Ginger kicks off Boutique Week events with The Devil Wears Prada author Lauren Weisberger

Annie Lou Bayly and Lauren Weisberger

It was a writerly crowd last night at Gretchen Hitchner's Ginger in Bethesda--which would be fitting since owner Gretchen Hitchner is a writer herself, having been a Capitol Hill press secretary before following her passion and getting into the business of fashion. Lauren Weisberger, who combined writing and fashion brilliantly in The Devil Wears Prada, was signing copies of her new book, Last Night at Chateau Marmont, where instead of a young, single protagonist tormented by her ruthless fashion-editor boss, the starring roles go to a young couple struggling with the demands of newfound celebrity and long-term travel on a marriage. Annie Lou Bayly of DailyCandy mingled among the crowd who were sipping wine, buying books and filling up the dressing rooms with the fabulous fall clothes at Ginger.

Zena Polin, Gretchen Hitchner, Me (Karen Watkins)

Tonight: Look for Andrea Rodgers of AskMissA.com at J. McLaughlin and a trunk show of Kenneth Jay Lane and Lauren G. Adams jewelry--the cuffs are especially hot.

Overnight Socialite Launch at Ginger

The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark launched in Bethesda with whimsical cupcakes, fashion-savvy editors, writers, fans and shoppers at Ginger boutique Thursday night. The event, hosted by Ginger's Gretchen Hitchner and Susanna Quinn, Elizabeth Thorp, Katherine Kennedy and Alexe Nowakowski, featured hors d'oeuvres by Redwood and custom-designed cupcakes by Fancy Cakes by Leslie. The Overnight Socialite tells the story of a lowly design assistant who rises to become New York's "It" girl. Clark also wrote the bestselling Because She Can. Her work has also appeared in publications like The New York Times, Vanity Fair and New York magazine.

The books!


Bridie Clark and Gretchen Hitchner


FW's Betsy Lowther and writer Cathy Alter


Hostesses Alexe Nowakowski, Executive Director, CityDance at Strathmore; Elizabeth Thorpe, Bethesda's EDT Communications CEO; Bridie Clark; Susanna Quinn and Katherine Kennedy.


Delectable creations by Fancy Cakes by Leslie


Sarah Meyer Walsh of Haute Papier and Barbara D. Martin of Fingerprint DC
All photos by Mark Silva

Can't Judge a Boutique by its Cover

Drop inside Ginger, the upscale women's boutique on Bethesda Row, and you'll often find more going on inside than beautiful clothes. The store's Veterans Day event in support of the Wounded Warrior Project had locals pouring in to help launch Suzanne Somersall Allis' in-store jewelry boutique and support our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The emotion was evident on the designer's face as she described how happy she was to be able to see her husband Brian, a Marine stationed in Afghanistan, when he arrives home soon for a two-week break. Not only did we love Suzanne's ethereal pieces--delicate starfish, coral, and sparkly flowers--we sipped bubbly and enjoyed appetizers from Redwood and sweets from Georgetown Cupcake. Providing great conversation was a slew of fashion-conscious writers--friends of Ginger owner Gretchen Hitchner, a former Capitol Hill press secretary who received her master's degree from Johns Hopkins. My daughter even popped in for a surprise visit with her friends. The highlight for her was meeting Cathy Alter, the heroine of memoir Up for Renewal.

Above, Suzanne shows off her Lemon pendant necklace, inspired by Pablo Neruda's poem, A Lemon.