Read Our May 2023 Issue

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CURATORS OF STYLE. There’s a moment at most cover shoots when everything clicks into place and I’m left buzzing with energy from what we’ve created. Our May shoot was no exception, but the reverberations were more powerful than usual. I attribute this to a combination of the sheer volume of talent we had in the same space that day and a shared excitement for the vision of our Style Issue.

Our cover subjects — D.C.-based designer Deontré Hancock, best known for his role on the second season of Netflix’s “Next in Fashion,” and stylist and multihyphenate Lana Rae — are stunning representations of the city’s dynamic fashion scene. In the seven-and-a-half years I’ve been directing the magazine’s cover shoots, I can without a doubt say this was the most creative we’ve ever been with wardrobe selection. Model and stylist Rania Younis pulled out all the stops for Rae, her co-stylist for the day, with one of the funkiest collections I’ve ever seen.

A cape adorned with teddy bears draped over a sequined gown and an ’80s-inspired set covered in vixenish red lips and paired with bicep-high red gloves (major Grace Jones vibes) were among the final looks selected. Hancock crafted a handful of eclectic looks for the shoot, ranging from a white-and-green embroidered short suit fit for a garden party to an edgy, free-flowing denim outfit covered in electric blue loose threads. Selecting which of these imaginative options best complemented one another was by far the most fun I’d had on set in a while.

The dynamic setting, newly opened boutique hotel The Morrow in NoMa, was the perfect backdrop for the many vibrant moods dreamt up by our team. From countless bold poses struck by the duo on the rooftop, directly outside aptly named cocktail bar Upstairs, to the statuesque Rae sauntering along the bar counter at Nicholas Stefanelli’s new restaurant concept Le Clou (in platform boots and rocking her signature pompadour, no less) — each shot by photographer Tony Powell celebrates the collective freedom we have to curate our own personal style and our city’s vibe.

We’re excited to share our gorgeous 108-page May issue with readers, highlighting 20+ local style setters and their impact on the District — plus so much more. Readers, thank you for your continued interest in and support of local storytelling. We’ll be releasing May content every day over the next week-and-a-half, so keep checking back for new stories from our Style Issue.

Cheers,

Monica Alford
Editor-in-Chief