Aba Kwawu, founder of The Aba Agency

Tell us a little bit about the path that lead to where you are today.
"I always wanted to work in fashion, though I am not patient enough to actually design and sew. I studied psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and embarked on a career in public health and research. I first came to D.C. to work at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University in the area of cancer genetics, but my fashion bug did not die. I worked nights and weekends in retail to get great discounts and just keep myself in the mix. After three years of this, [I packed] up my bags and moved to London to study fashion marketing and business at the London College of Fashion.

I started my career in fashion at IK Retail Group, a firm that runs international retail brands around the country. I taught fashion merchandising at Howard University for nearly seven years, and built my business one step at a time. In 2001, together with my long-term partners, we founded Funkshion Fashion Week Miami. Over the years, as D.C. began to become less conservative, I was the only one in the market with true fashion and lifestyle skills.

Today, The Aba Agency is a public relations, marketing, and special events boutique specializing in luxury lifestyle, fashion, design, entertainment, and hospitality. I'm also the new regional director for Fashion Group International of Greater Washington, D.C. [FGI] is a global, non-profit, professional organization with 5,000 members in the fashion industry, including apparel, accessories, beauty, and home."

Karen Millen top and skirt, Saint Laurent heels, Holst + Lee necklace.