A Taste of Fashion in Georgetown

The scene at the George Town Club last Thursday was reminiscent of an exclusive Lady's club. Fashionable women sat at tables sipping red and white wines and snacking on passed hors d'oeuvres while previewing looks from American designer Eileen Fisher's Fall 2010 and Resort 2010 collections. The event was a collaboration between long-time shop, The Phoenix, and Eileen Fisher, whose clothes have been sold in the store for more than 20 years. 

Guests were invited to preview Eileen Fisher's clothes and place advanced orders with the store as well as purchase jewelry designs from a local designer. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefited Girls Incorporated, an advocacy group dedicated to raising the voices of young girls on issues of concern in public policy and media.

"This is the first time we've hosted something in the George Town Club in conjunction with The Phoenix, so we're very excited and had a fabulous turnout," said Andrea Hoeflich, Mid-Atlantic Merchandise Coordinator for Eileen Fisher.

Eileen Fisher is known for her high quality, soft designs. Her chunky wool knit sweaters and scarves dominate her past fall collections. This season, she took on new kinds of inspiration, pulling from biker looks and Japanese-inspired kimonos.

"For this season it was all about 'Push your Edge' said Hoeflich. "Eileen was very inspired by the Parisian runway, she was seeing all these biker jacket looks but she's not really a biker jacket chic with leather, so she really wanted to take a piece and pair it down to its most simple element but done in an Eileen way."

Her way includes pencil skirts, skinny pants and lots and lots of ruffles, a huge trend this season. Wool and cashmere cardigans were layered over sequined tops while a suede belt backed with leather and inspired by the Japanese kimono, gave structure to dresses and coats. 

A sample of the looks included pieces from her Eco Collection, that showed organic cotton denim and camisoles, and sweaters made from Peruvian Alpaca wool. All of Fisher's designs are hypoallergenic and made of low-impact dyes that allow for little runoff into the environment. 

"Eileen is all about sustainable fabrics and caring for the environment," said Hoeflich.

Local jewelry designer Alison Kinnahan, whose pieces are also for sale at The Phoenix, watched her pieces added to the looks on the models who showed off Fisher's designs.

"It's great.  I'm glad they wanted me to be a part of it."