2011 Washingtonian 'Style Setters' Revealed!

NORTHWEST -- The District might not be a fashion center of the world (yet), but that doesn’t mean that Washingtonians aren’t trying their hardest to ascend the global sartorial pecking order. Leading the effort to recognize those D.C. residents who buck the city’s convention for donning conventionally conservative attire is Washingtonian’s annual list of best dressed locals.

A much looked forward to event each year, the release of the magazine’s list of D.C.’s top “Style Setters” makes the September issue one of area residents’ favorites.

The 2011 list of honorees includes:

• Kat Bangs: The sommelier fantastique at the top-rated KOMI restaurant.
  
  
• Jonathan Capehart: A member of The Washington Post’s editorial board and an opinion writer for the newspaper, in addition to guest commenting on a variety of MSNBC dayside programs.
  
  
• Nathan Chin: A product consultant at online event management software firm Cvent by day and one of the behind-the-scenes guys at the (somewhat) D.C.-based Wolf vs. Goat fashion label.
  
  
• Mark Ein: The founder and CEO of local tech investment shop Venturehouse Group, as well as the owner of the (undefeated in 2011) Washington Kastles tennis team.
  
  
• Gwen Moore Holliday: A Vice President at full-service public and government affairs shop DCI Group who counsels corporate clients on government and public relations strategies.
  
  
• Terrence Jones: The President and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts since 1996, ‘Terre’ is responsible for the organization’s $28+ million budget and more than 270 performances each year.
  
  
• Deborah Kalkstein: The longtime owner of Cady’s Alley-based contemporary furnishing store Contemporaria, Kalkstein also recently opened the District’s first outpost of renown Italian design shop Alessi.
  
  
• Aba Kwawu: The fashion, design, and luxury lifestyle PR wunderkind behind the eponymous Aba Agency, Kwawu’s influence stretches from Tysons Galleria to the prized shops of Georgetown and everywhere in between, including helping produce the always sold-out annual Fashion for Paws runway show benefiting the Washington Humane Society.
  
  
• Susan Lacz: The CEO and owner of Ridgewells Catering, one of D.C.’s largest and most innovative caterers, Lacz’s army of chefs, events planners, and waitstaff are responsible for some of the city’s most talked-about (and tastiest) celebrations.
  
  
• Gail MacKinnon: A Georgetown graduate with a long career at top government relations posts at Viacom, CBS, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, MacKinnon now serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer for Time Warner Cable, the country’s second-largest cable operator.
  
  
• A. Mark Neuman: Counselor for International Trade and Global Strategies at Limited Brands, the parent company of the Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works brands, Neuman’s current focus hinges upon helping African countries develop their respective cotton sectors.
  
  
• Nick Stefanelli: A Maryland native and a graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Stefanelli is the talented young Executive Chef at Washington restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca.
  
  
• Jason Van Buren: After beginning his career as a Special Assistant to U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham during President George W. Bush’s first administration, Van Buren joined his boss in the private sector at The Abraham Group, an international strategic consulting firm.