Céline Spring/Resort 2012 Trunk Show at Hu’s Wear

Not many fashion houses are able to instill a frenzied cult following quite like the French house of Céline. The beauty is in the simplicity, craftsmanship, and uber-chic execution – a combination that ensures covet-ability and emptied-out boutiques. All orchestrated by the talented Phoebe Philo.

Last weekend we had the opportunity to see the Céline Spring/Resort 2012 trunk show at Hu’s Wear. I swooned over the impeccably constructed clothes as Dwayne showed me all the marvelous little details: delicately sewn pleats, laser-printed fabrics, and sorbet colors. Despite my love for the clothes, I gravitated towards the bags; Especially the colorful Trapeze bag, its royal-blue flap being one of my favorite colors.

Our photos:

Céline’s incredibly desireable Trapeze bag - I was happy it looked so harmonious accompanying my tiger-orange Proenza Schouler jacket that I bought at Hu’s Wear:

Pleats, translucence, elegance and desirability:

Oversized-floral print suit jacket, a refreshing departure from Phoebe’s minimalist style - we love it paired with this asymmetric-pleated blouse:

The now-iconic and highly-coveted Céline Boston bag:

Ginger is the guardian of Hu’s Wear:

The larger-sized Céline Trapeze bag looks great paired with Dwayne’s green hi-tops:

Examining details of the Céline Trapeze bag:

Céline Python Phantom bag:

Ginger hoping to be rewarded for all her hard work:

Ginger Root Design - Tailoring & Design Studio Opening

Our second visit to Ginger Root Design in the past week was an eye-opening and exhilarating experience. Though talented owners Kristen Swenson and Erin Derge have been tailoring and designing clothes from the English basement of 1530 U Street for awhile now, the opening of their dedicated tailoring and design studio on the second floor of the same building represents a significant step, not only for Ginger Root, but for Washington DC as well. Stylish DC’ers now have an appointment-only destination for tailoring and clothing re-design and Ginger Root has the infrastructure to kick things up a notch. Old clothes from your closet and found thrift or vintage items can now be turned into exactly what you hoped and dreamed they would be when you bought them. What we saw at Ginger Root is a testament to just how serious, hardworking, and organized an operation they are running. This is an exciting time for style in DC.

Our photos:

Kristen Swenson and Erin Derge of Ginger Root Design:

A sewing machine ready for work in the new sewing room:

Our favorite photo, a rainbow of thread spools:

Inspirations in the sewing room:

A work in progress:

We loved that Ginger Root Design produced a book with examples of their custom work:

Eric Channing Brewer of Dandies and Quaintrelles with Nicole Aguirre:

Eric’s fantastic messenger bag:

The gift bags were so cute, with illustrations by local artist Elizabeth Graeber and a measuring tape bow pin:

Butler + Claypool Pop-Up Shop at Ginger Root Design

This past Saturday we attended another successful Butler + Claypool pop-up, this time in the newly-renovated upstairs of Ginger Root Design. Nothing is more encouraging and inspiring to us than the continued success of creative businesses in Washington DC; Butler + Claypool recently completed their appointment-only showroom in Capitol Hill and Ginger Root Design is expanding their booming tailoring business (and making more room for their similarly booming retail business downstairs).

Here’s our photos from the pop-up:

Holly Thomas of Butler + Claypool is also the Washington DC Editor of Refinery 29 and one of our favorite people:

We absolutely loved Holly’s handmade shell-casing and coral necklace (we hear B+C might have more of these in stock soon):

Erin Derge is one-half of Ginger Root Design; she is wearing a necktie of her own design and earrings made by a local designer and sold at Ginger Root:

We are powerless not to photograph Cheralee Lyle of Lyle Style - even her camera strap is stylish!: