Washington Life Magazine - April 2012 by Washington Life Magazine

SPECIAL REPORT

KICKING BACK IN THE CITY’S MOST STRESS-FREE HOME

KUWAITI AMBASSADOR SALEM AL-SABAH RIMA AL-SABAH NICOLE KIDMAN AND KEITH URBAN

A EXCLUSIVE

THE

LIST

IT’S NOT A VIP EVENT WITHOUT THEM APRIL

2012

•

$ 7.9 5

PLUS! OUR ANNUAL EARTH ISSUE THE TRUTH ABOUT PLASTIC ECO-FRIENDLY OUTDOOR DESIGN ANTARTICA – THE LAST FRONTIER DIGGING INTO THE FARM BILL A NATIONAL MALL MAKEOVER?

PA RT I PA ES! RT PA IE RT S! IE S!

WASHINGTON LIFE

TURNBERRYTOWER.COM 1881 NORTH NASH STREET, ARLINGTON, VA 22209

703.243.3000

SALES OFFICE ON 21ST FLOOR | OPEN 7 DAYS, 9 TO 6

COME VIEW OUR SIX NEW DESIGNER FURNISHED MODEL RESIDENCES. MAGNIFICENT TOWER RESIDENCES FROM THE $700,000â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Obtain the Property Report required by federal law before signing anything. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the representations of the developer. Prices, plans and specs subject to change without notice. Exclusive Representation by The Mayhood Company. Located within close proximity to Rosslyn Metro Station. Void where prohibited by law. Equal Housing Opportunity.

NO.

TOP SELLING CONDO IN THE DC AREA 2010 & 2011 90% SOLD. HURRY FOR BEST SELECTION. PRIME TOWER RESIDENCES AVAILABLE.

56 30 32

CONTENTS

APRIL 2012

SPECIAL FEATURE

LIFESTYLES

32 36

LUXURY OF MOVEMENT Flowing fabrics and

TOP TIER HEAD-TURNERS THIS YEAR'S A-LIST

EARTH DAY CLIMATE DISRUPTION PLASTIC POLLUTION AND MORE EDITOR'S LETTER ................................

bold colors ...................................................

HOTEL WATCH Quick fix for casual luxury ......

TREND REPORT Sunny yellow is this season's hottest hue ..................................................

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY

WL-SPONSORED EVENTS

AROUND TOWN World-class chefs and gala insiders.........................................................

THE ARC Tea Party ......................................

FYIDC

THE ARC Tea Party ......................................

INSIDER'S GUIDE ..................................... SOCIAL CALENDAR ................................ FIRST LOOK Redesigning the National Mall.. .... TIME WARP Cherry blossom beginnings... ..........

Septime Weber's "Studio 54" Birthday Party ..........

POLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC .............. Premiere of 'Game Change' .

Ali Wentworth Book Party ...

Dylan Ratigan Book Party ... Aschiana Gala ................ White House State Dinner .... CAUSE CELEB Nicole Kidman on global women's rights ......... Kuwait-America Foundation Gala..... National Medals of Arts and Humanities Awards .......................................

Navy Seal Foundation Courage and Compassion Awards ........................................................

Alvin Ailey Gala ...........................................

WL-EXCLUSIVE EVENTS

OVER THE MOON Garden views in Hunt

Kuwait-America Foundation Gala .......................

Country .......................................................

National Medals of Arts and Humanities Awards .....

The Hands' 60th Anniversary Party .....................

CNMC's Dancing After Dark ............................

Dinner in honor of Dame Jillian Sackler ................

Beasley Real Estate Launch Party........................

CNMC's Dancing After Dark ............................

National Gallery of Art French Galleries Reception...

Beasley Real Estate Launch Party........................

TTR Sotheby's Celebrates at Hemphill Art Gallery...

Navy Seal Foundation Courage and Compassion Awards ...................................................... National Gallery of Art French Galleries Reception... Sally Bedell Smith Book Party............................ TTR Sotheby's Celebrates at Hemphill Art Gallery... Cristina Alger Book Party .................................

HOME LIFE INSIDE HOMES An eco-friendly abode ............. FURNISHINGS Outdoor tips for the green-minded ... RE NEWS First sales of Spring......................... HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES A hotel honcho's

St. Jude's Gourmet Gala ...................................

legacy ..........................................................

Studio Theatre Gala ........................................

OPEN HOUSE Fresh picks on the housing market ... MY WASHINGTON Chris Dodd weighs in on the best of Washington ...........................................

ON THE COVER Kuwait Amb. Salem Al-Sabah, Rima Al-Sabah, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at the Kuwait-America Foundation Gala (Photo by Vicky Pombo). Above, clockwise from top left: Eun Yang with her children at THEARC's Tea Party (Photo by Kyle Samperton). Ben Bradlee and Vicki Sant on the A-List. Septime Webre with guests at his birthday party (Photo by Tony Powell). Chris Dodd in My Washington (Photo by Melissa Rauch). Al Pacino and Wayne Brown at the National Medal of Arts and Humanities Awards (Photo by Alfredo Flores). Products: Diane von Furstenberg "Mini Harper" bag ($295); Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie, www.neimanmarcus.com. Loll Designs "Vang" outdoor chair made of 100 percent recycled plastic in blue ($386), Room & Board, 1840 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009, 202-729-8300.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

TIFFANY.COM |

©T&CO. 2012 800 843 3269

Capturing The Light Of Dawn TIFFANY INTRODUCES RUBEDO™ METAL, GLOWING WITH THE ROSE LUMINESCENCE OF A SUNRISE. In honor of the 175th anniversary of our founding, RUBEDO™ debuts in a limited-edition series of Tiffany 1837™ designs hallmarked with founder Charles Lewis Tiffany’s signature.

T H E I N S I D E R’S G U I D E TO P OW E R , P H I L A N T H R O PY, A N D SO C I E T Y S I N C E 1 9 9 1

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nancy Reynolds Bagley EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Michael M. Clements SENIOR EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

Kevin Chaffee

Anne H. Kim

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Alison McLaughlin

Brittney Dunkins

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Richard Marks COLUMNISTS

Janet Donovan, Donna Evers,Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr and Donna Shor CREATIVE DIRECTOR

J.C. Suarès GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mary Endres CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

Tanya Nuchols CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Luis Aragon, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores, Neshan Naltchayan, Vicky Pombo,Tony Powell and Kyle Samperton

PUBLISHER & CEO

Soroush Richard Shehabi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

THE ANDREW W. MELLON AUDITORIUM

1301 CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, DC

John H. Arundel ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christina Salek-Raham BOOKKEEPER

Trina Hodges WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT

iStrategyLabs LEGAL

Ackerman Legal PLLC

COCKTAILS, DINNER AND DANCING WITH SPECIAL PERFORMANCES BY THE WASHINGTON BALLET AND TWB THEARC STUDENTS

Kinne Chapen, Carolina Cornejl, Brittany Frederic, Ashley-Lynn Goldstein, Jill Norris, Danielle Rita, Jonathan Roberson,Taylor Sears, Lesley Siu and Anna Storm

BLACK TIE

Vicki Bagley

INTERNS

FOUNDER

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.WASHINGTONBALLET.ORG OR CONTACT ELIZABETH SIZER AT 202.362.3606 EXT. 123 OR ESIZER WASHINGTONBALLET.ORG

CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD

Gerry Byrne Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, November, and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands, and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, please consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com. You can also subscribe online at www.washingtonlife.com or send a check for $79.95 (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place NW, Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips, and editorial comments. Copyright ©2011 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

s !7!2$ 7)..).' s 3-!,, "!4#( s /2)').!, &2/.4)%2 7()3+%9 s

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BULLEIT

BULLEITBOURBON.COM PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

BULLEIT Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 45% Alc/Vol. ©2012 Bulleit Distilling Company, Lawrenceburg, KY. BULLEIT American Straight Rye Whiskey. 45% Alc/Vol. ©2012 Bulleit Distilling Company, Lawrenceburg, KY.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Coming Clean

he beauty of Spring in Washington serves to remind us how important the environment is and that its protection is paramount. In this issue, we spotlight courageous and innovative policy leaders, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who are teaming up to scrub — metaphorically speaking — the planet clean. With food at the center of our lives, it’s worth knowing that the 112th Congress is currently considering renewal and reauthorization of the $284 billion farm bill of 2008. We decided to take a closer look at efforts for new reforms because much of the current law expires this year. Eco-luminaries Scott and Christy Wallace of the District-based Wallace Global Fund share an exquisite photo reflection of their recent ocean-and-ice trek to Antarctica on the National Geographic Explorer. Also back from many months at sea on her private craft, M/Y Sirenuse (meaning “mermaid”), where she worked with ocean conservation scientists in Cuba and Costa Rica, philanthropist and conservationist Ann Luskey welcomes us into to her NetZero “eco-pad’” in Bethesda, a future-friendly (but spot-on with the times) home that affords as much comfort and whimsical design as it breathes easy on the planet. This issue also includes the latest edition of our “A List” of the most influential residents of the nation’s capital. Although the list did not fluctuate as much as it will next year (after the presidential election), there were some interesting changes, mostly ambassadors or at the Cabinet and sub-Cabinet levels, not to mention the scandalous leave-

taking of the managing director of the International Monetary Fund. We do look forward to meeting his charming replacement! Our signature coverage of the Washington social scene continues with book parties for Cristina Alger, Sally Bedell Smith and Dylan Ratigan as well as the White House State Dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron.The always-impressive Kuwait America Foundation Dinner (where our cover photograph was taken) was certainly stellar. After all, the gorgeous Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman was honored for her laudable work on behalf of women across the globe as the United Nation’s global ambassador. Spring is certainly in the air with plenty of parties on the horizon. We hope to see you at many WL-sponsored events this month, including Fight for Children’s School Night, The Washington Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland ball, Trust for the National Mall’s Benefit Luncheon and Ball on the Mall, and Teach for America’s 2nd annual Washington gala!

Nancy R. Bagley Editor in Chief Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

CALL 301.657.9000 OR VISIT SAKS.COM/CHEVYCHASE. CALL 703.761.0700 OR VISIT SAKS.COM/TYSONS. FIND US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, iTUNES AND SAKSPOV.COM

Where does the spotlight shine brightest?

JIMMY CHOO

CHEVY CHASE TYSONS GALLERIA

FYIDC

SWEET SUSTAINABILITY

MUSIC MIX

Sustainable local eatery, SweetGreen, has doubled the lineup for the third annual Sweet Life Food and Music Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, MD) on April 28. While the main stage is set to feature a mix of big name and indie acts, including The Shins, Kid Cudi, Explosions in the Sky and fun., the smaller “Treehouse” is scheduled to offer a roster of local musicians. Engage your taste buds in the Food Forest, featuring eats from José Andrés’ Pepé food truck, Honest Tea, Roberta’s Pizza and more, before heading to one of the interactive activities such as the Tour de Energy Bikes and the TRASHed: Recycling Store. www.sweetlifefestival.com

By the Numbers

THE BIG GREEN

Grab the kids and dig dirt this Earth Day at Tudor Place. Take part in a scavenger hunt, flowerpot painting, seed-planting and more on April 22. www.tudorplaceearthday.eventbrite.com Skip the museum and head for the acres of garden surrounding Tudor Place. Over trees line the Tree Walk, including the -year-old, DC Millennium Tree, a gigantic poplar.

