The answer to the problem of ill-fitting suits, ugly bridesmaid dresses, and worn-out clothing can be found in a light-filled tailoring studio on U St., right above a whimsical boutique that stocks locally made apparel and accessories.
The studio and shop are, in fact, both part of the same business: Ginger Root Design.
The brainchild of co-owners Erin Derge and Kristen Swenson, Ginger Root capitalizes on a hunger for well-crafted, personalized attire in a city that is gradually overcoming its reputation as a style wasteland.
"�It�s addictive to be unique and looking completely yourself."
Derge and Swenson bill themselves as "modern tailors" — specializing in taking "old and forgotten items" and refashioning them into chic, new articles of clothing (they do more basic alterations, as well).
A recent client, for example, brought in a woven silk blazer that had belonged to her grandfather, and wanted to turn it into a garment that she could wear to his memorial. “We tried to figure out something that she could wear more than once,” says Swenson, 26, who reworked the jacket into a one-of-a-kind peplum-style vest.
“It’s addictive to be unique and looking completely yourself,” Derge says. And that is true for both women and DC’s increasingly style-conscious men, who have historically had fewer fashionable options, she adds.
In addition to revamping and repairing customers’ clothes, the duo also designs their own line – which is sold in the downstairs boutique alongside handmade goods from other local artists — with eco-friendly and salvaged materials.
Vintage ties with worn edges are given new life with a fabric outline, old skirts are chopped up into modern styles (they make cowls from the leftover material), and blazers are constructed using fabric from pajamas, scrubs, and vintage curtains.
Ginger Root began when Swenson, who moved to DC with her now-husband, was hired to do tailoring for the vintage store Treasury. She spun it off into her own home business, ReVamp, and demand for her services kept growing until she had a waitlist for clients.
“DC in general is starting to care a lot more about clothing,” says Swenson, as people are perhaps inspired by a younger, hipper demographic moving in to the city.
“So many guys here have jobs where you wear a black or navy suit — and it’s oversized,” added Derge. “Even in the time since we’ve been here, we’ve seen guys have been wanting things with a better fit. They’ve cared more about their appearance and they are able to do it without feeling ostracized.”
Derge, 30, only planned to come to D.C. to work alongside Swenson for a few months. But after the garment rack in Swenson’s office literally buckled under the weight of their creations and the pair realized that they both had the same dream of opening a store, Ginger Root was officially born.
Though it takes many entrepreneurs years to go from idea to reality, Swenson and Derge jumped right in — finding a storefront within a few months and renovating it themselves in six weeks. After two years of hosting both the store and tailoring shop in the basement space at 1530 U St. NW, they expanded in September, taking over the former window blinds workshop upstairs.
Derge and Swenson have found a happy home at 16th and U, nestled among the vintage stores, restaurants, music venues, galleries, boutiques, and bars that have revitalized the corridor over the past decade. Neighboring business owners gave them advice when they first started out, dropped by with cookies, and offered words of encouragement. “It’s kind of like a little family ... it’s a great block,” says Derge.
"It�s kind of like a little family ... it�s a great block."
The little family has inspired residents to support independent businesses in the increasingly pricey U St. area. By becoming repeat customers, people are “investing in their neighborhood,” says Swenson.
Swenson and Derge repay the favor by featuring nearly all D.C.-based artists and designers in their boutique (the only outliers are Derge’s mom and a North Carolina-based jewelry maker), mostly emerging artisans the duo found at pop-up sales. “They had great, awesome stuff but didn’t have a regular place to be found. I like to think that by giving them a permanent home, we are helping them get more established as artists,” says Derge. Quirky hand-painted handbags by Elizabeth Graeber lie near salvaged leather wallets by Catherinette, and Rachel Pfeffer’s rings of crystal-covered rock shine from a display case.
And so the virtuous cycle of making, repurposing, creating, and selling locally seems set to continue on U St.