celebrities, including Kate Marie Grinold- "Ms. DC," Paul Wharton, Tony Hudgins, Katherine Kennedy, Angie Goff, Redskins and former Redskins Cheerleaders and members of the armed services, will walk the runway in a one of a kind fashion event showcasing the spring and summer collections of Washington designers and boutiques.

Admission: $25 tax deductible donation if pre-purchased, or $35 if purchased at the door. The evening’s events will include a silent auction, raffle, and a designer sale. Hors d’oeuvres and L2 drink specials will be served.

Details:

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m
L2 Lounge
3307 Cady’s Alley NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20007. 202-965-2001

Featured designers include:

26 Designs Clothing – Aidah Collection – B.Jolee
Designs – Bea Couture Shoes – Bonobos – Christina Sochacki Jewelry -Dakota Martin – Evelyn Brooks – Ginger- Hu’s Shoes – Lacey K Shoes – Mervis Diamond Importers – Mi Chiamo Eka – Queen Bee Designs – Rochelle Behrens Collection – Sherman Pickey – Southern Proper – Tucker Blair – Urban Chic – We One You Two – Wink Boutique – Ying Edge.

Master of Ceremonies: Kate Michael of K Street Kate

Host Committee: Fletcher Gill, Sarah Wingfield, Nicole Siobal, Sasha Horne, Ebong Eka, Chris Rager, Paul Gazzardos, Eric Lund, Shana Schwartz, Erika Gutierrez, Makeda Saggau- Sackey, Andrea Van Dell, Brecke Latham, Sam Sanders, Heather Soule, Tanya Good, Jeff Chiang, Charles Paret, Alicia Lewis, Katie Rutherford, Amy Araya and Michelle Yi.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Simply visit the website at www.lukeswings.org and make a donation of $25 or more and your name will be added to the guest list.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday wishes go to a whole pack’o folks:  Abigail Swetz, Chris Berry and Paul Duning share my birthdate of the 11th, so happy belated to them.  Also last week was Robert Dyer, John Galligan, Amanda Walke, A. Dennis Baxter II, and Kathy Hooban.  This coming week we wish Aidah Fontenot, Allison Priebe Brooks, Camelia Mazard, Jennifer Barrett, Steve Case, and Paola Domenge a very Happy Birthday.

Stop Traffick with Fashion! Re-cap

Thank you to all who made it to last night’s “Stop Traffick with Fashion!” event at Lima.  It was quite a great success with a fabulous turnout.  I was honored to be a part of such a great cause and with such elite company (Beverly Kirk from Newschannel 8, Miss DC 2008 Kate Marie Grinold, Donna Rice Hughes, President of Enough is Enough; Deborah Sigmund of Innocents at Risk, and all the other fantastic folks who came out to support Charity Network Inc through buying tickets or sponsorship).

The fashion show was a hit and the models were gorgeous.  I personally saw  several designs I’d love to purchase and I am pretty sure Kate Grinold was eyeing a few hot numbers.  It would not have been such a well executed event if it hadn’t been for MC Natalie Buford-Young (Rainfield Group) and the co-Chairs:

Ingrid Mendoza
AMERICAN SYSTEMS Corporation
Dipika Bhagat Ahluwalla
First Trust Title & Escrow, LLC
Sakshi Bhagat
Keane, Inc.

Thanks to everyone again for your hard work to make last night happen and of course, to Lavika Bhagat Singh, who runs Charity Network Inc so that we can stop the horrible crime of child trafficking. 

(All photo credit: Pat Ryan, www.ryanphoto.com – above, local designer Aidah Fontenot with Kate Marie Grinold; all others, various look from the red carpet runway)

Stop Traffick with Fashion! Tickets still available

Don’t forget to purchase your spot at the Stop Traffick with Fashion! event on Wednesday June 25th at Lima on K Street.

There are still tickets available, but they are going quickly.  This will be a great event to attend because not only will you be supporting Charity Network Inc, a non-profit which is fighting against child trafficking, but you will also help in advocating some very talented local designers.  Another noteworthy piece of information is that the platform Kate Marie Grinold (Miss District of Columbia 2008) is bringing to the Miss America Organization is human trafficking.  That is how prevalent this topic is becoming.  We are excited to have Miss DC 2008’s interest for this event.

(Pictured above: Miss DC Kate Marie Grinold and below: Beverly Kirk, Guest MC)

Details below:

Join News Channel 8’s Beverly Kirk and prominent Washington area business leaders as they gather to raise awareness for and support of victims of local child trafficking, in the DC/MD and VA area.

Local designers will showcase their latest collections with the help of local celebrity models, who represent top-tier companies in the area. This an occasion you won’t want to miss and will benefit Charity Network Inc. (CNI).

Admission:
$65.00
When:
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Open Bar
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Fashion Show featuring designs from Aidah Fontenot, Sameera Chopra, Ellen Dunbar, Lenny Yorke, KuraDesign
Where:
Lima Restaurant & Lounge
1401 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
www.limarestaurant.com

Co-Chairs:
Ingrid Mendoza, American Systems Corporation

Dipika Bhagat Ahluwalla
First Trust Title & Escrow, LLC

Sakshi Bhagat
Keene Inc.

For tickets please go to www.stoptraffick.com and for more information on Charity Network Inc (CNI) please go to www.charitynetworkinc.org