Le Marché

STROLL AND SHOP

he Georgetown BID’s euro-style street market returns to Wisconsin Avenue for a two-day shopping event

beginning April 27. Enjoy up to 70 percent off at your favorite Book Hill shops, boutiques, galleries and antiques shops, from

Duo and Urban Chic to Heiner Contemporary and Nectar Skin Bar. Pick up a commemorative tote to raise funds for the local library or snap your photo in the French-themed photo booth. Nosh on street fare from Café Bonaparte, Clyde’s and more as they whip up merguez sausages, sweet and savory crêpes and other euro-treats. (www.georgtowndc.com) Don’t miss the annual Georgetown House tour on April 28! The famed 90-year event offers inside access to 12 remarkable homes in the area. www. gerogetownhousetour.com

Home Improvement

REMIXED AND REMODELED House hunters take your mark! The fifth annual DC Design House benefiting Children’s National Medical Center has returned. Twenty three of the area’s top designers revamped the interior of the 1956 home located at 4951 Rockwood Parkway NW. The 10,000square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath home owned by the late Dr. Francisco and his wife Gladys Aguirre, is on display through May 13. www.wfp.com

Museum Bash

DISCO-DANCE PARTY

The Smithsonian Associates and Portraits After 5 transforms the Kogod Courtyard (Smithsonian American Art Museum, 500 F. St. NW) on April 13 for the Francophonie Cultural Festival. Dubbed Visio-Disco: A Remix of Music and Art, the event presents a cross-continental installation by Belgian troupe t.r.a.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e., merging music, performance and art. Afterward, the dance floor opens to sets from French composer Koudlam and local dj, The Pinstriped Rebel. www.smithsonianassociates.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F S W E E T G R E E N ; T U D O R P L A C E ; G E O R G E T O W N B U S I N E S S I M P R O V E M E N T D I S T R I C T; R O B E R T R A D I F E R A ; T H E S M I T H S O N I A N A S S O C I A T E S

The Insider’s Guide to Washington | Dance, design and outdoor escapades to kick-off Spring

FYIDC | SOCIAL CALENDAR

Visit washingtonlife.com’s online calendar for information about local benefits and galas. You can post your event online, where it will be considered for our print edition and annual Balls and Galas Directory.

APRIL

FIGHT FOR CHILDREN’S SCHOOL NIGHT This year’s event chaired by Chuck and Stacy Kuhn features a VIP reception, silent auction and seated dinner hosted by Gail Simmons, judge of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef.” Guests will enjoy live entertainment by Grammy-nominated Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue in addition to dancing and desserts. Proceeds support Fight For Children’s programs ensuring that low-income children receive a great education. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; 6-11:30 p.m.; cocktail attire; $150 general tickets, $500 premier tickets; contact Simon Jackson, 202-7720437, simon.jackson@fightforchildren.org

Finlay and Willee Lewis with Thomas Krahenbuhl and Dorothy Kosinski at the Washington Performing Arts Society’s Gala (Photo by Alfredo Flores)

BACHELORS AND SPINSTERS BALL A Washington tradition since the 1930s,Washington’s most eligible singles will gather for drinks, dancing and an opportunity to meet the man or woman of their dreams. City Club Tavern; festive attire; by invitation only; www.bachelorsandspinsters.com

ALICE IN WONDERLAND BALL The Washington Ballet’s 2012 Spring Gala promises to transport guests down a fantasy-filled “rabbit hole” in celebration of the company’s world premiere of Septime Webre’s “ALICE (in wonderland).” Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium; 7 p.m.; black-tie; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Elizabeth Sizer, 202-362-3606, esizer@washingtonballet. org

SAVE THE DATE

WPAS GALA AND AUCTION Washington Performing Arts Society’s annual spring gala is always a very major affair and this year’s gathering should not disappoint. The evening starts with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction followed by dinner, dancing and a special performance by Brian Stokes Mitchell and the WPAS Children of the Gospel. NBC4’s Barbara Harrison serves as the master of ceremonies for the event, which also includes a rousing live auction. Marriott Wardman Park Hotel; 6 p.m.; black-tie; tickets start at $600, tables start at $7,500; contact 202-293-9325

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Celebrating a milestone both for the museum and for women in the arts, the night begins with an auction, cocktails and viewing of the featured exhibition: “Royalists to Romantics: French Women Artists from the Louvre, Versailles and Other French National Collections.” Guests will move to the Great Hall for dinner and dancing. National Museum of Women in the Arts; black-tie; contact Ginny Page, 202-266-2815, gpage@nmwa. org for more information or to purchase tickets.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MAY TH ANNUAL TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL BENEFIT LUNCHEON

MAY TEACH FOR AMERICA DC REGION GALA “LEADERSHIP CHANGING LIVES”

MAY THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION GALA

MAY WASHINGTON MAY TUDOR PLACE TENNIS & EDUCATION GARDEN PARTY FOUNDATION’S TENNIS BALL

MAY BALL ON THE MALL

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

MAY WOODROW WILSON HOUSE PERENNIAL GARDEN PARTY

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

FYIDC | THE NATIONAL MALL

MALL

MAKEOVER

t’s been about 40 years since the National Mall was last renovated, despite 25 million annual visitors. The massive use has taken its toll resulting in disrepair in walkways and lawns as well as other issues throughout the 700-acre national park, which together with other improvement projects will cost $700 million. The National Park Service has agreed to cover half the cost with the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall raising the rest. Washington’s philanthropic community is stepping up to the challenge. Carlyle Group Co-Founder and Managing Director David Rubenstein pitched in $7.5 million and the Akridge Family Foundation donated $1 million so far. “[The mall] has been a part of the living history of this community for 200 years and in the philanthropic community, and they are really giving back,” said Caroline Cunningham, president of the trust, noting that many of Washington’s philanthropic families grew up on America’s “front yard.” Cunningham added that it will take about five to seven years to raise the money to complete all the projects they want, though some restoration projects have already been completed. But there’s much more to be done. Here, a breakdown of some of the bigger projects underway or yet to be completed.Visit the Trust for the National Mall, www.nationalmall.org for more details. 1. Washington Monument $15 million to repair earthquake damage.The federal government allotted $7.5 million with Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein matching the amount. Contract to be awarded by August 2012 with work taking 10 to 12 months 2. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and Grounds $30.7 million to repair the Reflecting Pool structure, install a recirculating water system, add

4 2

MAP REPRINTED WITH PERMIS SIO N FRO M THE TRUST FO R THE NATIO NAL MALL

wider sidewalks around the pool and install a permanent security measure that will also make the west end handicap accessible 3. National Mall Turf Cisterns that collect recycled water, custom-blend soil and seed, and an advanced irrigation system that draws from the cisterns and waters lawn only when needed. Phase one goes from 3rd to 7th streets and will cost $13 million, with two additional phases to reach 15th street in the works.

4. Constitution Gardens Creating a mixed-use facility for visitors that may include a restaurant and rentals for ice skates, sail boats, etc. 5. Union Square Redesigning the pool for event use and security measures. 6. Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater Replacing current structure, which is not historic, with a mixed-use facility for performances, ranger and food services

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Other Overall Improvements: Roving Docents Sponsored by The Boeing Company and the Bernstein Family Foundation, which deployed 35 volunteers in March to show visitors around Recycling A partnership with The Coca-Cola Company that brought 370 recycling bins throughout the park in 2011

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Way-finding Signs $2.2 million in signage for the National Mall, funded equally by the Trust and the government Lighting Retrofit kits and 174 street lights from 3rd to 14th streets outfitted with LED lights donated by Osram Sylvania Inc. and Pepco donated installation crews

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

MALL BY DESIGN The National Mall Design Competition centers on Union Square, Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater and Constitution Gardens. The threestage competition will culminate with the announcement of the winners for each area in May.

FYIDC | CHERRY BLOSSOM CENTENNIAL

COUNTDOWN TO

BLOSSOMS Photos and captions reprinted with permission from National Geographic’s “CHERRY BLOSSOMS: THE OFFICIAL BOOK OF THE NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL”

It’s been 100 years since the Japanese government’s gift of cherry trees

recognizing the United States’ role in brokering a peace treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. Here, a look back on how society journalist Eliza Scidmore, David and Marian Bell Fairchild, Helen Herron Taft and Dr. Jokichi Takamine helped bring the blooms to Washington.

Department of Agriculture inspectors examined the trees and found pests and diseases. (Photo courtesy of the Museum Resource Center, National Park Service)

Jan. 6, 1910 The trees arrive in Washington via climatecontrolled railway cars from across the country, but inspections reveal disease. All but six are promptly destroyed.

March 26, 1912 The trees arrive in Washington. Inspectors clear them for planting.

1928 The ambassador from Japan and his family pose with the blooming trees in 1928. (Photo courtesy of the Museum Resource Center, National Park Service)

Kimono-clad employees of the Japanese Embassy enjoy the blossoms in 1954. (Photo by Volkmar Wentzel)

1934 D.C. commissioners sponsor a threeday event, with a parade and a ball. The festivities eventually evolve into an annual “Cherry Blossom Festival.”

1954 An 8foot-tall, 2-ton granite lantern from the 17th century arrives from Japan, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Kanagawa. It becomes part of the festival marked with a lighting ceremony. The Cherry Blossom Festival becomes a two-week affair, which continues today.

Tokyo’s Mayor Yukio Ozaki, shown with his wife, displayed diplomacy and determination about the gift of trees. (Photo courtesy of the Museum Resource Center, National Park Service)

Nov. 1909 Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki consigns 2,000 cherry blossom trees, which are loaded onto the Kaga Maru freighter and shipped across the Pacific head to Seattle,Wash.

Feb. 14, 1912 About 3,000 trees raised in virgin soil are shipped from Yokohama to Washington aboard the Awa Maru.

March 27, 1912 First Lady Helen Taft, who first expressed interest in planting the trees in Potomac Park, plants the first one.Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, plants the second.

1927 Washington commemorates the arrival of the trees with its first cherry blossom event. Guests, including Mrs.Taft, enjoy a reenactment of the first planting, a pageant of Japanese myths and children performing a ballet. 1935 A man painting the blossoms in 1935 captured their fleeting beauty on canvas. (Photo by Jacob Gayer)

1953 The festival becomes a five-day celebration with a fashion show, an illuminated evening parade, a water show and a luncheon.

WHAT’S IN A BLOOM? 12 varieties of cherry trees were shipped to Washington in 1912, among them 1,800 Yoshinos and 350 Kwanzans. Yoshinos are characterized by clusters of single white flowers and are the most common in Washington.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

The Trust for the National Mall extends its sincere gratitude to its

2011 Founding Investors

The Akridge Family Foundation

The Philip T. Amarante Trust

The Boeing Company

The Brickman Group, LLC

Clark Charitable Foundation

Clark Construction Group

Dr. Scholl Foundation

Estrin Family Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. W. James Farrell

Mr. and Mrs. Lanny Griffith

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kogod

The Widegon Point Charitable Foundation

Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

The Trust for the National Mall is the official non-profit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring the National Mall, home to the hope, history and heroes of America. To learn more, visit nationalmall.org.

POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politics﹐ Hollywood﹐ Media﹐ and Diplomacy | National Medals of Arts and Humanities Gala, ‘Game Change’ and more

Sen. John Kerry and Nicole Kidman at the KuwaitAmerica Foundation Dinner. (Photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

POLLYWOOD | HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC

Ina Ginsburg and David Corn (Photo by Janet Donovan)

DAVID CORN’S “SHOWDOWN” Washingtonians packed the Newseum for the premiere of ‘Game Change.’ (Photo by Alfredo Flores)

Premier Politics ‘Game Change’ lights up Washington B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

ormer VicePresidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wasn’t the only one vehemently dissing “Game Change,” the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin that examines Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Palin in the 2008 race of a lifetime. McCain’s sassy blogging daughter Megan and his vivacious wife Cindy took to the blogosphere to proclaim utter disdain for the authors and the movie, which premiered last month in Washington at The Newseum. Neither minced words when it came to campaign strategist and senior advisor Steve Schmidt (who was in the house) and staffer Nicolle Wallace, both of whom Megan described as political operatives with jaw-dropping disloyalty.The irony is that the senator comes off

well in the flick. “Jay Leno told John McCain that he came across bright in the movie, like a gentleman and a man of honor, and McCain was really surprised,” said director Jay Roach. The film also fleshes out Palin, according to Heilemann. “She has incredible strengths and some distinct weaknesses,” he said.“She performed under extraordinary pressure with very little preparation. She ended up rising to the occasion and dueling Joe Biden to a draw.” The long-anticipated HBO private screening drew the kind of crowd you would expect, about 500 TV personalities, political operatives and lobbyists with a sprinkling of socialites and columnists. Among the guests were Andrea Mitchell, Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough, Hilary Rosen, Howard Fineman, Wolf Blitzer, White

House Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard and the film’s producer Tom Hanks. The stars and principals had plenty to say about the wellreceived film. Julianne Moore played Palin so well she was a breath away from morphing into her, but said the movie wasn’t about her. “I think that the movie is less about Sarah Palin than it is about our political process,” she said.“Why are we so attracted to people who are charismatic and seem like movie stars? Why is that what we look for in our political leaders?” The director found the whole experience surreal. “Sometimes I would see the real Sarah Palin on TV at night and I would become disoriented,” said Roach. “That made us feel like we really were there, but then the bubble would break and we’d realize, oh, we’re making a movie on a set.”

In his new book “Showdown,” Washington editor of Mother Jones and MSNBC contributor David Corn thickens the plot between those old adversaries, the GOP Right and Obama, and trumpets new reporting on the killing of Osama bin Laden, which just so happens to have been ge ing underway as Corn was si ing down with Obama. The author recently cha ed about his book at a private Kalorama residence with media heavies like Bloomberg’s Margaret Carlson, NBC’s Michael Isikoff, National Journal’s Major Garre , Media Ma ers’ David Brock and Tim Burger. The book picks up a er the Democrats’ poor showing in the 2010 midterm elections. “I think the first two years were rather difficult and he got very much fixated — and I don’t mean that in a bad way — on accomplishing a legislative agenda,” Corn told me. “People I talked to in the White House for the book said quite o en that they lost sight of some of the bigger picture at times, so the more inspiring message was more apparent during the election.” His book points out that it’s o en hard for presidents to keep “that inspirational element” while they’re doing “other things” such as bailing out Detroit, a key milestone of Obama’s first two years which Corn refers to as “probably good policy, but not good politics.” “I think my book shows over the course of the year he ended up having a strategic clash that we’re going to have with the 2012 presidential campaign,” he added. And the winner of this election? “I think it’s a 50-50 proposition and it will be 5050 until Election Day,” he said.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Julianne Moore

Mark Halperin and John Heilemann

Queenie Bui and Andrew Shirley

Jay Roach

Sarah Paulson

Danny Strong

‘GAME CHANGE’ PREMIERE Newseum | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES

Susan Summerall Wiles and Lanny Wiles

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Steve and Angela Schmidt

Alison Shulman, Joslyn Hills and Meg Clerc Swiss Amb. Manuel Sager and Christine Sager

Norah O’Donnell, Kimball Stroud and Robbie Myers

ALI WENTWORTH BOOK PARTY Four Seasons Hotel | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Paige McKenzie, Sissy Yates and Michelle Olson

Rhoda and Dan Glickman

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Ali Wentworth

Hunter Biden, Kathleen Biden, Christian Clerc, ld nwa Traci Bernstein and Mandy Gru

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

TALES FROM WONDERLAND: Comedian Ali Wentworth grew up in a house in Washington where she was wiretapped by Nixon and went swimming with Henry Kissinger, a unique childhood which she discusses in her new book “Ali in Wonderland.” The daughter of Reagan Administration social secretary Muﬀy Brandon and the wife of ABC News anchor George Stephanopolous had guests in stitches at a book party hosted by her sister, Sissy Yates, Elle Magazine Editor Robbie Myers and Four Seasons Hotel Manager Christian Clerc. The hotel was like a “psychiatrist oﬃce without a shrink but with a great Caesar salad,” she joked, noting her happiness at being in a city where people actually read books. “In L.A., I’d need a pilates DVD to go with it.” VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

POLLYWOOD

Tammy Haddad, Dennis Kelleher and Tracy Seﬂ Pamela Brown, Jennifer Hazelton and Betsy Korona

Rep. David Schweikert, Bill Falk and Dylan Ratigan

DY N RATIGAN BOOK PARTY

John Warner and John B. Adams Jr.

Sidecar at PJ Clarke’s | PHOTOS BY PAUL MORIGI POLITICS & PROSE Civics-minded bookworms mingled over sliders and cocktails at the celebration of MSNBC personality Dylan Ratigan’s new book “Greedy Bastards: Corporate Communisms, Banksters, and the Other Vampires Who Suck America Dry” in PJ Clarke’s eclectically historic downstairs pub. Ratigan presided over an erudite discussion on the American electoral system with Sen. Bernard Sanders and Rep. David Schweikert. MEDIA MAVENS Bill Falk and Michael Wolfe (with event co-host The Week), Steve Friedman (with co-host MSNBC), Patrick Gavin, Dana Milbank, Mike Feldman and Jay Newton-Small.

David Cicilline and Eve O’Toole

Joe Burmester and John O’Leary

Barbara Wilson, Annie McChrystal and Margaret Rogers

Suzy Jacobs and Alain Begun

Paul Brandus, Michael Wolfe and Kathryn Falk

Steve Spaulding and Derek Cressman

Gen. Richard A. Cody, The Hon. Madeleine Albright, Vicki Cody, Linda Odierno and Gen. JonathanT.Capehart Raymond Odierno

Caroline Firestone, Richard Bradley and Jack Smith

Said Jawad, Laura Bush, Shamim Jawad and Sultana Hakimi

WL EXCLUSIVE

Gen. Richard Myers and Ed Powell

ASCHIANA GALA Netherlands Embassy Residence

Shahin Maﬁ and Netherlands Amb. Renée Jones-Bos

PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Nelly Shasamood, Temur Zaman, Nawa Arsala and Rasool Sardar

CHILDREN MATTER: Guests, including former First Lady Laura Bush, bid on handmade items including rugs and jewelry to raise much-needed funds for the Aschiana Foundation’s efforts to provide vital supplies to children in Kabul, Afghanistan. Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers was honored for assisting the group’s efforts to help the children of Afghanistan.

Diane Powell and Mary Jo Myers

Rick Inderhuﬀ and Ray Mahmood 26

Richard Jones and Dennis Kinney

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Samantha Cameron, Michelle Obama, David Cameron and Barack Obama

Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis

Warren and Astrid BuďŹ&#x20AC;ett

WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER IN HONOR OF BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON White House | ASSOCIATED PRESS IMAGES The special relationship continued with a lavish dinner celebrating the visit of Prime Minister David Cameron, hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady

Michelle Obama. GUESTBOOK: Carey Mulligan and Damian Lewis dined alongside Anna Wintour, Harvey Weinstein and Warren Buffett.

Charlie Rose and Amanda Burden

Chris Lu

George Clooney

Idris Elba

Elizabeth McGovern and Simon Adam Curtis

Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com

Shelby Bryan and Anna Wintour 27

POLLYWOOD

FEMALE FORCE

s a United Nations global ambassador, Nicole Kidman often speaks out on behalf of women around the world. Recently in town to accept a Kuwait-America Foundation award for her humanitarian work, the actress enlightened us about the cause that is closest to her heart.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A UN WOMEN’S G O O D W I L L AMBASSADOR? I was raised by a feminist mother who always encouraged her daughters to have a social conscience and be involved and give back.

war crimes are held responsible and the laws are upheld so they are charged accordingly and appropriately.

IS THERE ANY LEGISLATION THAT YOU THINK MUST BE PASSED? IF SO WHAT DO YOU HOPE IT WILL ACCOMPLISH? UN Women works around the world every day to make sure that discriminatory laws IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND are revised and new legislation passed to AND PASS LEGISLATION OR MAKE A uphold women’s rights. Often these refer SUPREME COURT DECISION WHAT to women’s property rights, or protecting WOULD IT BE? That the perpetrators of women from violence.

WHAT PART OF THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND PROTECTION DO YOU THINK IS MISSING? On a global scale, the issues that negatively impact women’s equal status in society are well known. So are the steps necessary to overcome them. But they must be implemented. This takes adequate laws and political will to make sure they are fully applied. WHICH HISTORICAL FIGURE DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH? I would not say that I identify with Eleanor Roosevelt, but I would say that she is someone I have always loved. WHO ARE YOUR REAL-LIFE HEROES? The survivors of violence against them, those who endure enormous tragedy yet still move forward. That is true courage.

Kuwait Amb. Salem Al-Sabah, David Petraeus and Rima Al-Sabah

Nicole Kidman, Teresa Heinz and Keith Urban WL EXCLUSIVE

KUWAIT-AMERICA FOUNDATION DINNER Embassy of Kuwait Residence | PHOTOS BY NESHAN NALTCHAYAN AND VICKY POMBO* HOLLYWOOD GLITZ: Glamorous Nicole Kidman turned the most heads, albeit with some competition from Cabinet, Supreme Court and White House bigwigs who turned out for the cause: micro-credit loans for women in the Middle East. “Where women are empowered, the economy and society prosper” the Oscar-winning actress told the A-List crowd before a cabaret-style show by Lynda “Wonderwoman” Carter that drew raves from country star Keith Urban, Kidman’s husband of six years. MAJOR BENEFACTORS: CIA Director David Petraeus praised hosts Salem and Rima Al-Sabah for raising $13 million for deserving causes since 2004.

Sen. John Kerry and Jacob Lew

Wayne Berman and Lisa Barry

John and Diane Watson with David Gregory and Beth Wilkinson

Sophie L’Helias-Delattre, Evan Ryan and Antony Blinken

Lady Westmacott and British Amb. Sir Peter Westmacott

Lynda Carter and Sen. Scott Brown

Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero and Laura Bisogniero WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com

POLLYWOOD

Teoﬁlo Ruiz and Scarlette Freud Mary Yeager and Al Pacino

Alexa and Blaine Wesner

Kevin and Anne Marie Gover

WL EXCLUSIVE

NATIONAL MEDALS OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES GALA National Museum of the American Indian | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES

Brenda Pipestem, Alfre Woodard and Dick Cohen

EMINENT HONOREES: Artists, scholars, politicians and humanitarians gathered to celebrate the 2011 recipients of the annual National Medal of the Arts and the National Medal of the Humanities — the highest recognition given in both fields of endeavor. The National Museum of the American Indian’s stunning atrium was a backdrop to the festivities where renowned actor and author John Lithgow spoke passionately about the enduring power of the arts. Guests mingled with the 2011 medalists including actor Al Pacino, painter Will Barnet, U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, arts patron Emily Ruth Pulitzer, singer and songwriter Mel Tillis, U.C.L.A. History Professor Teoﬁlo F. Ruiz and sculptor Martin Puryear.

