Gallery Neptune presents FASHION ART COCKTAILS

October 24th, 2009   7:30-10:00 PM

 Gallery Neptune presents FASHION ART COCKTAILS an evening where fashion meets art set within the sensuous exhibition of new work by Joyce Zipperer and Rania Hassan

Gallery Neptune hosts an exciting evening of informal modeling featuring the newest collection from DC’s De*Nada with shoes provided by ShoeFly. The event will be photographed by fashion photographer Violetta Markelou. FASHION ART COCKTAILS will take place during Neptune’s fall exhibition featuring established Virginia artist Joyce Zipperer’s latest collection of high heeled shoe sculptures in metal along with the knitted mixed media work of Washington, DC artist Rania Hassan, a recent James Renwick Alliance Award of Distinction recipient.

De*Nada is an emerging accessories line, specializing in handmade knits for women and men. De*Nada is currently sold at select retailers throughout the U.S. and around the world. De*Nada is the vision of its founder, Virginia Blanca Arrisueño, who in spring 2005 sought to blend contemporary styles with ethnic elements to offer stylish yet high-quality merchandise. Inspired by the culture and the traditions of her Peruvian heritage, Arrisueño continually works alongside skilled artisans in Perú to create De*Nada's growing collection. She put her business savvy and artistic aptitude to work and established De*Nada (which commonly means "you're welcome," in Spanish), initially selling handbags and t-shirts. Over the years, the De*Nada collection has grown to include knit accessories such as scarves, gloves and hats.

The idea for ShoeFly was started out of a need for unique yet wearable shoes at prices that were not over the top. In their stores, you will find a large selection of shoes from a wide variety of companies including Pink Studio Footwear, Seychelles, Campers, Jeffrey Campbell, J-41, Blowfish, Naughty Monkey, and Gola. Men need not feel slighted, as they also carry men’s footwear by Camper, PF Flyers, John Fluevog, Gola, Earth, Pony, and more. Men and Women alike can also find Vegan styles from Matt & Nat and Earth. ShoeFly has a reputation for great affordable accessories, handbags, and more. ShoeFly locations include 2727 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 1520 U St, NW, Washington, DC, 4731 Elm St., Bethesda, MD and online at www.shoeflyonline.com.

Violetta Markelou attended the University of Maryland in Baltimore majoring in Photography and Art History. While completing her BFA, Violetta became a makeup artist for the Estee Lauder Company. She continued working in the makeup industry for the next five years, freelancing with local TV studios and photographers. Violetta is self-taught in the areas of beauty and makeup for photography but has received formal training for theatrical and special effects makeup from Montgomery College, Maryland and the University of Maryland. With ample experience in the makeup industry under her belt, Violetta began assisting several commercial photographers in the Maryland and DC area to hone her craft in photography. After a few years Violetta decided to open her own studio and create an enticing brand of images under the name VM, on the web at www.violettamarkelou.com.

5001 Wilson Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
Contact: Elyse Harrison
elyse@galleryneptune.com
301-718-0809