Have you Heard the Gossip on 23rd?

With a name like Katherine Glorioso you just can’t go through life as a mortgage compliance director.  So when the housing industry shifted and Katherine got laid off, a truly glorious thing happened.

Katherine always had a passion for fashion.  
 
She loved dressing in the latest from head to toe and everywhere in between.  Katherine had a bee in her bonnet about how to make a living doing something more flashy and not just cashy. Her instinct buzzed her straight to the fashion district in Los Angeles.

Virginia Tax ID in hand, she sought the counsel of a trusted friend, Leah Jung, with her own successful boutique on Melrose called Gossip.  
 
As Katherine devised a plan to bring home carefully picked garments to test drive on a trunk show basis, she couldn’t shake a gut feeling.  If her hunch was right, she would quickly need a space to call home and it just had to be called Gossip.  In a selfless act to true friendship, Katherine and her friend reached a remarkable agreement to share the name of her dream business.

Katherine quickly mastered the art of trunk shows and found a temporary home at Eastern Market, DC’s beloved Saturday morning tradition.  Trouble was Katherine’s wares were always sold out by midmorning.  What a great problem!

With the help of her extra special father Giovanni, who happens to be a real estate broker, Katherine set out to find a storefront.  
 
While Georgetown was her first choice, she quickly realized the overhead would kill her mission to only offer garments and accessories under $100.
 
Lucky for Crystal City, Katherine and her father happened across a small but doable space on what she calls “the coolest, quirkiest block,” where not only was the price right but the karma good.  
 
Katherine remembered the block fondly from early internship days working down the street in Crystal City, vowing to return the moment she was legal to drink up and live large.

As of November 2007, Katherine was still drinkin' the Crystal Kool-Aid, and Gossip on 23rd is meeting its mission of providing hip fashion at great prices.  From funky t-shirts to knockout dresses, Katherine scours for quality merch from lesser known names carrying prices you can’t really believe until you see them.

I popped in on an early Spring Friday afternoon, and let’s just say I was grateful for her two dedicated parking spots in back or my car might have been booted.  
 
Not only did I fall in love with a sexy backless dress in (gasp!) my nemesis color purple but also a hippy chick t-shirt perfect for amping up my tired Target yoga collection.

I quickly made friends with a twenty something girl looking to stretch not only a gift certificate but her work and play wardrobes.  
 
Katherine and I tag teamed to set her up with a terrific multi-purpose black dress accentuating her best features and showed her three ways to accessorize using hot, trendy colors.  
 
By adding a classic but update red belt and an easy but pretty jacket, Katie walked out with three looks for about $100.
 
Her smile was priceless.

Katherine is most excited about debuting her own collection, Glorioso, this coming Fall.  Focusing on dresses, Katherine wants to translate a timeless chic vibe for clients who know a good deal when they see it.

ContactStyle Editor Susanne Seidman at SSeidman@LocalKicks.com.