Libby Haight-O’Connell and John Lithgow, with Jay and Lyric Winik

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Gale and, Fred Goldring, Ricky Arriola and George Stevens Jr. Rachel Goslins, Richard Wolﬀe and Paula Cuello

Susan Rochefeller and Paula Crown

Jody Arlington and Frank Cordes

Bianca Pulitzer and Emily Rauh Pulitzer

Brittany Wagoner 30

Chuck Close and Sienna Shields

Aaron Maybin, Martin Buyurds and Jasmine Richardson. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com

Please join us...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

D.C. Region Gala: Leadership Changing Lives Ritz-Carlton 1150 22nd St, NW Washington, D.C. Dinner and Program 7:30 p.m. Cocktails 6:30 p.m. Cocktail Attire

Dessert Reception 9:30 p.m. www.TeachForAmerica.org/DC-Region-Gala

Event Chairs

Honoring The Morris and Gwendolyn

Katherine and David Bradley Kristin Ehrgood Monica Moore Thompson and John Thompson III Christie and Jeff Weiss

Cafritz Foundation

Host Committee Judy Heisley Bishop Emily Bloomfield and Byron Auguste April and John Delaney Heidi and John Fahey Nancy and Ronald Fletcher Gregory Gingery Mary and Robert Haft Paula and Robert Hisaoka Cindy and Evan Jones Yolanda and Dale Jones Kay Kendall Judy and Peter Kovler Deborah M. Lehr Nick and Alyssa Lovegrove Connie and John McGuire Kim and Patrick Nettles Lynne and Greg O’Brien Stuart and Ginger Pape Sally Pingree Susanna and Jack Quinn Honorable Sven Erik Holmes and Lois Romano Joey and Stan Sloter Gabriella and Douglas Smith Liz Underhill Nina Zolt and Miles Gilburne

With Special Guests Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, and Mrs. Karen Duncan Carole Funger, Décor Chair

David Hagedorn, Menu Consultant

Finance Committee William B. Conway, Jr. Jack Davies Lawrence P. Fisher, II John Green Virginia Navas Heine Vernon W. Holleman, III Jeffrey Nuechterlein

Teach For America provides a critical source of well-trained teachers and alumni leaders whose mission is to create educational equity. Teach For America • D.C. Region supports 360 corps members and 1,600 local alumni. Together, armed with an understanding of how to close the achievement gap, they focus on and deliver transformational teaching to 35,000 students in the area’s low income communities and tackle this issue each day across all professional sectors. Your support enables us to attract young leaders to the D.C. community, train and support them, and foster an alumni movement to unleash the potential of all our students.

ALIST

SPECIAL FEATURE | THE A-LIST

THE

President BARACK H OBAMA and First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA

tives and Mrs. JOHN A BOEHNER (Debbie)

Vice President and Mrs. JOSEPH R BIDEN JR (Jill)

SALLY QUINN

His Excellency the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia ADEL BIN AHMED AL-JUBEIR and Mrs. Al-Jubeir (Farah) Mr. and Mrs. ROBERT L ALLBRITTON (Elena)

Mr. BENJAMIN C BRADLEE and Ms. Mr. and Mrs. DAVID G BRADLEY (Katherine)

Mr. MARCUS W BRAUCHLI and Ms. MAGGIE FARLEY

Associate Justice and Mrs. STEPHEN G BREYER (Joanna)

George Stevens Jr. and Nancy Pelosi

David Gregory

Joe Biden

The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and Mrs. G WAYNE CLOUGH (Anne) Her Royal Highness INFANTA CRISTINA and His Excellency INAKI URDANGARÍN, Duke of Palma de Majorca His Excellency the Ambassador of France FRANCOIS DELATTRE and Ms. SOPHIE L’HÉLIAS-DELATTRE

General MARTIN E DEMPSEY, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Mrs. Dempsey (Deanie)

His Excellency the Ambassador of Kuwait, Sheikh SALEM ABDULLAH AL-JABER ALSABAH, and Sheikha RIMA AL-SABAH

Senator SCOTT BROWN and Ms. GAIL

Ms. ADRIENNE ARSHT

Mr. and Mrs. CALVIN CAFRITZ (Jane)

Mr. and Mrs. DAVID M AXELROD (Susan)

Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAM N CAFRITZ (Buffy)

The Honorable BEN S BERNANKE, Chairman, Federal Reserve Board, and Mrs. Bernanke (Anna)

Representative and Mrs. ERIC I CANTOR (Diana)

Mr. and Mrs. ROBERT S DUVALL (Luciana)

Mr. and Mrs. STEVEN B CASE (Jean)

Senator and Mrs. AL FRANKEN (Frannie)

Mr. JEREMY BERNARD

Mr. JAMES (“JAY”) CARNEY and Ms.

The Honorable and Mrs. JAMES H BILL-

CLAIRE SHIPMAN

The Honorable TIMOTHY F GEITHNER, Secretary of the Treasury, and Mrs. Geithner (Carole)

HUFF

INGTON (Marjorie)

The Honorable and Mrs. RICHARD B

His Excellency the Ambassador of Italy CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO and Mrs. Bisogniero (Laura)

CHENEY (Lynne)

Mr. ANTONY J BLINKEN and Ms. EVAN RYAN

The Speaker of the House of Representa-

The Honorable STEVEN CHU, Secretary of Energy, and Mrs. Chu (Jean) The Honorable WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON and the Honorable HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, Secretary of State

The Honorable and MRS CHRISTOPHER J DODD (Jacki) The Honorable THOMAS E “TOM” DONILON and Ms. CATHERINE RUSSELL

Mr. DONALD E GRAHAM Mr. DAVID GREGORY and Ms. BETH WILKINSON

Count and Countess JEHAN DE LA HAYESAINT HILAIRE (Constance Milstein) Mr. JIM HOAGLAND and Ms. JANE

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

G. Wayne Clough

Katharine Weymouth

Adrienne Arscht Steven Chu

Claire Shipman and Jay Carney

Barack and Michelle Obama

STANTON HITCHCOCK

Ms. JACQUELINE BADGER MARS

The Honorable ERIC H HOLDER JR , Attorney General, and Dr. SHARON

Mr. and Mrs. CHRISTOPHER MATTHEWS (Kathleen)

Senator and Mrs. HARRY M REID (Landra)

Senator and Mrs. JOHN S MCCAIN III (Cindy)

The Honorable SUSAN RICE U S Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mr. IAN

MALONE

Representative STENY H HOYER Ms. VALERIE JARRETT Mr. and Mrs. VERNON E JORDAN JR. (Ann)

Senator A MITCHELL MCCONNELL and the Honorable ELAINE LAN CHAO

Mr. MICHAEL KAISER

The Honorable JANET NAPOLITANO, Secretary of Homeland Security

Associate Justice and Mrs. ANTHONY KENNEDY (Mary)

The Honorable and Mrs. WILLIAM T NEWMAN JR (Sheila Johnson)

Senator JOHN F KERRY and Ms. TERESA

Her Majesty Queen NOOR AL-HUSSEIN

HEINZ

The Honorable LEON E PANETTA, Secretary of Defense, and Mrs. Panetta (Sylvia)

Ms. CHRISTINE LAGARDE, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund Mr. and Mrs. JAMES C LEHRER (Kate) Mr. and Mrs. THEODORE J “TED” LEONSIS (Lynn) Mr. and Mrs. THEODORE N “TED” LERNER (Annette) The Honorable JACOB J “JACK” LEW, chief of staff, the White House, and Dr.

Representative NANCY PELOSI and Mr. The Honorable and Mr. PAUL PELOSI The Honorable DAVID H PETRAEUS, Director, Central Intelligence Agency, and Mrs. Petraeus (Holly) Mr. DAVID PLOUFFE and Ms. OLIVIA MORGAN

RUTH SCHWARTZ

The Honorable and Mrs. COLIN L POWELL (Alma)

Mr. and Mrs. J WILLARD MARRIOTT JR (Donna)

Mr. and Mrs. EARL A “RUSTY” POWELL III (Nancy)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Mr. BRUCE REED and Ms. BONNIE LEPARD

CAMERON

The Chief Justice and Mrs. JOHN G ROBERTS JR (Jane) Senator and Mrs. JOHN D ROCKEFELLER IV (Sharon Percy)

Mr. and Mrs. DAVID RUBENSTEIN (Alice) Mr. and Mrs. ROGER SANT (Victoria/“Vicki”) Associate Justice and Mrs. ANTONIN SCALIA (Maureen) Mr. and Mrs. DANIEL M SNYDER (Tanya) Mr. and Mrs. GEORGE C STEVENS JR (Elizabeth/“Liz”) His Excellency the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland SIR PETER WESTMACOTT and Lady Westmacott (Susie) Ms. KATHARINE WEYMOUTH Mr. ROBERT WOODWARD and Ms. ELSA WALSH

33 41

SPECIAL FEATURE | A LIST PROUST PLUS HOW HAS WASHINGTON MOST CHANGED SINCE YOUR LAST POSTING HERE? It’s livelier, more dynamic and energetic than 20 years ago. My wife Laura Denise and I love the many, diverse and high-quality cultural options it offers today. WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO DO TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL RELATIONS? Both Italy and the United States would benefit from more cultural exchanges and initiatives, and investments as well. I intend to work hard on that. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? Too many ties. Also, I sometimes wear unusual colors, which drives my wife a little crazy at times. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR WORDS YOU LIVE BY THAT MEAN A LOT TO YOU? Work to achieve your goals. But never forget to have fun. FAVORITE BOOKS YOU READ THIS YEAR? “John Adams” by David McCullough and “Elogio del Silenzio” by Boris Biancheri, a former Italian ambassador to the United States. SOMETHING INTERESTING OR SURPRISING THAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I love mathematics. I also used to jump out of airplanes when I was younger … up until my wife wisely put an end to it. WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? Mahler “8th Symphony” CDs. WHAT HOBBY DO YOU MOST ENJOY? Flying airplanes. WHAT POLITICAL SPEECH OR QUOTE INSPIRES YOU? JFK’s inaugural address.

Claudio Bisogniero Ambassador of Italy

A FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY? Corvara in the Dolomites for skiing, and the Orvieto area for a relaxing holiday in the countryside. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME TO MEET ANY FAMOUS FIGURE WHO WOULD IT BE? WHAT IS APPEALING ABOUT THIS PERSON? WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THEM? On a lighthearted note, 1952, when Art Buchwald explained Thanksgiving to the French. I would have asked him to explain it to the Italians as well. SHARE SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY THAT MAKES YOU PROUD? Didn’t you ask me to be brief?

