It's the End of the Affair

After two years in our beloved little showroom in an alley, we're moving operations to New York so we can expand Unsung online. This is a bittersweet moment for us. We want to fulfill our vision for Unsung and take it to the next level. But we obviously love our shop, our neighborhood, the customers who come see us from near and far... and we will miss you all more than words can say.

We want to thank all of our loyal DC customers for supporting the shop and keeping us entertained along the way. Helping you accessorize and put together outfits for first dates, interviews, black tie galas, destination weddings, seeing your ex at a party... We really had a blast.

We hope you won't be a stranger now that we're online only. The pink doors may be closing and you may not see us every Saturday, but we'll still be Unsung. You can count on us to continue to bring you the best in indie fashion as well as the highest level of customer service (meaning, call us if you're not sure something will fit!). We hope to hear from you.

Now, you didn't think we'd leave without throwing a party, did you? Check out the events tab on our blog for details, and get yourselves over here and give us a kiss goodbye!
xxox,
Unsung

Our Last Hurrah Party and Trunk Show

We're moving to the Big Apple, baby! and we want you to help us say goodbye to our beloved home in the alley. Please join us at our DC showroom for a going away party and sale on Thursday, November 15, 6-9 pm.*

To help us celebrate the new venture, San Francisco design duo Verrieres & Sako will be in the house. You know them--you made them our top selling label last season. Meet the ladies who won Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion award and who are now making waves on the east coast!** Verrieres & Sako will be previewing their Spring 2008 collection exclusively at Unsung, in addition to plenty of gorgeous Fall pieces and great deals on past season merchandise!

*Everything in the showroom will be 40% off (including sale items!)

**A special gift from V&S's Spring 2008 collection will be included with every $500 purchase.





Unsung is located at 2412 18th Street, NW in Adams Morgan. 202.234.1788.

Our Feature in Daily Candy

Lost & Found
October 19, 2007

Glam out in an elaborate cluster of clear crystals suspended from black silk ties. Doll up a suit with the long lariat choker that has crisscrossed Lucite globes. Or dress up a plain old tank with the heavy crystal and feather necklace. [more]

Amias Project

We've always been big supporters of fair trade (and you should be too). You will never go wrong if you take a step toward living responsibly.









That's why we want you to know about the Amias Project, an organization that works with the nomadic Barabaig tribe of East Africa to help generate significant income and educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities. The project has mobilized over 200 Barabaig men and women in central Tanzania to design and craft jewelry and handbags inspired by traditional fashions. [learn more]

First, we fell in love with the stunningly beautiful photography. Then, the natural form and function of the products. How cool would you look carrying the Cattle Bag (shown above) as a briefcase? And the Vessel Bag (below) rivals any boho-chic bag on the market.









Amias, in the ancient language of the Barabaig, means "beautiful." So when wearing Amias jewelry or handbags, always remember that you are wearing hope, the story of the Barabaig, and something beautiful.

Find out more at Another Land and Amias Project.

Stylish Cycling Jerseys by Spokes Designs

Our friend just completed his first Iron Man Competition and we were proud as mother hens. He not only placed high in his category, but who knew a person could look so stylish in a foil blanket? Now, we all know athletes skew high on the vain-o-meter; if models are the peacocks of the human race, then athletes are racehorses (they do their fair share of strutting and flexing, that is). That's why we got excited when we saw these cycling jerseys by Spokes Designs (our friend is getting one for his next Iron Man). First of all, they're limited edition hand stamped and numbered (we love anything rare). And the current style is argyle (we love anything argyle). Don't come crying to us if you miss out on this batch; we're not selling you ours.

Available in women's (left) or men's (right) styles.

