D.C. Chic

Even in this tough retail climate, designers have something to be excited about. The newly appointed White House social secretary, Desiree Rogers, is a huge fashion fan. The 49-year-old Wellesley College and Harvard Business School grad counts Isabel Toledo, Valentino, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Bottega Veneta and Viktor & Rolf as favorites. “I come from a city that is social,” says the recently relocated Chicagoan. “Work is important, but it’s also important to play hard. It reinvigorates you. It connects you.” Whether Viktor & Rolf’s upside-down dresses and twisted trenchcoats will replace the pantsuit as Washington’s de facto uniform remains to be seen.