Saturday, October 20^th 2pm -8pm at the Washington Convention Center

Produced by WDCW-TV/DC50

The 4^th Annual “Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Expo” (FBL) a local extravaganza featuring all-day runway fashion shows, free beauty makeovers, and the latest information on design and style trends, will return to the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, October 20^th from 2-8pm. 

America’s Next Top Model runway coach J. Alexander (Miss. J) will headline this year’s event, which is produced by WDCW-TV/DC50, Tribune Broadcasting’s CW affiliate in Washington, DC.

Kate Michael, editor-in-chief of K Street Kate, will serve as co-host of the Expo.  WDCW-TV is producing the Fashion Beauty & Lifestyle Expo in conjunction with event production expert Maggy François.

FBL will feature J. Alexander hosting fashion shows with top designers, meet and greet sessions with nationally-known models and other celebrities including: Big Tigger, Paul Wharton and LaVar Arrington.  With free makeovers and more than 60 vendor booths, FBL is a full day of beauty & fashion.

Throughout the day, FBL will feature fashion shows from: Hush and Catwalk Boutique, My Bougie Baby, Nam Nguyen, Kelly Tang, Walish Gooshe, Aidah Collection, Current Boutique, Studio D’Maxsi, Red Hue Boutique, Zweet Sports, Tashia Senn Collection, Christopher Schafer Menswear Clothier, Maven Style, Anna Bags and National Designers Saint Chic from Lifetime’s series 24-Hour Catwalk  and Nikki Poulus from NBC’s Fashion Star .

Other events currently scheduled include:

• An autograph session with J. Alexander.  The first 25 people in line for the session receive a free copy of his book, “Follow the Model.”   
• Meet and greet events with: DC style Icon Paul Wharton, Big Tigger, Resident DJ of the Washington Wizards and host of Direct Access with Big Tigger, Lavar Arrington, Host of Sports Week and Kate Michael & several local Pageant Queens.
• A model search judged by Paul Wharton, host and producer of Paul Wharton Style. The winner selected will win a beauty makeover, a portfolio and a day trip to New York City to meet a top modeling agency.   
• A style session with Ariella Faith & Lifestyle by Kara Allan
• New this year, FBL will also feature a CW Lounge where people can stop by to screen upcoming CW fall shows:  Emily Owens, Arrow, and Beauty & the Beast.  The much anticipated Carrie Diaries (the early days of Carrie Bradshaw), set to premiere in early 2013, will also be exclusively showcased in the CW Lounge.

Tickets to FBL can be purchased online or on-site at the event.  Additional information including photos, event video and interviews from 2011 are available at www.FBLDC.com or www.DC50tv.com

About Miss J 

Alexander Jenkins, commonly known as “Miss J.” and/or J. Alexander; was born and raised in the South Bronx of New York City, which served as Miss. J.’s first introduction to fashion and overcoming adversity. His childhood memories have been well documented within his self‐authored book Follow the Model, a memoir about his rise to fame as a black gender‐bending model coach. He is best known for his television work as a runway coach for contestants on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM).  J. Alexander’s career as a world‐renowned runway coach began when he coached runway glamazons both backstage at fashion shows and within the venerable fashion houses of Europe. He was recognized for his coaching abilities and has worked with most major models through both private training and consultancies with major designer brands.  J. Alexander became a judge in cycle 5 of America’s Next Top Model and most recently in season 14 and 15 has returned to his role as a guest celebrity, model coach and mentor. He has an ability to elicit elegance and movement on the catwalk. This coupled with his outlandish sense of style, has put him in high demand in the world of fashion and modeling.

About Kate Michael

Kate Michael is the President and Founder of K Street Kate, an online media company comprised of an online magazine (www.KStreetKate.net) and online talk show (www.TheDistrictDish.com) devoted to lifestyle news about the District of Columbia.   Hip, happening and hyperlocal, Kate formed the company while serving as Miss District of Columbia 2006 and competing in Miss America (2007) while at the same time completing her dual MBA/Masters in Government from Johns Hopkins University and working both for the Federal and District of Columbia governments.  When not writing or serving as an on-air talent, Kate works as a professional model having walked the runway for such industry icons as Valentino, Peter Som, Dior and Carolina Herrera. Her media portfolio includes a spread in Elle magazine and features on Inside Edition and BBC World News’ The Real Cities series. Her work has also appeared on NBC, NewsChannel 8, Comcast and in other local publications. 

About Maggy François

DC50TV proudly partners with Maggy Francois for “Fashion Beauty & Lifestyle Expo.” In 1996, Maggy Francois began her stylish career producing fashion shows for clients up and down the East Coast.  With unmatched talent and vision, she launched Maggy Francois event management company in 2000 committed to “creating the unimaginable” for fashions biggest names, including: Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, Korto Momolu, Betsey Johnson, Amsale Aberra, Francis Hendy, Jerell Scott, Reco Chapple and Carol Hannah Whitfield.  In addition to her love of fashion, Maggy’s passion is in education, providing her experience as a roadmap for aspiring designers through West Potomac Academy Fashion Design.  Maggy believes “The impact of educating through design is more than just creating clothing, it is fashioning a way of life for young adults to express themselves and their ideas into tangible items.” Visit http://www.maggyfrancois.com for more information.