Designs to Dream About
With original designs from the old world, I’ve discovered the D.C.-area’s finest high-end boutique.
Tabandeh Boutique in Friendship Heights recently hosted an inaugural D.C. fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). D.C.’s most fashionable and ambitious women came out in support, including ABC 7’s Rebecca Cooper Dupin, the Washingtonian’s Kate Bennett, Mobius Consulting’s CEO Melaine Privitera and Tabandeh Boutique’s owner and designer Tabandeh Sizdahkani herself.
The OCRF is the largest independent organization in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to funding ovarian cancer research and to finding a cure. It’s best known best for its annual Super Saturday fundraiser in the Hamptons hosted by celebrity spokesperson Kelly Ripa. This Mother’s Day though, Sizdahkani partnered with the organization to hold an intimate fundraiser to bring awareness to ovarian cancer while also helping D.C. women look fabulous.
A woman with impeccable taste
Sizdahkani has been running her boutique for over 25 years and is there almost every day, bringing her passion for fashion and eye for beauty to the service of D.C.’s finest women. She hand-selects all the clothing and jewelry designs sold her in store, and her impeccable taste and instincts show through every item. She offers designs by the best U.S., European and international designers, including Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Ann Demeulemeester, L’Agence, Fuzzi, Herve Leger, Aviu and Current/Elliott among others.
Many of the designers were new to me. The simple but subtle cuts of all the designs were stunning. Running my fingers through the clothes, I fell in love with the delicate luxuriousness of the fabrics and could just imagine the feminine frailty and poise that could be felt wearing these clothes. But with $300 price tags for shirts and almost $2,000 for a leather jacket, these were dream designs beyond my reach.
Sizdahkani’s assistants all said the same thing, though: you can’t find anything similar in this area. This boutique is filled with unique designs that normal U.S. retailers don’t provide. And in the end, people pay for quality because, frankly, it’s worth it. I knew they were right. Just looking at the Rick Owens leather jacket, I knew without trying it on that it would be the best-fitting, light, warm-weather leather jacket I could find in D.C. Quality definitely comes with a price.
Jewels are a woman’s best friend
The jewelry offered at the boutique is beyond beautiful — it’s luxurious. Silently looking into glass displays of necklaces, I felt as though I were a guest in a private museum. Bennett, who is absolutely gorgeous, is well-acquainted with Sizdahkani and commented that she often uses Tabandeh’s jewelry in the Washingtonian. Bennett also quietly announced that she would be helping to head a new offshoot magazine of the Washingtonian geared towards moms, which is exciting news for D.C.-area moms. Bennett left Capitol File magazine in 2012 to become the fashion editor at the Washingtonian and editor-in-chief of Washingtonian Bride & Groom. She’s made an immense contribution to the D.C. style scene and it’s been amazing to follow her career. And it looks like she will continue to push limits and surprise us.
As high-end as it is, I would hesitate to call this boutique bougie (as in bourgeois). Looking around the boutique, I realized that not only was I surrounded by D.C.’s most stylish women, I was also surrounded by its most ambitious and self-made entrepreneurs. From Sizdahkani herself to Bennett, Privitera and Cooper, these are women who worked for their success and made it happen. So while Tabandeh’s jewels may be dreams for me (and probably for many others), they’re dreams worth working for.
I’ve visited many boutiques in D.C., but there is something very special about what is offered at Tabandeh and the way Sizdahkani and her staff help their guests. Anything you pick up here, whether a thoughtful gift for your mother, best friend, sister or wife, will be special and treasured. And if you just got a promotion, landed your dream job or received good news of any kind and are looking to reward yourself, this is the place to go.
Liz Parker is a NOVA girl with a long love affair with Washington, D.C. A self-proclaimed Washingtonian, she spends her days and nights coffee shop hopping and wandering around the city. She’s fascinated with street-style fashion and has a soft spot for thrift and vintage shops.