DC Fashion Week came to a close with a runway show on Sunday that featured designs from around the world and the local D.C. community.
The 37th season of the “culmination of DC fashion week” included the Spring/Summer 2023 collections from BeTheOne, Shop the Runway, Troy Anthony, Obioma Fashion, Jah Kente International Fashions, Eryn Boggs, House of Sky, Fruwah Chapman and Corjor International. Audience members' heads bopped as We The Fix, a local D.C. band, blasted hits from artists such as Bruno Mars before the show.
Ean Williams, director and founder of DC Fashion Week, was the designer of the final collection presented, Corjor International. Corjor is a combination of his son’s first and last name, Cory Jordan.
“‘International’ because I always want to reach the masses and be about diversity and inclusion,” Williams said.
His collection, inspired by the district’s cherry blossoms, popped with a plethora of pink pieces. Williams added bright florals to evening wear pieces to put a twist on classic wedding gowns. He wanted to capture “the same feeling of beauty” a bride feels on their wedding day.
Fruwah Chapman designed a collection that brought the audience home, literally. After a 3 year hiatus to pursue real estate, Chapman returned to the fashion world with a collection inspired by a house in D.C.
“I wanted to introduce the designer's idea and the uniqueness of the home as well as inspire anyone in photography, art or anything,” Chapman said.
Chapman’s collection featured red and black pieces with structured shoulders, like the structure of a house, and featured bags and accessories, similar to furniture pieces in a home. Chapman plans to pursue real estate and fashion for the rest of their life.
Model Zoe Lenn walked the runway wearing a blue patterned gown with yellow accents that trailed behind her. Designed by Jah Kente International Fashions, Lenn looked forward to “experiencing his creative mind.”
“I look to inspire younger Black girls to be themselves on the runway,” Lenn said.
House of Sky showcased fun costume-like pieces: from a leather bodysuit with cutouts to a sailor outfit that included a matching hat. The designer of the collection goes by the name Sky.
“I loved it every step of the way,” said Sky on designing her collection, “it was a labor of love.”
The DC Fashion Week showcase featured 13 different vendors, many of them D.C.-made brands, according to Williams. Shades in the Club was a brand that began by selling sunglasses off the owner’s face in local D.C. clubs. Jennifer J, wearing a mini moving screen that spelled out her brand name, then expanded her inventory and became a business.
“This is the nation’s capital. So we have to set the example that fashion is for everyone,” Williams said.