The French writer Marcel Proust developed a timeless list of subjective questions (originally for a parlor game) that would end up revealing many aspects of an individual’s inner personality. In this issue we begin a series of these classic enquiries with replies from Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero and Kuwait Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Rima.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT STATE OF MIND? Salem Al-Sabah: Cautiously optimistic. Rima Al-Sabah: Hopeful WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY? SAS:The young Arab revolutionary. He/she is bravely fighting for dignity. RAS: Christiane Amanpour. I always wanted to be a war correspondent. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND MEET ANY HISTORICAL FIGURE WHO WOULD IT BE? SAS: Alexander the Great. He achieved the impossible. I would ask him to reveal what the Oracle of Ammon told him. RAS: I would ask the three prophets, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, how we can lift people out of poverty, ignorance and violence in the world today. SHARE SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY THAT MAKES YOU PROUD? SAS: Women enjoy full political rights. RAS: WHAT SPEECH OR QUOTE INSPIRES The democratic tradition of Kuwait and the YOU? SAS: One that is less than 10 minutes openness of our society. long. RAS: “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And YOUR FAVORITE VACATION DESTINA- therefore never send to know for whom the TION IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY? SAS: A bells tolls, it tolls for thee.” — John Donne well-appointed tent in the desert FAVORITE BOOK YOU READ THIS YEAR? WHEN AND WHERE WERE/ARE YOU THE SAS: “Caravaggio, Life Sacred and Profane,” HAPPIEST? SAS and RAS: At home with our by Andrew Graham-Dixon. His life, like his art, was vivid. RAS: “Steve Jobs” by Walter children around us. Isaacson. Jobs believed in creativity without WHAT IS THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE boundaries. IN YOURSELF AND IN OTHERS? SAS: Asking too many questions. RAS: Impatience SOMETHING INTERESTING OR SURPRISING THAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING YOU? SAS: I am not on Facebook or Twitter ABOUT YOURSELF WHAT WOULD IT RAS: I am a chocoholic. BE? SAS: Being able to pack a lighter suitcase when I travel WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO DO TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL RELAWHAT REALLY ANGERS YOU? SAS:Answer- TIONS? SAS: Move into the Lincoln Bedroom ing too many questions. RAS: Prejudice at the White House. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR WORDS THAT YOU LIVE SAS: “Live every day to the fullest — in moderation.” RAS: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Salem Al-Sabah Ambassador of Kuwait

Rima Al-Sabah

FAVORITE WASHINGTON AREA RESTAURANT AND WHAT DO YOU ORDER THERE? SAS: Sushi-Ko and Makoto.The Chu Toro Tuna in both restaurants is not to be missed.

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

SPECIAL FEATURE | EARTH DAY

CLIMATE VOYAGE TO

ANTARCTICA BY SCOTT AND CHRISTY WALLACE PHOTOS BY SCOTT WALLACE EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

and Christy or 10 days in late January and early Feb- Scott Wallace ruary of 2012, we had the incredible experience of travelling to the bottom of the earth at the invitation of former Vice President Al Gore in the company of a remarkable group of policy leaders, scientists and activists, to explore first-hand the effects of the earth’s changing climate. Our Washington-based charitable foundation, the Wallace Global Fund, has long supported research, advocacy and activism to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, especially in the U.S., which has 4 percent of the world’s population but is responsible for 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — by far the highest per capita rate in the world.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

1. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson kayaking with Tokyo Sexwale, minister of Human Settlements in the current South African government, a political prisoner with Nelson Mandela for 15 years. Branson has offered a $25 million “Earth Prize” for new ways of removing carbon from the earth’s atmosphere. Sexwale was skeptical about international climate-treaty negotiations (having witnessed the disappointing recent UN conference in South Africa) and thought citizen activism would be more likely to spur change by local governments and corporations. 2. Getting to the Antarctic from the southernmost tip of South America involves crossing the Drake Passage, 500 miles of open water where strong currents can make the difference between the “Drake Lake” and the “Drake Shake.” (photo by Johanna Dominguez) 3. We city slickers, like our daughter Johanna here, notice the silence — no cars, no planes, no air-conditioner hum. Only the occasional loud crack of another ice chunk the size of the Washington Monument breaking off the glacier. Some glaciers are two miles deep, with 160,000-year-old ice at the bottom. One of the brilliant scientists on board, Prof. Chris Rapley, ran the British Antarctic Survey for a decade, which looks into the past through techniques like ice core sample analysis. Today’s levels of greenhouse gases are far higher than ever before.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

4. Gentoo penguin regurgitating a nice krill lunch for her chick. From a visit to the U.S.’s Palmer Research Station, we learned that tiny krill are a keystone food source for all ocean life, including whales, seals and penguins, and are the most plentiful animal on earth (more total weight than all humans put together!). They are masterpieces of carbon sequestration; they feed on tiny microorganisms that live on the underside of ice sheets, and their excrement is filled with carbon, which is heavier than water and sinks to the ocean floor for 1,000 years. The loss of pack ice caused by warming Antarctic temperatures not only accelerates warming, but has caused an 80 percent decline in krill populations.

SPECIAL FEATURE | EARTH DAY

6 Al Gore’s leadership on climate destabilization was the force that brought this incredible group of scientists, policy makers, opinion shapers, foundation leaders and prominent activists together. His Climate Reality Project, which organized the expedition, is playing a leading role in exposing the fossil fuel industry’s disinformation campaign — reminiscent of the tobacco industry’s pseudo-science denials in the 1960s — and keeping the debate focused on science and reality. Other discussions focused on global impacts and possible solutions, including President Olafur Grimsson of Iceland, which has switched from 80 percent fossil fuel-dependent to 100 percent renewable energy, and the Prime Minister and Environment Minister of Bangladesh, the world’s most densely populated and low-lying country, which would be devastated by even modest sea-level rise. Ted Turner, founder of the UN Foundation, spoke powerfully about population growth exacerbating the crisis and urged a huge commitment to family planning globally. Al Gore was equally engaged on science, policy and solutions. Antarctica awed us with its paradoxes — harsh yet beautiful; a

7 bar ren wasteland where few of us would care to live, yet teeming with life; remote yet closely linked to all people. We came away both inspired — and horrified — 8 by mankind’s ability to ruin it all. We have only a few years before our burning of coal and oil pushes the amount of carbon in the atmosphere beyond the tipping point. Do enough people care? This expedition, and the commitment of the remarkable people on it, gave us hope. Scott Wallace is an attorney and co-chairman of the Wallace Global Fund, founded by his grandfather, former U.S.Vice President Henry A.Wallace. Christy Wallace is treasurer of the Fund. They split their time between the Washington area and South Africa, where the foundation is also active.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

12 5. Our ship, the National Geographic Explorer, or as Al Gore called it, “Destination Reality.” The ship was dwarfed by a tabular iceberg — a huge flat slab of sea ice and glacier that has cracked loose and drifted away. A few years ago, a tabular iceberg the size of Rhode Island broke loose from the Antarctic’s Larsen Ice Shelf, which had been stable for the last 22,000 years. Our mission was to experience what’s really happening to the planet, in its remotest reaches, far from Washington, D.C.’s gridlock and industry-funded denials. 6. Christy Wallace and Al Gore. 7. Along with the great variety of seals and penguins were whales, including minke, southern right and this humpback. They no longer have reason to fear people, or Zodiac boats. 8. Leopard seal. One of these guys can eat 16 penguins in a day. 9. We ventured out in sea kayaks, dwarfed by the landscape. It is a great irony of the Antarctic that although it holds 90 percent of the world’s ice and 70 percent of the world’s fresh water (in the ice), it receives so little precipitation that it is classified as the world’s largest desert.

10. The seminars and discussions continued in between landings. Fun evenings of entertainment included Grammy-winners Jason Mraz (here with percussionist Mona Tavakoli), Kathy Mattea and husband Jon Vezner (who are also activists calling attention to global warming and mountaintop-removal coal mining). 11. Maybe it was all the talk about global ‘warming’ that made some dare to take the ‘polar plunge,’ like our son Robert (left), and daughter Johanna. They found out there’s a very good reason those expedition staffers are wearing heavy parkas.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

12. The Drake crossing was filled with two days of seminars about climate change. The extraordinarily rich scientific discussion was led by renowned experts like James Hansen, professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

SPECIAL FEATURE | EARTH DAY

FARMING REFRESHED WILL THE FARM BILL PRODUCE A BETTER FOOD SYSTEM?

FAIR AND EQUITABLE?

“The health of our families, the quality of our food and the land, soil and water we need to feed future generations are all at stake. Congress needs to renew programs that feed low-income children instead of sending checks to mega-farms while millions remain unemployed.”

REFORM ADVOCATES LIKE EWG ARE PUSHING FOR A FARM BILL THAT • Protects and increases funding for conservation programs; • Helps farmers pay for best-practices to keep fertilizers and toxic chemicals from running off land into drinking water. reduces soil erosion and restores wildlife habitats;

– Environmental Working Group

• Contributes to the enormous task of keeping drinking water clean, increases funding for the conservation programs that help farmers pay for the best practices to keep fertilizers and toxic chemicals from running off farmlands into our lakes and streams;

The 2012 farm bill is an opportunity to help farmers and ranchers meet growing demands for local and regional food systems, and get healthier food to families and schools. Traditionally, the legislation also has provisions to fund critical agriculture research and support organic farming. The lion’s share of current farm bill spending (75 percent) goes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. This vital program helps feed 46 million people, half of them children. Most farm bill dollars go to federal nutrition assistance programs that help feed low-income families, but billions also go to highly profitable mega-farms. Since 1995, just 10 percent of the largest farms in the U.S. have raked in 74 percent of all subsidy payments, while 62 percent of farms got nothing.

• Creates incentives for young farmers to get started. Start learning more about the farm bill by visiting: www.ewg.org/agmag.

This year, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, will lead the farm bill effort in that chamber. In the House, Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) will be the prime sponsor.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

P H O T O O F H R H C O U R T S E Y: G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y.

f you care about your drinking water, how your food is grown and how affordable it is, pay attention to the farm bill – a massive piece of legislation guiding food and farm policy. Congress renews the bill every five years, which amounted in just one year – 2010 – to $96.3 billion. The Environmental Working Group investigates what’s at stake in the 2012 farm bill renewal fight, how badly broken America’s farm and food system is, and what needs to be fixed. The big fight is always over which programs will stay or go. The 2012 bill will lock in the nation’s spending on programs that fight hunger, improve Americans’ health and their access to healthy food, and protect natural resources. Lawmakers have already begun debate, and hearings are underway to get a renewal bill written on time, but in an election year, its prospects are uncertain.

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DONE IT AGAIN LAURIE DAVID KICKSTARTS A COURAGEOUS SPEECH â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE PRINCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SPEECH

ON THE FUTURE OF FOODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BY HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES

with a farm bill that addresses all of the concerns explained in this book.

