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Crystal Couture

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Biochemist by Day, Fashion Designer by Night: Spotlight on L-Shandi

Beltsville, Md.-based business is among 80 designers and boutiques represented at this year's Crystal Couture.

A Beltsville, Md., woman who is a biochemist by day and fashion designer by night is among 80 businesses represented at this year's Crystal Couture fashion show and sale. Lara Akinsanya, who owns the online business L-Shandi, designs, creates and sews custom clothing and is promoting select pieces at the Crystal City event. Her clothing will be on display from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, wrapping up a five-night exhibition at the annual Arlington fashion show. This year, it's on the 12th floor of 251 18th St. Akinsanya typically has 500 pieces of clothing ready at any given time, and takes about 60 pieces with her to shows. She also makes a handful of custom creations each month. “I know every single one of my designs,” Akinsanya told Patch. “…

Friday, February 8, 2013

Daniel's Boutique: Crystal City Business Caters to Three Generations

Local business exhibiting its clothing selection at the Crystal Couture fashion show and sale this week.

Daniel’s Boutique, located in the Crystal City Shops, is one of 80-plus businesses at this year's Crystal Couture fashion show and sale. Nasrin Rashidi, who owns the boutique, first opened her shop in 1984 in Alexandria and moved six years later to the current location at 1627 Crystal Square Arcade. The boutique offers wardrobe consulting and custom tailoring in addition to its clothing selections.  “We have a very classic style, but we do cater to three generations,” Rashidi told Patch. “We want to have clothes that can go from being causal to office to going out.” Daniel’s Boutique carries various brands including Terani Couture, Belldini, Issue New York, Exclusively Misook and Alberto Makali. This season, they are focused primarily on …

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

PHOTOS: High-End Fashion Show, Sale Kicks Off in Crystal City

Through Saturday: Free makeup, hair makeovers; runway shows every 15 minutes from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly.

Crystal City will sparkle a bit more this week. Now in its fifth year, Crystal Couture kicked off Tuesday night. More than 40 Washington-area designers and boutiques will be there on any given night through Saturday. Organizers expect about 4,000 people to visit the 12th floor of 251 18th St. for the high-end fashion show and sale. Put on by the Crystal City Business Improvement District, or BID, this year's event showcases 26,000-square-feet of vacant office space that's been transformed with a 400-foot runway that wraps around the room, a bar, a photo booth, various booths for the boutiques and free makeup and hair makeovers in the center of the room. "It's phenomenal," said Angela Fox, the BID's chief executive. "The runway turned out …

Monday, February 4, 2013

Crystal Couture: Fashion Show Returns Bigger and Better

Free makeovers, near-nonstop runway shows and more than 40 booths take over a new space in Crystal City.

For five nights this week, Crystal Couture will take over the 12th floor of a Crystal City office building — bringing dozens of boutiques and a wraparound runway that will go almost nonstop from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. "A lot of people are intimidated by going to fashion shows. But this is a really fun, laid-back means at which you can get out there and shop and hang out with your friends," said Angela Fox, chief executive of the Crystal City Business Improvement District, or BID. "You don't need to come dressed to the nines. It's very open and accommodating." That's two key qualities of the what the BID bills as the Washington region's "hottest fashion show and high-end trunk sale." Now in its fifth year, Crystal Couture …

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