Choo for thought

With the recent announcement that Jimmy Choo is partnering with Swedish chain store H&M, the question is: will we still want them? I see a million startled little faces with bubbles over their heads thinking: "I don't want them anymore." Does a pair of Jimmy Choos purchased after standing in line at H&M have the same cachet as the one packaged up just for you in a Jimmy Choo boutique? And if so, why aren't we rushing H&M now for sales on those statement dresses for special events? Probably for the same reason we don't show off our Moschinos the way we show off  Trina Turks. The Choos are due in stores Nov. 14, but as of right now the H&M at White Flint Mall hasn't heard if they're getting them. I'm not pooh-poohing the idea. Far from it. I'm all for anything that supports the consumer, retail and the economy. I'm just wondering about the psychology of the consumer in this economy-impacted fashion climate, i.e., will these become "the H&M Choos" as compared to the "real Choos" creating a Choo culture war? Will that create a drop/rise in sales for any Choos or luxury footwear? Let the games begin. (For more on the business of Jimmy Choo, check out "Choo Lovers Everywhere" on this blog.) 

Bethesda's Biggest Losers (and winners) event

The Gazette newspapers Healthy Challenge reaches its conclusion this week with events Sunday starting at noon at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The winning team will be announced (Red or Blue) based on weight loss and fitness; don't miss the fashion show at 2:30 featuring cool workout wear by Stretchalicious. Vendors include nutritionists, Honest Tea and more. Drop by and cheer on the winners (and losers) who worked so hard to reach their goals. I wish I could be there - you were spared seeing me on the runway as a model - a rare request I would have been thrilled to fulfill, but alas I'm out of town for the event. So please go in my stead and cheer on the Red and the Blue.   

Calling all Round House Patrons

Round House theatergoers in Bethesda and Chevy Chase might be interested in this offer for a little summer culture in DC. You may have gotten the email, but just in case you missed it...here it is again straight from Round House:

$15 off tickets for Round House patrons to Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull on Sixteenth Street." Adapted by Ari Roth from a translation by Carol Rocamora. Directed by John Vreeke. Starring Jerry Whiddon with Naomi Jacobson, J. Fred Shiffman and Alexander Strain. 

June 17 — July 19.

Theater J
1529 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
"Youth is envied, challenged and mortally wounded in this tale by the great Russian master. Inspired by Vanya on 42nd Street, Theater J's 16th Street theater and the dynamic clash between spiritual yearning and our artistic ambitions provides the stage for a journey back to the Russian countryside in this tale of artistic conflict, love, loss, jealousy and lots of laughs."
Use code "RoundHouse" to save $15 on any regularly priced performance.
Click here or call (800) 494-TIXS to purchase tickets. Visit www.theaterj.org for more information.

Our trip to Bethesda Central Farm Market

Yesterday we headed to Bethesda Row to check out the new Bethesda Central Farm Market. We loved its European feel and wandered among various vendors proffering vegetables, flowers, breads, pasta, sausages, cheese and fish. At the Meat Crafters table, we tried tiny bites of sausage laid out for sampling. A young man with a huge grin on his face after tasting the "Merguez," lamb sausage flavored with North African spices, sold us on that one. We also tried (and bought) the Capitol Half Smokes, loving their not-too-salty, mild yet very savory flavor. We then checked out the fresh pasta offered by Catering by Anna St. John for $1 a piece. We opted for four tomato/basil/mozzarella, two caramelized onion and portobello and two arugula and asparagus, which we dressed with a little bruschetta at home. Fantastic. We couldn't resist stopping into Cork&Fork after seeing their sign out front beckoning visitors in for a wine tasting. After owner Anna Landragin opened Calina, a Chilean chardonnay, for us, we duly tasted and promptly bought the spicy, yet light wine (no heavy oaky overtones) for $13.99. Our shopping done, we headed home, cooked everything up, added some greens, and savored a homemade meal made with fresh, local ingredients. Delicioso.

Harriet Kassman retirement sale

Check out the huge sale starting today at Harriet Kassman--up to 75 percent off on Bogner, Lafayette 148 as well as everything from the bridal salon. I had the privilege of interviewing the lively, hard-working Harriet when she opened the bridal salon and she has long been a favorite of ours. I was always impressed by her daily appearance at work in well-tailored suits and high heels--at an age when most would have been long retired. I loved her stories of traveling through Europe on buying trips and dealing with "the boys"--the Badgley Mischka design pair as youngsters making their way up the fashion ladder.  Though the instant gratification of  throwaway fashion has its appeal, we lament that the days of personal service, well-tailored clothes and attention to detail seem to be going the way of the dinosaur. 

CityShopGirl Wows Fans at Mayflower Hotel

By 5:45 p.m. when I arrived at the Mayflower Hotel in DC, a line snaked through the lobby as CityShopGirl online subscribers queued up to enter an event that site founder Kelly Collis Fredrick put on just for them. “Two hundred people came through the door,” Kelly says. “There was a waitlist of 300.”  Kelly, dressed for the event in a Proenza Schouler skirt, provided attendees with complimentary mini manicures, makeovers by Beauty 360, massages by Relax and Rejuvenate and hairstyles by Salon Cielo. Kelly’s friend Dr. Lauren Gavaris (a Holton Arms school grad like Kelly) was on hand to give information about the new eyelash product, Latisse. Bartenders mixed cocktails at two bars and there were also plenty of nibbles—mushroom truffle dip, olive tapenade, breads, little marinated onions and more.  Everyone got to leave with a gift bag, a new hairstyle, a massage, fresh makeup and great nails.  Here are highlights from this VERY fun event:

Form of a Flower

All photos by Amy Lamb

Bethesda resident Amy Lamb is not only a dedicated gardener (Bethesda Magazine, March/April 2008), she is also an accomplished photographer who regularly uses the flowers in her garden as subjects. You can still catch a show of her fine art floral photography this week at the Steven Scott Gallery in Baltimore. I love the way she finds universal form and structure in the smallest detail of each plant. Here's a quote from her website:

"The stunning structures of fruits and flowers demonstrate for me an elegant and mysterious partnership of form with function. In observing nature as a biologist, I am continuously awed by the marvelous designs revealed to me. As a photographer, my goal is to convey to the viewer some of the magnificence that passes before me."

You won't believe that this is the biologist's second career. Go now. It ends June 28.

"Large Scale Floral Photographs"
Steven Scott Gallery
808 South Ann Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21213
Telephone: 410.902.9300