Baltimore Mayor Lauded In Vanity Fair For Fashion Sense

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- She's among the best in the world when it comes to her fashion sense. That's according to Vanity Fair magazine, who credits Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake about being in the know when it comes to looking good.

Jessica Kartalija has more.

Talk about a transformation. Since she took office as mayor of Baltimore City, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has turned into quite the fashionista.

"I am a budget shopper. I like classic looks; I like to be able to spice them up with some flair and people took notice," she said. "I appreciate it."

According to Vanity Fair, she ranks among the 10 best in the world when it comes to her fashion ensembles.

"I am a bargain hunter and so for someone who prides themselves on spending less than $40 on suits, to make that list...I felt very good," she said.

The mayor gravitates toward accessories created by local designers, including handbags from Howard County native Danielle Nicole, who recently unveiled the "Blake" collection in her honor.

"I grew up in Maryland and knowing that the mayor of Baltimore is wearing something that I've spent hours on designing and the time that has gone into it and she wears it with pride," Nicole said. "It's the most rewarding feeling of this entire business."

Another mayoral favorite? Sideshow, located at the American Visionary Art Museum and on Baltimore Street downtown.

"It's very flattering and it's part of my business. I listen to my customers and now I call her a co-creator of my jewelry collection," said Sideshow owner Ted Frankel.

It's another way the mayor stays current and buys local. But the fashionable distinction for the mayor comes on the heels of Travel and Leisure magazine naming Baltimore the nation's third-worst dressed city---but perhaps that's about to change.

Rawlings-Blake joins the Chicago mayor and Los Angeles mayor as the only Americans to make the list. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon was also named a style leader by Essence magazine.

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