by Ronda Racha Penrice
FASHION ROAD TRIP
Charleston doesn’t top the list of fashion capitals quite yet, but since it sashayed onto the scene in 2007, Charleston Fashion Week has been doing its darnedest to change that. Thanks to Charleston magazine style editor and former Atlantan Ayoka Lucas, CFW (this year, March 20 to March 24) garners more fashion-insider attention with each installment. The Emerging Bridal Designer Competition has been added to a mix that already includes the Emerging Designers Competition, Rock the Runway Model Competition, and, of course, runway shows and parties. Proud of the event’s accomplishments, Lucas boasts that “CFW has become a portal to New York for those trying to get discovered in the realm of fashion design and modeling.” charlestonfashionweek.com
OPEN AIRNESS
The switcheroo from the Palomar to the Renaissance was so quick last year that there was little time to enjoy what’s arguably always been the best part of the hotel under any brand—the rooftop! After being closed down for Old Man Winter, the new chapter at Rooftop 866 begins in earnest on March 1. Wisely improving on an already good thing, the space is sexed up with dramatic fire pits and even lusher landscaping, making it a super fun oasis. Seasonal hummus at just $8.66 and drinks like the Green Cucumber Martini definitely make it a Garden of Eden full of temptations. rooftop866atlanta.com