Frye Company Georgetown Store Grand Opening Celebration A Veritable Boot Scoot

GEORGETOWN -- Open now for less than a month, the Georgetown flagship store of The Frye Company formally celebrated its D.C. bow on Wednesday night with a private party for some of the city's most fashionable.

The stylish soiree sprawled across all 2,700-squarefeet and the outdoor patio area of the two story building, which is the oldest surviving firehouse in the District.

Its Georgetown presence represents the third retail location of the venerable American brand, which first got its start in Marlboro, Massachusetts back in 1863.

The purely practical shoes that John A. Frye manufactured back then for his factory worker clientele have, of course, evolved significantly over the years with The Frye Company now rightfully taking its place in international fashion spreads alongside flashy Italian and French designers.

Still, despite widespread acceptance today as one of the world's top purveyors of shoes and leather goods, much of the brand's product line is stylistically based on the originals it produced some 150 years ago.

And yesterday evening, a good swath of Washington's fashion, political, business, and media market makers had the opportunity to toast such heritage, with many even choosing to sport their very own favorite pair of 'Fryes' for the occassion.

Beyond browsing row after row of meticulously crafted leather goods, guests were treated to bottomless glasses of sparkling wine, passed hors d'oeuvres, and, naturally, plenty of good company.

D.C.-based Mission South was enlisted for the night to keep folks entertained, with the trio performing nearly a 40-minute set of songs from all three of their self-released EPs.

The ensuing boot scoot was on the house.