W H AT M A K E S YOU ANGRY? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Rodale Books and GRACE incredibly angry that Communications, $6.99, 70 percent of all the www.onthefutureoffood.org antibiotics made in this country are going WHY IS â&#x20AC;&#x153;ON THE FUTURE OF FOODâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; unregulated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to healthy animals so they can IMPORTANT READING? Its core message be raised in vile conditions to feed our everis a question the Prince himself poses in growing appetite for meat. This is true insanthe speech: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why is it that an industrialized ity. Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we rather save those antibiotics system deeply dependent on fossil fuels and for those we love when they get sick? chemical treatments is promoted as viable while a much less damaging one is rubbished WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD TO and condemned as unfit for purpose?â&#x20AC;? That is GROW COOK OR CONSUME? My favorthe heart of the Princeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech and that is the ite food to grow, cook and consume is all in question we have to address. one: kale. Growing kale is one of the most rewarding things you can do in your garden. WHO IN WASHINGTON SHOULD READ It is the plant that keeps on giving. No matter THIS BOOK AND TAKE IT TO HEART? The how many leaves you pick, there is always key target is anyone who eats. As for Washing- more the next day. I love to eat it raw or ton D.C., this should be required reading for cooked and my kids love it too. anyone holding a political office. I am personally happy to supply the copies. TIP FOR GOOD EATING HABITS? One of the most powerful things you can do right WHAT IS THE â&#x20AC;&#x153;SUSTAINABLE FOOD away is start cooking again with real, fresh MOVEMENTâ&#x20AC;? ABOUT? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really about the ingredients grown locally and in-season and future and how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to feed ourselves add a meatless Monday ritual to your family dinners! Not only and keep our planet healthy at the same time. will this be better for Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about doing things in a way that is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;susthe planet but will tainableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that nourishes our limited resources improve your own and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deplete them. health immeasurably. WHAT LEGISLATION DO YOU THINK NEEDS IMMEDIATE ACTIONABLE AUTHOR AND REFORM? So many of these issues have to ACADEMY AWARD WINNING do with what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re subsidizing and what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re PRODUCER not subsidizing. Also, of course, coming up LAURIE DAVID

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Spy On Your Neighbor SEE WHO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD RECEIVES FARM SUBSIDIES You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be a farmer to obtain farm subsidies. You can be a city slicker in Washington, own farmland in Iowa and collect government checks in the mail. In the pastures of the District, 195 residents cashed in $475,214 in 2010. The average in 2010, per individual, in some of our best neighborhoods: CHEVY CHASE MD POTOMAC MD MCLEAN VA WOODLEY PARK CAPITAL HILL GEORGETOWN FALLS CHURCH VA For a transparent look at exactly who gets what, visit: http://farm.ewg.org/

SPECIAL FEATURE | EARTH DAY

TOUGH TRUTHS ABOUT

PLASTIC POLLUTION KICKING THE DISPOSABLE PLASTIC HABIT

Ed Begley, Jr.

BY E D B EG L EY J R . , AC TO R A N D P L A ST I C P O L LU T I O N C O A L I T I O N N O TA B L E S U P P O R T E R ; D A N I E L L A D I M I T R O VA R U S S O , P P C C O - F O U N D E R A N D E X E C U T I V E DIRECTOR; AND JULIA COHEN, PPC CO-FOUNDER AND COA L I T I O N M A N AG E R

ART Wallflower (2011)

Dianna Cohen, a co-founder of Plastic Pollution Coalition, works with recycled plastic bags, handles and thread as her primary material.

‘GREEN SHEIKH’ Abdul Aziz bin Ali bin Rashid Al Nuaimi

lastic pollution is at the nexus of the planet’s major challenges: ecosystem degradation, public health and environmental justice. Plastic trash is in the ocean and the desert, in riverbeds and dams, in every community. Plastic pollution is in the air in the form of toxic particulate matter from plastic incineration. Increasingly, it is in our bodies, with toxic chemicals leaching out of plastic food and drink containers, packaging and toys. The greatest cause of plastic pollution is disposable — plastic bags, bottles and caps, utensils, cups and straws. In the United States, less than a quarter of plastic drink bottles are recycled. Plastic does not go away. It is a material that Earth cannot digest. Every bit of plastic ever made is still with us. Ending plastic pollution, the mission of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, is a goal that may not be achieved for several generations. By collaborating with public figures, policymakers and manufacturers from around the world, and through the power of public art, we are creating a wave of change. Since 2009, thousands of communities around the globe — from San Francisco Unaltered stomach and Washington, contents of a D.C. to Kigali, from Laysan albatross fledgling, Midway Beijing to Bombay Island, 2010; — have reduced photograph by plastic bag use Chris Jordan.

through bans or fees. The European Union is considering a ban on plastic bags. Communities are beginning to ban plastic bottles, and universities and high schools are joining in.Toxic chemicals, such as Bisphenol-A (BPA), which leaches out of plastic containers or toys, are banned in many states here in America and in such countries as Canada and France. Throughout the U.S., Central America, China and the United Arab Emirates, hundreds of schools and universities are joining Plastic Free Campuses to reduce their plastic footprint — banning plastic bottles at the University of Vermont, finding local sustainable alternatives in Central America and installing hydration stations on campuses in the UAE. The program is championed by one of the most respected environmental activists in the Middle East, “The Green Sheikh.” A member of the royal family of the UAE Emirate of Ajman, an environmental advisor to the Ajman government and a leading voice for youth, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali bin Rashid Al Nuaimi is inspiring young people to become leaders in building a world free of plastic pollution. We need to end our disposable habits now. Plastic pollution requires a global response that we’ll achieve by changing our collective behavior, refusing disposable plastic, single-use plastic bags and bottles. We hope you’ll join us.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

papercut by

for occ a sions c aterer s

w w w.o cc a sionsc aterer s.com

The Art of the Cocktail Party

LIFESTYLES

Luxury o f Movement BURST FORTH IN A VIBRANT INTERPLAY OF COSMIC PLAYFULNESS AND SERENITY

PHOTOGRAPHY

HAIR

LUIS ARAGON KATHY ARAGON GIGI CREATIVE TALENT PRINCIPAL

GIGI CREATIVE TALENT FOR RENE FURTERER MAKEUP

TONI LEINHARDT KY WASHINGTON GIGI CREATIVE TALENT WARDROBE STYLIST

GIGI CREATIVE TALENT FOR NARS MODEL

DAWN WEBSTER MELISSA PURVIS GIGI CREATIVE TALENT SHOOT ASSISTANTS RODNEY YOUNG DAMION MILLER MARTIN DELA PAZ STUDIO LOCATION STUDIO WWW STUDIO NET

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

SONAM DUBAL pink silk “Lotus Gown” ($750); special order at sonam@sonamdubal. com; PRADA nude peep-toe shoes (Price upon request); Saks Fifth Avenue, Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va., 703-7610700, www.saksfifthavenue. com; KENDRA SCOTT ELENA feather earrings ($95); Charm Georgetown, 2910 M St. NW, 202-298-0420, www.charmgeorgetown.com; “RUBEDO” cuff ($5,750); “RUBEDO” ring ($650), in honor of Tiffany’s 175th anniversary; Tiffany & Co., Fairfax Square, 8045 Leesburg Pike Vienna, Va., 301-657-8777, www.tiffany.com

MARC BY MARC JACOBS multicolored scarf ($198), ST. JOHN crème pant ($950); Saks Fifth Avenue, Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va., 703-7610700, www.saksfifthavenue. com; amethyst stack ring ($7,000), “RUBEDO” stack ring ($24,000); Tiffany & Co., Fairfax Square 8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Va., 301-657-8777, www.tiffany.com; GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI magenta peep-toe shoes ($695); Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-657-9000, www.saksfifthavenue.com

PA M E L L A ROLAND tangerine one shoulder dress ($1,870), JIMMY CHOO glitter peep-toe pumps (Price upon request), Saks Jandel, 5510 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md.,301-652-2250; gold long teardrop earrings (Price upon request), Charm Georgetown, 2910 M St. NW, 202-298-0420, www.charmgeorgetown.com;

Opposite: MILLY black cotton swing dress ($450); Hysteria, 125 S. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-548-1615. BEVERLY FELDMAN black mesh sling-back heel with leopard bow detail ($185); Periwinkle, 1557 Potomac Greens Dr., Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-519-5242. TIFFANY & CO. diamond drop hoop earrings ($5,700), 18-kt. rose gold diamond bangle ($7,900), 18-kt. white gold diamond bangle ($7,900), 18-kt. yellow gold diamond bangle ($7,900), platinum butterfly diamond necklace ($4,700), platinum dragonfly diamond necklace (price upon request) and pavé diamond lock necklace ($12,500); Tiffany & Co. Fairfax Square, 8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182, 703-893-7700. Above: ALEXANDER BERARDI red chiffon dress ($429); Hysteria, 125 S. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-548-1615. TIFFANY & CO. black silk pompom necklace ($550), green jade sphere silk necklace ($3,100), Frank Ghery torque micro 18-kt. white gold square hoop pavé diamond earrings ($4,250), doughnut black, red and maroon lacquer bangles (price upon request); Tiffany & Co. Fairfax Square, 8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182, 703-893-7700. BOURNE ELLE black suede bow bootie ($295); Periwinkle, 1557 Potomac Greens Dr., Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-519-5242.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| F E B R U A R Y | washingtonlife.com

ERIN FETHERSTON beige pleated dress (Price upon request), CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN cheetah wedges (Price upon request); Saks Fifth Avenue, Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va., 703-761-0700, www. saksfifthavenue.com; ($2,250); JORGE ADELER custom pendant with a 39-karat citrine cabochon gemstone enhanced with round diamond melee pavĂŠ mounted in semi-circle channels ($10,350); JORGE ADELER custom dangle earrings with round and pear shaped peridot mounted in 14-karat yellow gold bezels ($6,999); JORGE ADELER custom 7.41-carat diamond ring mounted in a gold frame with 14-carat diamond accents ($4,599); Adeler Jewelers, 772 Walker Road Great Falls, Va., 703-759-4076, www. adelerjewelers.com

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| F E B R U A R Y | washingtonlife.com

HALSTON pink v-neck dress ($595); Saks Fifth Avenue Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va., 703-761-0700, www. saksfifthavenue.com; willow earrings ($575); “RUBEDO” pendant ($1250); “RUBEDO” interlock bangle ($4,200), in honor of Tiffany’s 175th anniversary; Tiffany & Co., Fairfax Square, 8045 Leesburg Pike Vienna, Va., 301-657-8777, www.tiffany.com; JIMMY CHOO glitter peep-toe shoes (price upon request); Saks Fifth Avenue, Tysons Galleria, 2051 International Drive, McLean, Va., 703-761-0700, www.saksfifthavenue.com

LUXURY TRAVEL | HOTEL WATCH

Lust for Leisure QUICK TAKE The private West End, Old Bahama Bay Resort and Yacht Harbour, has long been a destination for fishing enthusiasts, families and celebs (John Travolta and his brood have long frequented the resort), looking for the casual charm of the Bahamian island. The oceanside haven boasts lavish allsuite beachfront accomodations, with balconies. Take a dip into the 4,000-square-foot infinity

pool, or relax with an in-suite massage. Hungry? Casual eats at the beachfront bar, local delicacy, conch salad, grilled fish and a kid-friendly menu are a lax take on sit-down dinner, perfect for parents with kiddies in tow. BLISS Active couples and families can enjoy access to kayaks, Hobie Cats and Sailfish; try daily snorkeling at a sunken shipwreck, or spend the day snorkeling with Wild

FAST FLIGHTS Hop on a Vision Airlines direct-chartered, nonstop flight to Freeport, Grand Bahamas for less than $200. With departure points just outside Washington, your next vacation is closer than you think. Getting There

From Baltimore to the Grand Bahamas Depart at 12:25 p.m and arrive at 2:45 p.m. every Sunday and Thursday.