Gigi Favela Ankle Boots in Post Express

Styles: Right Ankles
September 28, 2007


BOOTS NEEDN'T REACH THE KNEES these days. This fall, a stampede of ankle-grazing footwear exposes more than a glimpse of stockings. [more]

New York Fashion Week

The press hasn't been very enthusiastic about the upcoming NY Fashion Week, but we think this one will deliver. Spring 2008 Collections will be showing during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC from September 5 - 12, but plenty of other parties, events and shows will be occurring all over the city for the two weeks enveloping fashion week. Check our blog for updates on our favorite shows and the independent designers we're really into, like Alexander Wang:






and Vena Cava:






and take a look at Refinery29's excellent video interviews with several of these independent designers.

Mignonette Featured in IndieEntrepreneur

Mignonette, which is French for "cute girl," is a fitting name for a company dedicated to making clothing designed to make women feel girly, cute, and modern. [more...]


Get your Mignonette!

DIY Thing Interviews Angela Johnson

Angela Johnson has quickly become a cult favorite among Unsung customers. You know and love her vintage inspired looks (that's her multi-tier Victorian skirt on the left) and her thrift store fairytale style (from t-shirt ball gowns to garter skirts with tulle). But did you know Angela's black Bubble Dress will be on the next season of America's Next Top Model? Read this insightful interview where she shares, among other things, what it takes to be a successful indie fashion designer:

Part I

Part II

Verrieres & Sako Spring 2007 Runway Show

Verrieres & Sako have recently collaborated with Victor Ingrassia, a San Francisco Bay Area based video and media artist, to transform the designer's Spring 2007 runway show into an animated rotoscope.

Victor Ingrassia's animation is a swirl of film, video and enriched digital painting. Doing what he calls "digital monk's work", his early explorations in experimental film, hand rotoscoped animation, audio collage, stereoscopic & hand colored photography, have evolved into ground breaking computer animation which cuts against the grain of much current digital animation. Victrolux Productions' "digital animation with an analog heart" has been used in narrative, documentary, music video, dance, theater, corporate and private projects, including the BBC mini series, "Gory Greek Gods". His work has screened in Atlanta, Berkeley, Boulder, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.

Phyl Couture Named Fashion Award Finalist

Phyl Couture is a finalist in the Contemporary Category for the Dallas Fashion Awards. Congratulations Phyl!

Leaders of the Pack

DALLAS -- Since nominations for the 32nd annual Dallas Fashion Awards are based on sales, the 24 finalists are already store favorites. Retailers, though, soon will have the final word as they cast their votes in the eight different categories. (Voting takes place during the upcoming market, Aug. 19-22, or online at dallasmarketcenter.com.) Winners will be named Oct. 21 at a gala in The Grand Pavilion at the Dallas Trade Mart, part of the Dallas Market Center complex that also includes FashionCenterDallas. That same night, Dallas luxury retailer Neiman Marcus will be honored with the Fashion Excellence Award, while New York-based designer Phillip Lim will receive the Rising Star Award for his edgy and popular 3.1 Phillip Lim collection.

Nominees in the eight categories are:

Modern Wear: Maggy London, Tribal, Tyler Boe
Jewelry: Brighton, Liz Palacios, Seasonal Whispers
Contemporary: Yoana Baraschi, Johnny Was, Phyl Couture
Bridge/Designer: Lafayette 148, Eileen Fisher, Louben
Casual Contemporary: XCVI, Paige Premium Denim, Seven For All Mankind
After 5: Nicole Miller, Badgley Mischka, Marisa Baratelli
Accessories: Lockheart, Francesco Biasia, Charm and Luck
Children's Wear: Charlie Rocket, Kissy Kissy, Le Top

(WWD, Thursday, June 28, 2007)

Unsung & Small City Jewelry in Daily Candy

Bright Lights, Small City

...ensure all eyes are on you with baubles from design line Small City Jewelry, which make one-of-a-kind pieces using recycled trinkets and found objects. [more]

Unsung Supports Fisher House with Fashionable Donation

Unsungdesigners.com will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of a special limited edition collection of Circa 63 vintage Lucite bangles to the Fisher House™ Foundation.

