Category Archives: DC

No matter however loudly partisans complain about the President and/or the Democratic party, no one can deny that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, is a woman of confidence.

Michelle Obama wears clothes to communicate a message. It’s an inescapable truth. She knows this. She wears what she feels good in. And what she wears makes her feel good. It’s a continuous circle. What you wear matters. And the more daring the ensemble (e.g., J.Crew studded belt, red shoulder-baring gown), the more confident you are.

I like to think of the First Lady as the consummate KassiesCloset shopper. She mixes couture with cheap – designer with mainstream. Michelle Obama represents the everyday modern woman – with a personalized collection of brands, price points, and labels – who knows what she likes and wears it with pride. This is a woman I respect. No matter her party lines, her dress lines are in check.

While my passion and focus is on building the Closet into the Pandora for fashion, I’m also the founder/designer of a line of shoes – www.lillybee.com. Imagine my thrill when a customer emails my most fabulous PR rep thinking that perhaps, just maybe, the glamorous and esteemed First Lady was photographed wearing a pair of my all-time, best-selling shoe, the Gwyneth.

Living less than a mile away from The White House, I have dreamed of such a day. I have written letters. I have sent packages. I have even taken a tour and given a pair of shoes to a Secret Service agent hoping that they’d find their way to the West Wing.

For a small brand like mine, to have a woman of her statuesque wear a pair of lillybees would be fairly monumental (think of what she did for Jason Wu). So I held my breath and tried to will it to be true. But as similar as the shoes appear to be, I can’t ignore the fact that I don’t have a record of her ordering these, nor did I send them to her.

Alas, checking the site of another favored brand of hers (and mine for that matter), it’s far more likely they are these.

Oh JCrew, it must be nice to be you.

Above Left: The Gwyneth by lillybee (sold out)
Above Right: Wistfully wishing The First Lady were wearing the Gwyneth.

In case you haven’t heard, Christopher Burch, Tory Burch’s ex-partner (in the business and the bed…they were married for 9 years) has launched in his own lifestyle brand called C-Wonder. It’s comparably as stylish and colorful as his ex-wife’s line, but far more affordable. And for those living in the Washington DC area, a flagship store just recently opened in Tysons Corner.

While we will always love Tory Burch, there’s room in our life (and wardrobe) for some C-Wonder too!

Here are a few of our favorite finds:

Today is an important part of our American history, and an important responsibility of our American citizenship. Today comes just once every four years. Today is election day and despite the lines being 2-3 hours long and the weather being a balmy 42 degrees, I can’t wait to do my civic duty and stand in line to cast my vote.

For those who think your vote doesn’t matter, there are more initiatives on the ballot, more politicians to vote for than just the office of the President of the United States (though isn’t that important enough). Maryland for instance is voting to allow for gambling casinos and gay marriages. Colorado is voting for/against medicinal marijuana. Michigan is voting for/against a clean energy act. Every state has their issues (even DC – we are voting to determine if a convicted felon can serve on the DC Council).

Today, I hope that you exercise your power and fulfill your duty. That today of all days, you do something to give back. Because as selfish as your intentions may be, voting, is the number one way of ensuring that our Country founded on a democracy, remains one.

I was recently honored to serve on the fashion panel at the George Washington Women in Business conference. The conference was put on by students and attended by students, and for that day I became one. I also became a Gilt Groupe groupie.

Alexis Maybank, the co-founder of Gilt Groupe, was the keynote speaker, and I tell you, she was so refreshingly real. She helped build an empire, she revolutionized the way people shop, and yet she spoke with the pretense of friendship vs. the airs of aristocracy. While she has undoubtedly given her presentation countless times throughout the country, it seemed like instead of trying to position herself as an expert or establish herself as a successful entrepreneur (which of course she is), she was simply sharing her experiences. She wasn’t asking for anything in the way of praise. No pretense. No posturing. She was simply there to share.

The top three things I learned from Alexis:

1. Carefully choose your partners. (Your team is the most critical element of success.)

2. Be prepared to pivot. (Gilt Groupe started as a platform for brands to sell excess inventory. It evolved into a platform for emerging and evolved brands alike to access and appeal to the younger generations.)

3. Test before you over invest. (Learn alongside your customers.)

Thank you Alexis for sharing and caring. Suddenly I find myself wanting to shop (at Gilt of course).

Cabbies – people who make our lives more convenient but whom are barely noticed and rarely appreciated. When brought up in conversation, it’s usually to complain vs. compliment. But have I got a story to share.

Last week after a KassiesCloset team meeting over great gumbo and free hurricanes (newbie bartender requesting feedback), we grabbed a cab back to my house and in my haste and waste, I left my iPhone in the cab. Within 5 minutes I was on the iCloud tracking it down, watching my phone scurry about the city like a little mouse chasing cheese. Matt and my husband jumped in the car and proceeded to track it down. But by the time they arrived to the signal, the taxi couldn’t be found and the phone was lost in a sea of apartment buildings. The signal soon after died, as did my hopes of having my phone returned.

The next day I purchased a new one to the tune of $800. As novel as it was getting to know Siri, I missed my old one. Most meaningfully, I missed ratty old cover with a sticker picture of my daughter on the back.

Yesterday, 6 days after my absentmindedness, I ran out my door and down the street, late as usual to meet my husband for dinner. A cab was on the street waving at me given the perceived hurry I was in. I waved him off, determined to be city chic and take the Metro. He rolled down his window and asked me for a favor. Something in the back of my mind clicked. As I walked closer, I recognized the man whose face was behind the wheel. He then proceeded to pull out my phone and asked if I happened to recognize the picture of the little girl on the back cover. Unable to catch my breath in a total state of shock, he proceeded to explain that the phone had died and he had been coming every evening after his shifted ended to see if he could find the owner of the phone. In tears, I nearly dragged him out of his running car to thank, hug, praise, and honor him.

While I gave him all the money in my pocket ($76) and I prayed that his generosity returned tenfold, it’s simply not enough. It will never be enough. People like this are few and far between. He didn’t just return an object with a $200+ street market value, for days he spent his free time trying to track down its owner. How do I properly thank this person who gave me more than just my phone. He gave me a renewed appreciation for strangers and their infinite capacity for good. I guess I can just hope that I will have the opportunity to surprise and change someone’s life as he did mine. Pay it forward, backwards, and every which way in-between.

Recently heard over a working lunch in DC…

“I see you’re a big napkin fan.” (customer putting multiple napkins under his drinks)

“Blow it up was never cool. We just let you people get away with it.”(Thankfully not directed towards us because we didn’t try to fist bump the waitress.)

“Let me get that for you, unless you’re going back in.” (a 99% empty margarita glass)

If only we had spent more time listening than working….