Heading Home

From the Grand Bahamas to Baltimore Depart at 9:15 a.m. and arrive at 11:35 a.m. every Sunday and Thursday.

Visit www.visionairlines.com/flight-info for more up-to-date flight information.

Spotted Dolphins ($60/person). For a true underwater adventure check in at the Stuart Cove Dive Center, and take a high-speed boat to the famed Tiger Beach for a two-tank underwater exploration of virgin reefs with Tiger and Lemon sharks. Need a few hours from the kids? The Bahama Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, an onsite babysitting service, will step in to take your children to the playground, enjoy a movie from the DVD library or take them down to the beach. Visit nearby Lucaya for a round of golf or head to the bustling Port Lucaya Marketplace for dinner at one of the fine restaurants. AHOY! Boat aficionados can skip the flight and set their coordinates for Old Bahama Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nightnavigable marina. The resort is

just 56 miles east of Palm Beach and a two and a half hour Balearia Bahamas Express ferry ride from the Port of Miami (From $49). With swift on-site customs and immigration, 24-hour security and 72 slips with dockage, the marina plays host to vessels for long- and short-term stays. Indock guests can enjoy high-speed Internet and water electricity. A well-known fishing destination, the resort also offers chartered bone and deep-sea fishing trips to guests. New to fishing? Take the family on a Bahamian Native Fishing Adventure. After a day of diving for conch and catching lobster, bring home your catch and prepare it under the instruction of a resort chef. www.oldbahamabay.com.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F O L D B A H A M A B AY.

Old Bahama Bay Resort and Yacht Harbour: Just a 2 1/2-Hour Flight to Relaxation

Mellow

REBECCA TAYLOR “Python” blouse ($275); Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, www.rebeccataylor.com

YELLOW

ENZO ANGIOLINI “Tigma” color block peep toe pump ($120); Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner, www. bloomingdales.com

Tone down spring's hot neon shade to a chic shout with key neutral accents

MAX MARA “Becky” leather bag ($1,290); Max Mara at Tysons Galleria, 703-556-6962

ELAINE TURNER “Bella” cork clutch ($175); Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, www. neimanmarcus.com

REBECCA TAYLOR “Stunning” strapless dress ($335); Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, www.rebeccataylor.com

THE CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL COMPANY Satchel ($155); Bloomingdale's Tysons Corner, www. bloomingdales.com

P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F E AC H C O M PA N Y.

REBECCA TAYLOR “Tiles” shell ($325); Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, www. rebeccataylor.com

MANOLO BLAHNIK “Marca” pointed-toe cork slingback ($655); Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, www. neimanmarcus.com

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

TIBI SPRING

KENDRA SCOTT “Danielle” earrings in yellow onyx ($60); Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, www. neimanmarcus.com

WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y Studio Theatre’s Annual Gala﹐ CMNC’s Dancing After Dark﹐ Around Town and Exclusive Parties﹐ Parties﹐ Parties!

Sarah Stettinius at THEARC’s Wacky & Whimsical Tea Party. (Photo by Kyle Samperton)

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

AROUND TOWN

BATTLE OF THE CHEFS

Left: Hungarian Embassy chef Viktor Merenyi (center) the top honors winner at the Embassy Chef Challenge, celebrated victory with Linda Donavan Harper and Lars Beese, chef at the Embassy of Denmark. (Photo by Don Tanguilig) Below: French Amb. Francois Delattre at the Kuwait national day reception with Rima Al-Sabah and Amb. of Kuwait Salem Al-Sabah (Photo by Neshan Nalchayan)

National Day Flourishes and Embassy Chef Battles Kuwait hosts a splendid reception; global chefs spice up culinary competition at Cultural Tourism DC’s annual Embassy Chefs Challenge BY DONNA SHOR

NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION

With flower arrangements as big as barrels positioned high in the air and a row of heavenly — and heavily laden — buffet tables anchored at either end by whole roast lambs, the National Day celebration hosted by the Ambassador of Kuwait Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Rima was, as always, sumptuous. Roses, Rima’s signature flower, in hues ranging from dark red to tawny to peach, were in every corner of the Four Seasons Hotel’s ballroom. The guest list was no less impeccably planned than the food and flowers. Every social and power center in Washington was represented. From her first days here 11 years ago, Rima has proved an outstanding hostess, arriving as if she had been hostessing Washington galas all her life. But what she manages to make appear effortless, in her busy schedule of constantly

oentertaining and earning friends for Kuwait, obviously results from much creative forethought as well as a penchant for perfection. In addition to being a striking woman, always a fashion-first in style, she also serves as founder and head of a foundation that raises millions of dollars each year for health initiatives, youth causes and education. Somehow she carefully manages to preserve AlSabah family time for her husband and four sons while making everything else happen. You soon realize that creating this perfect evening for 400 guests is simply par for the course for this most accomplished diplomatic spouse.

The army of 600 gourmets and gourmands — virtual bibs at the ready — was charging the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center to sample small plates of big culinary achievements. Participants from 13 Washington embassies competed in the 2012 Embassy Chefs Challenge, serving beautifully garnished helpings of the most delicious (and hopefully prize-winning) dishes that they could dream up. Some of their ambassadors were present as well. Adding to the color were costumed bystanders. A tall Swiss gentleman garbed Appenzeller-style towered over Embassy of Switzerland chef Vincent Muia’s smoked veal loin twinned with carrots four ways (fried, pickled, as chips and in custard). At the Embassy of Kazakhstan’s station, an exquisite red velvet-gowned princess held court as chef Yerlan Abdrakhmanov served shrimp cream tartlets. Hungarian Embassy chef Viktor Merenyi took top honors with the Judge’s Choice Award of slow-cooked beef. The Royal Norwegian Embassy’s Sondre Bruvik Ellingstad won the preliminary Top Chef competition. Devin E. Johnson from the Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas won the People’s Choice Award for his Bahamian seafood duo. The judges were Lars Beese, chef of the Embassy of Denmark (last year’s winner); Carla Hall of ABC News’ “The Chew”; the Reagan Building’s Xavier DeShayes ; CakeLove founder Warren Brown; executive chef Sina Molavi of Occasions Caterers; Maziar Farivar of Georgetown’s Peacock Café; Washington Post food reporter Tim Carman; and Washington’s Business Journal “Top Shelf” columnist Missy Frederick. The benefit supports the work of Cultural Tourism DC, which hosted the evening along with the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Amy Compton and Anna Fuhrman

Abby Blunt with her son

and coHonorary chairwoman Eun Yang r, Shu Kim chairmembers Dima Zalatimo, Erin Mullan and Renée Esfandiary with THEARC et Executive Director Edmund Fle WL SPONSORED

THEARC’S WACKY & WHIMSICAL TEA PARTY

dez Jean-Marie Fernan lli te na Do n re and Ka

Four Seasons | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Jill White and her daughter Dalia Fateh with her daughters

TEA TIME: Building Bridges Across the River, the nonproﬁt group that built and runs THEARC, held a “Willy Wonka”-themed tea party to support its arts education eﬀorts for lower-income children. With help from its corporate sponsor, Bank of Georgetown, the event featured a formal tea service and lots of games and candy for the li le ones. SPOTTED: Kay Kendall, Elizabeth Conahan, Brooke Carnot and Nancy Taylor-Bubes.

Nicole Wyatt and her daughter

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Emily Lezner and her son

Alex Romain and his son THEARC Founder Chris Smith and his daughter

Elizabeth LaMotte and Hattie Ruttenberg

Melissa Brown and her daughter

Ashley Klick, Sarah Stettinius, Debbie Winsor and Gretchen King

Britain Malek and her daughter Meg Ferguson and Michelle Maddux WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Elena Tompkins and Lesley McNamara with their daughters 55

Septime Webre, Mary Haft and Mariella Trager

Brooke Rose, James Alefantis and Septime Webre climb the walls

Ilysse Hogue, John Neﬃnger and Kate Damon

SEPTIME WEBRE’S BIRTHDAY Comet Ping Pong | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL DISCO INFERNO: Friends fêted Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre’s 50th birthday with a “Studio 54”themed extravaganza that everyone said was the most fun party they’d been to in years. That meant mirrored balls, twinkle lights, drag queens, shirtless bartenders, crazed pole dancers (climbing the walls at one point) and increasingly gymnastic gyrations to “Ring My Bell” and other disco hits until 3 a.m. (on a Thursday no less!). Try to top this one, Washington!

Gilles LeRoy, Laura Bode and Izette Folger

Austin Bryan and Marly Clements as “Sonny and Cher”

Washington Ballet company members

Kay Kendall and Jack Davies Jim Abdo

Jim Ball and Gary Ball David Cohen, Carol Feld and Julianna Porotsky

Cindy Jones and Aaron Jackson 56

Pilar O’Leary and Deborah Sigmund WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com

Carrie Kohns, Chinyere Hubbard, April Richmond, Charlotte Reid, Hope Boykin and Kathy Hollinger

Rep. Elijah Cummings and Ailey dancer Alicia Graf Mack

Ailey dancers Michael Jackson Jr., Sean Carmon, Ghrai DeVore and Akue Noni

ALVIN AILEY GALA The Kennedy Center Opera House | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Rep. Maxine Waters, Juan Williams and gala co-chairman Chris Cowan

First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia presided from the presidential box as the country’s pre-eminent African American dance company performed signature works (including the perennial favorite, “Revelations”) to a sold-out house. RISING STAR: Robert Ba le, the Ailey company’s new director, received plaudits for “Takademe,” one of his own choreographed works, at the post-performance dinner dance for 800 guests.

Rep. James Clyburn, Ailey artistic director Robert Battle and gala cochairman Lyndon Boozer

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Gala co-c ha Debra Le irwoman e and Art C ollins

Kevin Roots and Wendy Castillo Eugene and Gina Adams

Tina D’Souza and David Sutphe

Katherine Weymouth and Keith Alexander

Hillary Baltimore and Sharon Malone WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Marc Manigault, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Masazumi Chaya and Sharon Gersten Luckman

| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com

OVER THE MOON

Above: As part of the garden tour, visitors will see the main house at “Woodslane” that is attached to a log cabin from the 1800s and a corn crib. (Photo by Missy Janes) Left: Joyce Fendley with Fifi and Bill Prime at the Casanova Hunt Ball. (Photo by Bill Fendley)

Hunt Country Garden Tour Spectacular private retreats are set to open to the public during this month’s ‘Gardens with a View of the Piedmont Landscape’ tour BY VICKY MOON

ven if it was a mild winter, everyone at the 22nd annual Casanova Hunt Ball in mid-March was “ready to kick up their heels,” said Joyce Fendley, who serves as a joint-master along with her husband Bill Fendley and her daughter Jeanne Clark. Held at the stately Fauquier Springs Club, Kathleen and Will O’Keefe, Mary and Chris Reed, Diane and Tommy Lee Jones (who has served as huntsman for 42 years) and Fifi and Bill Prime were among the guests who took to the dance floor with “Big Ray and the Kool Kats.” “If you came to slow dance with your favorite gentleman or the lady of your life, you came to the wrong ball,” Bill Fendley declared. And then, suddenly it’s springtime with shades of vast emerald meadows and pale yellow wisteria dripping over dry stone walls while late-blooming daffodils and a kaleidoscope of tulips burst open. Often referred to as “America’s Largest Open House” it’s garden tour time in Hunt Country.