Unsungdesigners.com has teamed with local accessories designer Danielle Insetta of Circa 63 to offer red, white, and blue bangles originally made for America’s bicentennial to support Fisher House. Fashion and patriotism - past and present - come together in this five-bangle set saluting the nation’s independence and those who ensure its future. The bangles, which retail for $80, were created for fashion labels such as Trifari and Diane von Furstenberg in the mid-70s.

Fisher House Foundation (www.fisherhouse.org) supports America's military by providing a home away from home for family members during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. Because military families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes,” built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 8,500 families, and has made available more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.

The sale will last until July 31, or until the limited edition sets are sold out.

100% of the proceeds for this stylish vintage lucite 5-bangle set will be donated to Fisher House. Quanitities are limited.

Interview with Panda Head

Check out our interview with arbiter of DC Street Style: Panda Head.

Just in Time for Summer Wardrobes

They're fun, they're affordable, they perfect for summer wardrobes of backless dresses, halter tops and breezy, tissue-weight tees. Unsung presents our favorite must-have summer undergarment: Nippies Patch of Freedom.

Unlike other stick-on bras that promise to lift, Nippies are simply hot little pasties reminiscent of Burlesque. They're fun to wear, they do the job of concealing your nipples, and they're coyly titillating even if you inadvertently flash a tata. If only Tara Reid had Nippies on during her unfortunate photo op. Get yours at Unsung.

Thanks for the Shout Out Anchorage!

We always love gettin' some love from unexpected places. Excerpted from Anchorage, Alaska fashion blog, Shop Girl:

Unsung Designers: The best way to describe this online shop stop is that it's independent designer heaven. This Washington, D.C.-based Web site lets you see some of the best untapped fashion talent from all over the world. The prices are on the high end, but the styles are hotter than the latest Paris Hilton-gets-out-of-jail scandal.

The site offers a live chat feature that lets you get hold of an Unsung expert if you have questions on fit and color or if you just want to know if your friends will be jealous. According to fashion blog talk out there, Unsung's designers will even work with you to create custom sizing if what they've got isn't working. And there's a celebrity designer factor: Kara Janx from season two of "Project Runway" got her start by selling her styles on Unsung Designers.

Unsung & Ouvrez La Porte in Daily Candy

Decent Proposal
June 6, 2007

You don't kiss on the first date... It seems you believe in leaving something to the imagination. So you'll love designs by Ouvrez La Porte... [more]

Unsung Designers Always a Step Ahead of Trends

I love this darling pink Daryl K dress ($440), just out for summer.


















Only, I already own this gorgeous semi-sheer dress by Kareen Smith ($325) (THAT I BOUGHT IN MARCH! so I'm getting 2 seasons out of it!) Kareen Smith is still taking orders on this dress, but not for long. Order yours before she moves on. Both dresses are 100% silk.



Shop Kareen Smith's Spring/Summer collection right here.

Grand Dames of Emerging Fashion, May You Rest in Peace

By now you must have heard about the recent closing of independent online boutiques Girlshop and Mighty Flirt. Unsung wishes to commend both for being trailblazers in the industry. For bringing emerging designers to the fashionably wretched and bored. For putting independent designers online long before departments stores jumped on the bandwagon.

Grand dames of emerging fashion, may you rest in peace.

In a creative industry like fashion, however, regeneration is key. Incredible new designers are born every day and this cycle, which has been rapidly expanding for a decade, will continue to flourish. It's like the baby boom of independent fashion.

We love this new era. We love that the young and fresh are able to mix with the classic elite. We love that the little guy/gal's chance at success is on the upswing. We love that fashion has become more attainable: that boutique labels are now in large department stores and the current high-low fad at H&M, Target and Gap.

As much as we love the current climate of fashion, to us, true novelty is still hard to find. We still want access to designers before they get into Barneys or Bloomingdales. We want the newest styles before they become the "it" thing; before corporate suits mark up the pricetags and make them inaccessible to so many of the true style-makers.

