DC FASHION WEEK: Behind The Scenes and The Red Carpet

DC ON HEELS IS READY FOR SOME FASHION!

About DC Fashion Week: DC Fashion Week is considered one of the fastest growing international fashion week exhibits in the world and is held twice a year in February and September. 

DC Fashion Week now reaches an audience of more than 10 million per fashion week. “DC Fashion Week has opened many doors for models, designers and creative people,” said  Ean Williams,  Executive Director of DC Fashion Week. (Who is also a designer.)  “Fresh from my collection debut European appearance at Fashion Showcase in Belgrade in June, our mission to establish Washington as an international center of fashion is becoming more of a reality than just a vision.”

 


I went behind the scenes last year at the French Embassy where one of the fashion shows took place and spoke with Ean about DC Fashion. Take a peek at my interviews  with all of the models, designers, hair and make-up artists too! So much  goes  into producing such a beautiful seamless fashion show. So take a look at what really goes down, hours before the show!  

 Click HERE

In part 2 of our DC Fashion Week coverage Markette hits the red carpet at the French Embassy and interviews local designers and more.  

Click HERE

Watch us today on TBD live at 4:30 with Morris Jones for our new weekly entertainment segment. We will be talking about DC Fashion Week and lots more!  Let us know what you think we should talk about next week. FACEBOOK us your suggestions! 

Besos xoxoxoxo

Vanessa

Rihanna Comes to DC... in Wax

Ri-Ri Gets Waxed in the D-M-V...

Amid a sea of large umbrellas (ellas, ellas), Madame Tussauds of Washington unveiled a life-sized wax figure of pop music superstar, Rihanna.

And DC on Heels hears that the wax version of Ri-Ri is just as hot as her real-life persona, complete with a black lace corset, blinged out accessories and a fierce pair of stilettos.

And speaking of fierce stilettos..

Everyone who was at the DC on Heels Happy Hour last Friday knows that the networking event turned into a bona fide party when the clock struck 10.

As a result, by the end of the night Vanessa and I went from "DC on Heels" to "DC in Pain" - our feet were seriously hurting from dancing in 4-inch heels all night (as evidenced in the boogie down production photographed below).

I Facebooked about my "pedicure hangover" and DCoH fan Denise of Rockville, Md. offered up this handy advice for the next time any of us girls hit the club in stilettos:

Thanks Denise and thanks to all of our fans who came out Friday night!!!

xoxo,

Markette

P.S. - To become a sponsor of DC on HEELS, contact: dconheels@gmail.com

PHOTOS: "Real Housewives of DC" premiere parties

DC on Heels was on the scene at not one, but two dueling housewives parties!

White house party crasher-turned-Housewife Michaele Salahi hosted her own event at EFN Lounge, where hubby Tareq was on hand help her bask in the limelight.

Vanessa cornered the Salahi posse and got the scoop on what happened with Whoopi on "The View."

"She didn't hit me," said Salahi of the incident on "The View."

Meanwhile, I caught up with Salahi's wardrobe stylist, Julie Wilson, who said that if she's gonna be controversial, then she might as well look good!

And when I talked to DC Housewife Stacie Scott Turner, she said of the Salahis: "You know, they're really nice people. We actually had a good time with them." Turner also told me that she went to Paris with Salahi and had a ball... go figure!

We also chatted with...

DC Housewife Lynda Erkiletian, who said wine thrown in her face by Tareq Salahi in a temper tamptrum while they were promoting the show in Beverly Hills last week!

DC Housewife Mary Amons, who is now famous for the finger print scanner on her closet door, says her first days of filming included a stylish celebration in honor of her.

"It was birthday... and I love my birthday!"

Stealing a hug from DC Housewife Lynda Erkiletian's "man candy" on the show, Ebong Eka.

DC on Heels with Howard Cromwell & gang, organizer of the controversial Housewives party of DC.

We also chatted up Housewife Stacie's husband, Jason, who said he is super supportive of his wife... what a doll!

Paul Wharton with DC Fashion Designer Aidah Fontenot. Some say Wharton is the 6th Housewife of DC... what do you think?

I dunno... I think Vanessa and I make pretty good housewives, too. No?

To see more photos from our coverage of the "Real Housewives of DC" premiere parties, visit our Facebook page at: Facebook.com/dconheels.

xoxo,

Markette

Become a sponsor of DC on HEELS! For more details, contact:
dconheels@gmail.com

Kastles Owner Brings "Sport for Social Change" to D.C.

Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein has not only brought the glitz and glam of World Team Tennis to Washington, D.C. with his celebrity-studded Kastles tennis matches (just last week he brought Ana Kournikova & John McEnroe to play with the team; in previous years it was both Venus and Serena Williams), but he's also helping to bring noble sports enterpises to the Metro area, as well.

This Friday night starting at 5 p.m., Ein, along with Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Sheila Johnson, owner of the Washington Mystics, will sponsor Street Soccer USA, a not-for-profit soccer tournament played by homeless men and women from around the country.

