DC Fashion Cents Go Somewhere

I know DC, and I know the culture and the spirit of the place as it lives in the women and the men. There is a lingerie shop in the Adams Morgan section of Washington DC that advertises on Facebook. Le Bustiere is located at 1744 Columbia Road on the second floor. Columbia Road, and 18th Street where most clubs and restaurants are living, teems with life and has long surged with the energetic cultural mixes of Central Americans (a lot from the Mayans and El Salvador), Black Americans, Ethiopians, Moroccans, hippies, musicians  Black Africans, Germans, activists, foreign diplomats, drug dealers, beggars, whores, winos, students, conservative couples, gay and lesbian groups and couples, crazy college kids, and older cats and old women in their finest, and so on. It is a  hip place. The club scene has rocked for a few decades. I gigged there a lot in the 1990's. 

In the evening the quiet shopping subsides, and strolling couples give way to more aggressive energies that transform into night life. Whites from the surrounding areas show up in their finest, or their funkiest and mingle with everyone else in pretense, gaiety, silliness, with courtship on their mind, or pick up lines and like everyone else hungry or thirsty go into any of the scores of parties afire until very late at night in the clubs and restaurants. Whatever stores remain open prosper. Whatever business conducted at night is done in this environment.   

Now the women, from a man's perspective, and I guess to lesbians in the mix, are dynamic and beautiful, colorful, funky and full of ideas of who they are. It was too exciting some nights. Which leads me right up to my question and why I shared all this about this tiny section of DC. I have a burning question. 

My question is to the fashion industry in general, but in particular, the local extensions of this industry in our community. The Washington DC metropolitan area extends into both Maryland, and Virginia. Each has its small share of fashion shops, little boutiques,etc. What they have in common is the 'false face' advertisement.  I originally asked Le Bustiere about their decision to advertise, and not reflect the flavor of DC in their models. 

DC women in the flesh are more often than not memorable and pleasing to the eye, but if there are illusions to be created they would come from the natural place of women's mystique. I asked, "Why would you air brush your models? It is puzzling because your photographer, your product and the models are in agreement with your concept. Air brushing speaks of an odd denial that forbids the timeless quality of a natural face to be featured and discerned. In the natural face, as you know, women's faces tell stories and make prophecies. Part of appreciating the clothing they wear is seeing the woman they are and the glimpses of what is to come. From a man's perspective, at least, it is part of the allure. Can't speak for the lesbians."  - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 2.1.14

Washington DC Jason Powell's contrast photos Willard hotel Washington Post bldg on right of old photo Screen-shot-2011 07 21-at-9 17 34