Unsung is such a shop. We are relentless in searching for the newest, freshest, most creative, innovative, stylish young designers and getting them to you before they become the next big thing. Shop at Unsung and you won't see yourself coming.

Unsung in Washingtonian

Catherine Andrews of Washingtonian.com had some kind words for us.

In May's Issue: 40 People Under 40 to Watch

"Two of those we featured in the May issue of The Washingtonian in our feature, 40 People Under 40 to Watch? They happen to be two of my favorite business people in the city: Alishia Frey and Grace Wang, who run the online boutique Unsung Designers." [more]

Like, He's so Totally Lavallee

We ran into Adams Morgan(DC) resident and Boston native Matt Lavallee on his way to the Red Sox game on opening day. We were compelled to stop him. You see, style is how you wear it, and Matt is the epitome of rad.

If a man is defined by his wheels, Matt obviously has nothing to compensate for. That doesn't, however, make his curved handlebar, banana-seat bike any less cool.















Compensate, no. But what does Matt contemplate? He shared his musical interests with us, including what is playing on his boombox now (when we stopped him, it was Big Audio Dynamite and Sugarcubes).















For cruising, Matt makes his own mixed tapes. We remember using the same type of stereo to tape pop songs straight from the radio. We almost wept with nostalgia.















Matt had a guy in Mt. Pleasant rig up this holder for his stereo. It consists of some metal pieces and some bungee cords.



















Click Here for more of what Matt is listening to.

Washington's Own Style: Unsung Designers

Our interview (and an impromptu fashion shoot) in DCist.

Washington's Own Style: Unsung Designers
By fashion contributor Rachel Cothran. See more of her writing and street photography at her web site Project Beltway.

Tucked in an alleyway off 18th Street in Adams Morgan, an off-beat shop hides behind ugly metal double doors, but the clothes you'll find inside are often diamonds in the rough of D.C. fashion. At Unsung Designers, polos and pearls are tossed aside for one-of-a-kind dresses in original prints and killer heels you won't ever see at Nine West. [more...]

Love the Look: Tell Me About It, Stud...

2007 is the year of the stud. From Spring through Fall, these luxury labels added some edge to their collections by punking up their accessories lines.

Burberry Studded Bag



















Balenciaga Studded Wedge



















Dolce and Gabbana Studded Heels...















...and Spikey Peep Toes



















Christian Louboutin Studded Boot



















Gigi Favela "Sonya" Punkie Studs ($360. in, left to right, white gold, black or turquoise. Limited quantities available. Get yours now at Unsung)

gr.dano, Verrières and Sako in San Francisco Chronicle

Check out this great article featuring five hot bay area designers, including Unsung faves gr. dano and Verrières and Sako.

DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS
Five local fashion teams who want to stay by the bay

Cotton Cummerbund Top by gr.dano



















Silk Organza Coat Dress (left) over Crisscross Silk Organza Overlay Dress (right) by Verrières and Sako

Unsung Designers Always a Step Ahead of Trends

Silk and lace: elegant, sensuous, ladylike, sado-masochistic. No matter how you like to wear them, these contrasting textures are a match made in fashion heaven. Below, Dolce and Gabbana F/W07 on the left, Ouvrez la Porte F/W06 on the right.

Bows evoke a romantic past.
















Lace at the breast is sweet and sexy.

Love the Look: Mirror, Mirror on the Feet

My new favorite look: "mirror" metallic shoes. At first I thought it would be too much, too shiny. But after seeing them on many a stylish woman in NYC and Paris, I'm sold. Because they're an accessory and on the feet, they can really pop an outfit. Besides, I can check for lipstick on my teeth while pretending to have dropped something.

At Louis Vuitton, Paris 2007 (courtesy of the Sartorialist @ Style.com)



















Who's doing it:

Pierre Hardy silver platform pump



















Christian Louboutin gold skyscraper pump



















Gucci open-toe, ankle strap platform with metal studs



















Burberry open toe platform



















And our very own Gigi Favela round toe pump