‘Paul Wharton and Ebong’
courtesy of ‘NightlifePR DC’

Last night, Monarch Magazine celebrated the recent relocation of its headquarters to D.C. with an event at the J. Crew in Georgetown.  Thanks to the District’s inability to function at the sight of a flurry, there was some confusion as to whether the event was even going to take place after yesterday’s snowfall, and punctual arrivees (myself included) milled about in the frosty December air before entering to a strangely disorganized, lackadaisical vibe.  (Not a magazine was on display; the servers circulating wine and sparkling water were not to arrive on the scene for another 30 minutes; and a makeshift runway seemed to have been abandoned mid-creation.)

Though tongues have wagged about all cast members on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of D.C., the event’s “host,” Paul Wharton (a recurring persona on the show), was charming and gregarious, albeit openly admissive of the fact that he would rather be home canoodling by the fire with his Wheaton terrier, Oscar [de la Renta Wharton].  45 minutes into the event, however, with no formal welcome, no area demarcated for any sort of presentation, and no proof of the “personal styling” sessions promised in the event invitation, guests began to sneak out the back door.  It’s a shame, in a sense, since Monarch is marketing itself as a new source of high-fashion commentary for sartorially-minded Washingtonians, and the guests in attendance (lots of bloggers, stylists, and otherwise chic folk) seemed to be willing listeners.

To be frank, if the event is indicative of Monarch’s overall efforts to position itself as a fashion expert in the D.C. area, it certainly has the nonchalant attitude down, but the jury’s still out on whether it can deliver.  The glossy magazine I eventually snagged did, however, feature some interesting styling — and I, for one, will be following them with interest.

xoxo

TheFashionMagpie

Jennifer Shoop

Jen, aka TheFashionMagpie, is a D.C. native and has not strayed far from the District in her 26 years, save a brief stint in Charlottesville for her undergrad degree at UVA. By day, Jen works for a private foundation. In her spare time, she maintains a fashion blog (www.thefashionmagpie.com), writes for We Love DC, and shops…a lot. Follow her on Twitter @AFashionMagpie.