October 23rd, 2012 
I had the fabulous opportunity to join local fashionistas for a jam-packed day of treats and trends at Washington, D.C.’s 4th Annual Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Expo (FBL) this past Saturday, October 20 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This fashion extravaganza featured runway fashion shows from up and coming designers, free hair and beauty makeovers from professionals, and discounted shopping from local designers, boutiques and vendors.
Miss J Alexander signing a copy of his book, Follow the Model. (Photo Credit: Erin E. Haberman)
To make this event stand out even more, this year FBL was hosted by “America’s Next Top Model” runway coach Miss. J. Alexander. Miss J. was also signing autographs and taking pictures with all attendees. Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky 25 people who received their free copy of his book, Follow the Model. FBL also hosted a Celebrity Photo Session/Meet and Greet with Jaslene Gonzalez, winner of Cycle 8 of “America’s Next Top Model”. For the grand finale of the expo, celebrity designer and “Project Runway” Season 9 winner, Anya Ayoung-Chee, put on a fabulous fashion show. All of these recognized fashion experts were featured on Tribune Broadcasting’s CW affiliate in Washington, D.C., WDCW-TV/DC50.
This exciting day began with my girlfriend and I walking around the massive convention center and checking out all the booths. It was exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time to see over 60 vendors and their endless supply of stylish goodies layed out before our eyes. Some designers and boutiques that really stood out to me included: Hush Boutique, Catwalk Boutique, Stella & Dot, My Bougie Baby, Nam Nguyen, Kelly Tang, Walish Gooshe, Aidah Collection, Current Boutique, Studio D’Maxsi, Red Hue Boutique, Zweet Sports, Tashia Senn Collection, Christopher Schafer Menswear Clothier, Maven, Anna Bags and Saint Chic from Lifetime’s series “24-Hour Catwalk” and Nikki Poulus from NBC’s “Fashion Star.”
Fab accessory pieces from Stella & Dot. (Photo Credit: Erin E. Haberman)
For those girls who were more interested in walking the runway than watching it, FBL also held a model search competition judged by DC style icon Paul Wharton, host and producer of “Paul Wharton Style”. The lucky winner received a beauty makeover, a modeling portfolio and a day trip to New York City to meet with a top modeling agency.
Fashion, Beauty, & Lifestyle Expo
Since FBL was produced by WDCW-TV/DC50, a CW Lounge was set up to allow people to stop by and screen upcoming CW fall shows including, “Emily Owens”, “Arrow”, ”Beauty & the Beast” and the much anticipated “Carrie Diaries” (the early days of Carrie Bradshaw). My girlfriend and I saved the CW lounge for last and it was a great way to end the busy day with a little lounge time and complimentary cupcakes from Devilish Delights. With freebies, style experts, fashion shows and hundreds of items to envy, this year’s Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Expo was a huge success, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.
