Nanette Lepore and two fans ( Nanette in middle)

BY STEPHANIE GREEN 

A rare combination of fashionistas and politicos joined forces Tuesday night to launch the opening of the new (and only) Nanette Lepore boutique in the Greater Washington area. The designer herself was on hand to greet well wishers and check out her new store in the swanky Chevy Chase collection shopping center on Wisconsin Avenue-also known as Washington’s Rodeo Drive.

Guests mingle at party

The event, co-sponsored by Capitol File, certainly gave guests ample opportunity to get their posh on as champagne flowed, elegant canapés rotated, and credit cards swiped as Nanette designs flew off the hangers. 

The Lepore brand has become synonymous with ultra-feminine designs that appeal to women of classic, discerning tastes. Her celebrity fans include Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Parker and Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera. In recent years, Lepore has expanded her empire to include signature fragrances and a shoe collection.

In addition to being in fine department stores, Lepore designs are available in a short strand of chic flagship boutiques in fashionable cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, and Tokyo. Chevy Chase is the latest addition, lending credibility to the notion that Washington’s style quotient is on the rise. 

There was nary a whisper of economic doom and gloom and nasty bailout hearings as guests gaily salsa danced in front of a live band and celebrated the Capital City’s new shopping destination

SPOTTED: Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH); Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer, Meet the Press; Former Miss DC Kate Michael, Capitol File editors Sherry Moeller and Jayne Sandman.