Nov 13

Nov 13 A Fashionable First

Raoul Dennis

Arts & Culture

County Hosts Premiere Fashion Week Events

Story And Photography By Allana Haynes

Additional Fashion Week Photos By Amir Stoudamire

From New York to New Carrollton, Prince George’s County has officially stepped onto the runway.

An eclectic lineup of designers, style influencers and retail vendors gathered at the Metro Points Hotel for the inaugural Prince George’s County Fashion Week, Nov. 5-6.

Featuring designer showcases and runway shows, the two-day event was a celebration of creativity, culture and style.

The opening day featured a “Business of Fashion” panel discussion, live performances, a fashion exhibition and a runway show showcasing creations by local designers.

Guests graced the red carpet as they arrived for the first day of fashion week.

Dressed to impress, they perused the accessories, clothing and handbags on display by local vendors.

Bebe Alem
**PHOTO: ALLANA HAYNES // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA**

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy delivered special remarks at the event.

Outfitted in a custom made dress designed by Uche Ibezue of O’Mak Designs by Uche, she highlighted the county’s upcoming fashion district that will allow residents to shop local designers.

“People are always talking about the need for upscale retail, but we can provide upscale retail right now with these amazing creatives and designers,” she said. “It’s great to have the high-end stores coming to the county, but we have high-end clothing already that is made for us, by us.”

Throughout the evening, guests watched stylish models strut down the runway in fashions from local designers, including Bebe Élégance, Tife & Co and Mafia Mom.

Drawn by the vibrant colors and bold patterns, guests later browsed the booths to purchase the handcrafted designs.

Bebe Alem, owner of Bebe Élégance, who displayed her handcrafted luxury gowns, said that the event spotlights the creativity within the county.

PHOTOS ABOVE BY AMIR STOUDAMIRE // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

“Whenever we think of fashion we think of LA and New York, but I’m hoping [PGCFW] shows that we’re also creative here in Prince George’s County,” she said.

Rebecca Oyegbile, owner of Tife & Co, who showed her matching mother-and-daughter dresses, said the event highlights local fashion designers

“[This event] brings awareness to African American fashion stylists, designers and models that embrace our different styles and our uniqueness,” she said.

Marsha Walker Houston and Chante Cole-Thomas, mother-and-daughter co-owners of Mafia Mom, who shared their one-of-a-kind upcycled street styles, said the event exposes local talent to the greater community.

**Prince George's County Fashion Week, led by County Executive Aisha Braveboy. PHOTO BY ALLANA HAYNES // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA**

“[This] event lets outsiders know that the DMV has a lot to offer and PG County has a lot to offer,” Cole-Thomas said. “There’s a lot of talent here and I hope that this event really showcases that.”

Earle Bannister, 59, who grew up in Capitol Heights and is a self-taught custom designer and the founder of E. Bannister Couture in Baltimore, attended the event to support upcoming fashion designers from his hometown in Prince George’s County.

“This is where I learned the power of being well-groomed and where I learned how appearance mattered,” he said. “We communicate so much with people and to people by what we’re wearing.”

Bannister shared that fashion extends far beyond the runway and into our daily lives.

“The first thing that we think about when we get up in the morning, at whatever age is, ‘what am I going to put on?’” he said. “And then it’s, ‘what kind of day is it going to be?’ or ‘is it my birthday?’ because [we] want to put on something special.”