Last week I was fortunate enough to attend DC Fashion Week with my sister and friend.

How? Well, our dear friend mentioned to my sister and I that DC Fashion Week takes place September 23-29, 2013. They had various shows – some free, some you could purchase tickets, and some which required an invitation. My sister was hell bent on attending the Emirates Designer Showcase hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy. After a series of fortunate events we were invited to the show.

There were three designers showcased at the show; Sugar Vintage Couture, House of Fatam – a fashion house founded by three sisters, Layma, Shaima, and Fatma – and Abeer Alsuwaidi. The MC of the show was Dana Al Marashi – the Head of Heritage and Social Affairs Department at Embassy of the United Arab Emirates.

Sugar Vintage Couture. Follow them on Instagaram @sugar_vintage or Facebook here.

House of Fatam

Abeer Alsuwaidi. Follow on Facebook here. 

Etihad Airways, the national airline of United Arab Emirates, was giving away two free round trip tickets to members of the audience. How did they pick the winner? They asked members of the audience to drop their business cards in a bowl and at the end of the show the Vice President of the company picked winners from the pile. Personal note – ALWAYS CARRY A BUSINESS CARD! I have not amounted to anything fancy yet therefore I don’t have a business card but my dear sister who is a physician failed to have one on her. Even if you don’t have a business card I suggest always carrying a pen around – you can always find something to write on. One of the winners wrote her name on the program and dropped it in the bowl. Moral of the story: always have a business card or a pen in your clutch! 

As guests we were all given gift bags. The gift bags included a t-shirt from Sugar Vintage Couture, a goodie bag from House of Fatam, and a mask. 

This was my first fashion show – ever – and it definitely was a memorable experience! A big thank you to the UAE Embassy for the invite!