Tickets to the 3-day event are free, which will be held at Kastles Stadium (located on the corner of 11th and H Streets NW). All they ask is that the public show up and cheer during the charitable game, also known as the "Sport for Social Change."

I caught up with Ein on the courts last week to talk a little tennis and about other ways he's giving back to the community by sponsoring sports clinics for D.C. school kids, which are led by star athletes. (Check out interview below.)

I also caught up with the Kastles doubles champ, Leander Paes, who talked about the amped up atmosphere of the crowd during the summer tennis season -- a mood of excitement that will no doubt be present during this weekend's soccer tournament.

xoxo,

Markette

Hairless Beauty Queen Gives Sick Kids Boost of Inspiration

When it comes to women and our obsession with hair, I believe Spike Lee said it best when he wrote the prolific lyrics: "Go anywhere. See if I care. Look at my Hair!" (from his 1988 musical comedy School Daze).

And it's that kind of "Go anywhere. See if I care" attitude that helped 21-year-old Kayla Martell of the Washington Metro area snag the crown of Miss Delaware 2010 -- even though she's completely bald!

Kayla, a senior at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., has been suffering from alopecia areata since the age of 10. The hair-loss condition affects an estimated 4.7 million Americans nationwide.

After competing five times for the crown in her home state of Delaware -- two of those times without a wig - she finally won the competition on June 12, 2010 - proving that bald is the new beautiful... well, at least on the pageant circuit.

"I won with the wig. However, it was great competing the two other times without the wig because it was really representing who I am," Martell told the CBS Early Show.

Halfway through the interview, she took off her blond wig and proudly stated: "I think I can be a better Miss Delaware by taking the wig off," she said.

"I am healthy. I am fine. All we [alopecia sufferers] do is lose our hair."

Not surprisingly, Martell's platform is raising funds and awareness for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

She said 5-year-old Liliana Hakim, whom she met through her work with the foundation, was her inspiration for competing for the fifth and final time.



Martell will go on to compete before Donald Trump and the entire nation for the title of Miss America at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Januray 15, 2011.

No word yet on whether or not she will wear her wig or go au naturale -- but I wish her luck either way!

xoxo,

Markette

P.S. -- This story was written in collaboration with Skin & Allergy News.

David Archuleta, Reba McEntire & more Celebrate July 4th in D.C.

David Archuleta skyrocketed to fame on American Idol when he sang "Stand By Me" to a live audience of screaming teenage girls. And now, on July 4th he'll be at the U.S. Capitol singing the same tune, only this time the song will be dedicated to the American troops, said Archuleta in an interview with DC on HEELS.

We caught up with Archuleta during his rehearsal performance for the star-studded concert, A Capitol Fourth, a PBS special to broadcast live at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 4.

The queen of country, Reba McEntire, was also at the rehearsal gearing up for her July 4 performance, where she will be honored with the National Artistic Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to American music.

The concert is hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Jimmy Smits.

Smits is not only a talented actor, but a really chill and down-to-earth kind of guy -- as Vanessa and I found out backstage.

Also performing at the rehearsal was classical pianist, Lang Lang. The 28-year-old musical phenom has performed at The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall (and almost everywhere else in between). He told me it was "Practice, practice, practice!" that got him there.

And as the rehearsal got off to an upbeat start... the crowd started growing.

They were all there to get a glimpse of the patriotic performances.

The couple above -- married for 30 years -- told DC on HEELS they drove all the way down from Rhode Island just to see David Archuleta perform.

Executive Producer Jerry Colbert reflects on producing concerts in Washington D.C. for more than three decades. The concert is a free public event that also raises funds for public TV.

The gates to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol open at 3 p.m. for anyone interested in seeing this "Capitol Concert."

Crowds are expected to be huge, according to The U.S. Park Police, so to get the best seat in the house you may just want to tune in to PBS Sunday at 8 p.m.

xoxo,

Markette

P.S. - Happy 234th birthday America!

Twilight Fever and the Eclipse T-Shirt Winner!

I recently jumped into the "Twi-hard" fan madness and went down to National Harbor for the free public screening of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse this past Saturday:

While there, I caught up with one of the hottest werewolves from the movie Alex Meraz (besides Taylor Lautner). The Native American actor who is originally from Mesa, Ariz. said fans can expect this to be the most thrilling Twilight movie yet.

But, since we're DC on Heels, you know I had to flip the script and ask him about shoes! So, I asked Alex what type of heels he likes to see on the ladies... and that's when things really started to HEAT UP! Watch his trashy response below:

After that, I decided to take it down a notch and ask him about the actual reason he was in DC -- the movie! Click here to watch the full video interview.

Finally, I got Alex to sign a T-shirt for our Facebook fan and fellow blogger Tracy Scott, who submitted a question to him through the DC on HEELS Facebook page.

Congratulations Tracy!!! This T-Shirt is yours!

Thanks for being a fan, and thanks to all of our fans we saw out at National Harbor.

xoxo,

Markette