Haute Summer Nights: Fashion Stars Come to Bethesda Row

May 9, 2009 - PRLog -- Bethesda Row today announces the first annual style event, The Front Row, Thursday, May 14 - May 16. Featuring in-store fashion, art, culinary and beauty events at retailers and restaurants within Bethesda Row, each of the three days will culminate with a signature event.

Haute Summer Nights begins Thursday, May 14th at 11 a.m. with in-store events including a BCBG Trunk Show at Luna, a Shoshanna Trunk Show at Urban Chic; a scarf-tying tutorial and event at J. McLaughlin; and a Barbara Barry furniture event at Urban Country.  The evening events include a runway hair tutorial at Salon Cielo, a meet and greet with acclaimed cityscape artists Joseph English at Waygoose, and a Calypso St. Barth Trunk Show at Ginger featuring Earth Echo founder and Jacques Cousteau grandson Philippe Cousteau.  Phillippe’s appearance coincides with the launch of Calypso St. Barth’s signature spring color, Cousteau Blue; the Calypso clothing line is named after Jacques Cousteau’s famed boat, and 15% of sales that evening will benefit Earth Echo.  A complete listing of store events accompanies this release.
Thursday evening’s signature event is an exclusive screening of the new film Valentino: The Last Emperor, a film that has taken the fashion world by storm and traces Valentino’s final year as the head of the couture house that bears his name. The film will be introduced by Vanity Fair correspondent and film director, Matt Tyrnauer.  The 10 p.m. screening at Bethesda Row Cinemas is sponsored by Upstairs at Bethesda Row and free to attend; rsvp information for attendees in included at the end of this release.

Friday, May 15th will feature in-store events including a meet and greet with bluemercury founder Marla Malcolm Beck; a Meg Carter jewelry trunk show at Tickled Pink; a Trainers and Treats event at lucy; a Yansi Fugel event at Wear It Well; and an open house showcasing designers Rundholz and Mariethe Francois Girbaud at Pirjo.  From 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. former model and celebrity chef Maria Liberati will sign her new cookbook, The Simple Art of Italian Cooking, at Bella Italia.

At 7:30 p.m. on Bethesda Lane, Project Runway winner and special guest Christian Siriano will be amongst VIPs attending The Front Row runway event featuring the latest in summer fashions as well as an exclusive preview of fall trends.  Participating retailers include City Sports, Ginger, lucy, Luna, Tickled Pink, Urban Chic and Wear It Well.  

Saturday, May 16th will include events such as a children’s Fancy Nancy Story Time at Barnes & Noble; a wine tasting at Cork & Fork; a retrospective by renowned artist Maggie O’Neill of her series of oils; Girls Night Out, at Ginger; a This Fits trunk show at Wear It Well; and a Milly Trunk Show at Urban Chic.  Stylish chef and writer Monica Bhide will be signing her new cookbook, Modern Spice, at Lebanese Taverna from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.  Maggie O’Neill will also be painting live, creating a style-focused canvas, on Bethesda Lane from noon -2 p.m.

As the Saturday afternoon headliner, London-based author, Lauren Goldstein Crowe, will read from and sign copies of her new acclaimed book The Towering World of Jimmy Choo.  The reading will include a Q&A hosted by Glamour Magazine’s Tracey Lomrantz, and will take place in the Bethesda Lane from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Additional events will take place throughout the weekend including Fierce Styling specials (In honor of Mr. Siriano) at Salon Cielo; a style-focused cocktail menu crafted by local celebrity mixologist Justin Guthrie at Redwood; a Yoana Baraschi trunk show at Ginger; a Peruvian artist retrospective and framing special at Discovery and Discovery Too Galleries; and a trunk show featuring the collection of Karen Deans from Wooden Tile at Vivi.  To get attendees ready for summer, City Sports will be featuring expert running fitters all weekend and showcasing lines including Saucony, Asics and Brooks.

“Every day at Bethesda Row is stylish, but for this weekend, we are truly making Bethesda Row the style capital of the region,” says Jill Powell, senior marketing manager of Bethesda Row.  “We look forward to hosting Washington’s most stylish women for our three-day soiree.”

For more information on The Front Row please contact Barbara Martin of The Patton Group at 301.512.5078, 301.229.6770 or barbara@thepattongroupinc.com or Kristin McMahon at 443.866.4449, Kristin@thepattongroupinc.com.   A complete roster of events is listed at the www.bethesdarow.com