There are four homes in the Middleburg/ Upperville area on this year’s “Gardens with a View of the Piedmont Landscape” tour, including Peggy and John Richardson’s restored stone Colonial residence at “Oakwood.” (Peggy, a lawyer, served as IRS commissioner from 1993 to 1997 and continues to commute to Washington.) The outbuildings of this former working farm feature a kitchen house with historic cookery utensils, a dairy, a 12-sided wooden barn and a bank barn. Consulting with Gail Piurkowski of Echo Hills Nursery, “We tried to site the new gardens and hardscape to blend with the topography,” Peggy said. noting that the sunken pool area features an outdoor shower covered with Carolina jasmine and a row of pink shrub roses. A circa 1800 log cabin (enlarged in the 1980s) and a corn crib are set within enchanting woodland at Lauren and Rene Woolcott’s “Woodslane.” In 2007, the owners began a collaboration with garden expert Nicole Siess of

LanDesign, gravitating toward low-maintenance plants. “We noodled over what we had and moved some plant material first and then added to it,“Lauren recalled. Details include coordinating the interior colors of wheat, red and orange with the exterior where visitors will see the tops of the flowing grasses in wheat along with red and orange tulips. Garden sculptures, including Dan Ostermiller’s playfully outstretched bronze rabbit, are lightheartedly placed near an abundant kitchen herb garden. An 8-foot charred oak figure by French sculptor Christian Lapie is positioned amid trees behind the pool. The vivid hues of green and crisp white dominate the palate at “Edgewood” where owner Jean Perin has created Italian-inspired settings around the renovated, circa 1790 log cabin. Favorites here are a thatched stone garden structure by Colin McGhee and a wild horse stone sculpture by Ohio artist Marjorie Applegate. Trevor Potter and Dana Westring’s “Poke” features a magnificent display of Dana’s 25 years of garden design experience with a series of dramatic “rooms” on various levels.A rural amphitheater with a round stage of cherry and oak logs has been the site for many celebrations and charity events.The Arts and Crafts-inspired house was designed byWarrenton architect Albert P. Hinckley Jr. and features family antiques, portraits and memorabilia. And finally, speaking of gardens, Upperville’s own celebrated horticulturist, Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, now 101, is offering her 27-acre Mill Reef Club home on Half Moon Bay in Antigua for sale for $14.5 million. In addition to two master suites, the compound includes a guesthouse, pool and pool house.And of course ... stunning gardens she created alongside with two greenhouses, vegetable gardens, an orchard and an orchid nursery. Her 26-acre estate on Cape Cod was listed in January at $28.7 million. M A R K YO U R CA L E N DA R S Sunday April 22 and Monday April 23, “Gardens with a View of the Piedmont Landscape.” Tickets $35 in advance or $40 during the tour at The Middleburg Community Center. Details: flgardenclub @aol.com or 540-592-3950 or 703-777-2661.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Donna Shalala with Rob and Capricia Marshall

Beth Dozoretz and Gen. Colin Powell

Buﬀy Cafritz, Phyllis George and Pamela Brown

WL EXCLUSIVE

Diane Jones, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Jeanne Vander Myde Warner and Jane Harman

Marilyn Wald and General Charles “Chuck” F. Wald with former Sen. John Warner

Sen. Roy and Abigail Blunt

Ann and Lloyd Hand

LLOYD AND ANN HAND 60TH ANNIVERSARY Café Milano | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL DIAMOND JUBILEE: Lloyd and Ann Hand are one of the most beloved husband-and-wife teams in Washington so it came as no surprise that Café Milano would shut down for the night to accommodate the A-List crowd that turned out to celebrate the power duo’s 60 years together. TOUCHING TRIBUTE: “It’s a night for hugging, kissing and dancing,” said Lloyd, who lovingly toasted the bride he met at a University of Texas dance when she was a 17-year-old freshman and he was a 21-year-old law student. “Li le did I know,” he added, “that this dance would change my whole life.” ADDED SPARKLE: Guests marveled at blown-up photos taken over the years (including a Be y Grable-style pinup of Ann in a swimsuit) as the happy couple whooped it up on the dance ﬂoor to the sounds of a swing band playing oldies-but-goodies from 1951.

Arnaud de Borchgrave and Japanese Amb. Ichiro Fujisaki WL EXCLUSIVE

Koto player

Yoriko Fujisaki, Ann Nitze and Singaporean Amb. Chan Heng Chee

SACKLER GALLERY 25TH ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH

Nina and Philip Pillsbury with Susan Pillsbury

Michael and Susan Pillsbury Residence PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

LAVISH LAUNCH: Costumed musicians and ceremonial dancers helped begin a year of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s main repository of Asian art. GRANDES DAMES: Susan Pillsbury and Ann Nitze, who will serve as co-chairwomen at a star-studded gala on Nov. 29, joined Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough and Freer and Sackler Galleries Director Julian Raby in toasting Dame Jillian Sackler, widow of the museum’s namesake and founding benefactor, for kicking oﬀ festivities with a $5 million gi .

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

G. Wayne Clough, Alice Kandell, Dame Jillian Sackler and Julian Raby

Ceremonial dancers 59

Jessi and Tim Frend

Jane Hendrickson and Samir Nkatazia

Claire Bonsignore, Laura Camp, Blair Bjellos and Catherine Fakoni

Scooter and Rachel Monroe

Richard McBrien and Jay Walsh

John and Danielle Steele

Craley and Chip Davis

Jenny Collea, event co-chairwoman Krystina Afable, Sara Walsh and Grace Weisser WL EXCLUSIVE

CNMC’S DANCING AFTER DARK House of Sweden | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ

George and Christy Craddock, Kristin Miloney, John Coarkson and Matthew Gunther Tina Sauerhammer and Alex Myers

CHA-CHA-ING FOR CHILDREN: Over 500 of Washington’s younger social set ﬂocked to the Georgetown waterfront for the 5th annual Dancing A er Dark event in support of Children’s National Medical Center. Last year over $70,000 was raised, and organizers noted that this year’s event most likely surpassed that amount.

Lauren Rajewski and Raj Mannath

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Simon Dinits and Owen Billman

Liza Tanner and Adam McConagha

John Horne, Bobby Blair and Erika Schultz 60

Hossein Eneahazi, Michael Edeje, JessicaBielidj and Hudson Levy WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Louise Schwehel, host Juleanna Glover and Christina Sevilla

Christopher Reiter and Pepper Watkins

Sheila Mooney

Jay Killeen, Michael Minnemann and Anne Killeen

Eric Tomilson, D’Ann Long and Kevin Gray

Virginia Chew

WL EXCLUSIVE

BEASLEY REAL ESTATE LAUNCH PARTY Residence of Juleanna Glover & Christopher Reiter | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

John and Holly Sukenik

Event chairmen Trent Heminger, Jim Bell and Dave Pollin

Lady Westmacott and British Amb. Sir Peter Westmacott with Donna and Mack McLarty

NEW FIRM ON THE BLOCK: Juleanna Glover and Christopher Reiter welcomed guests into their beautiful home to celebrate the opening of Beasley Real Estate, a brand-new boutique realty ﬁrm. Founded by Washington-area real estate expert, Jim Bell, Beasley is already gaining positive buzz around town. Bell, along with business partner Trent Heminger and Dave Pollin, chaired the event which swelled to 180 a endees with clients, colleagues and competitors alike arriving to toast Beasley’s success. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Adm. Eric Olson, Alexandra de Borchgrave and Vice Adm. Bert Calland

Diane Jones and Lynn Pace

WL SPONSORED

Vittorio Grigolo and Franco Nuschese

COURAGE AND COMPASSION AWARDS Café Milano, Georgetown | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Gen. Jim Jones WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Jimmy Whitehead, Andrew Clausnitzer, Janet Langhart Cohen and Jason Slocum

Although former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates could not be present to accept the award given in his honor at a beneﬁt to support U.S. Navy SEALS and their families, his absence was mitigated by the presence of Gen. Jim Jones and a dozen of the famed stealth operatives who somewhat reluctantly complied when asked to stand and be recognized. “Their only easy day was yesterday,” said Fox News’ Bret Baier, who emceed the event. MAGIC MOMENT: Famed tenor Vi orio Grigolo’s unforge able rendition of the National Anthem.

Walter and DiDi Cutler with Jim Kimsey

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Sen. Jay Rockefeller and John Warner

Marcelle and Sen. Patrick Leahy

Lavinia Currier and Bradford Brooks

WL EXCLUSIVE

Thomas Krahenbuhl, Dorothy Kosinski and Dodge Thompson

FRENCH GALLERIES REOPENING National Gallery of Art | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ BACK ON VIEW: Masterworks by Manet, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Renoir and other noted artists were once again on display after a two-year renovation of the galleries devoted to French impressionism and post-impressionism. VIP GUESTS: Trustees and major donors, including relatives of Ailsa Mellon Bruce and other major benefactors, enjoyed a privileged opportunity to admire paintings and sculptures newly organized in thematic, monographic and art historical groupings.

Judith Laughlin, Carol Kelly and Alexander Mellon Laughlin

Vicki and Roger Sant with Faya Causey

Caron Cullen Meyer and Diana Holman Jim Hoagland, Nini Ferguson Johnson, Jane Hitchcock and Aniko Gaal Schott

Rusty Powell, Karen Jordan, Franklin Kelly and Sharon Rockefeller

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Joseph Duﬀey, Lucky Roosevelt and Robert Higdon Andrew Athy and Chris Matthews

Katherine Bradley, Catherine Stevens and David Bradley

WL EXCLUSIVE

SALLY BEDELL SMITH BOOK PARTY Bernard and Joan Carl Residence | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON COMMAND PERFORMANCE: The many friends and admirers of veteran author and Vanity Fair contributor Sally Bedell Smith weren’t about to miss the launch of her latest book, “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch.” With a uniquely American point of view and timed to coincide with Her Majesty’s 60th anniversary on the throne, it is no wonder that the author’s “magisterial” biography is topping best-seller lists both here and in Britain. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Bernard Carl, Sally Bedell Smith, Joan Carl and Steve Smith

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Ruth Buchanan and Donald Larrabee

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Leslie Barkmeyer-Myers and Darren Myers Sarah Aburdene and Meriah Burke-Raines

Pamela Wye, Richard Seaton and Claudia Donovan

WL EXCLUSIVE

AN EVENING OF ART IN LOGAN CIRCLE Hemphill Gallery | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ NEW VENTURE: Employees, friends and family of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty gathered for a private art exhibit to celebrate the formation of a new group within the company. Hosted by the three principals, Claudia Donovan, Richard Seaton and Pamela Wye, the cocktail reception featured works by Willem de Looper and Franz Jantzen. HIGH POINT: TTR Sotheby’s managing partner Mark Lowham gave a rousing toast to his three colleagues that was as inspiring as it was entertaining.

Tariq Seiﬀudin and George Francois Martin Ditto, Katie Maloney and Mark Wellborn

Mark Lowham

Jaclyn Mason, Jennifer Miller, Lauren Mason and Kim Hayman

Julia Bottorﬀ and Clint Cocagne

George Hemphill, Mary Early, Shira Kraft and Katie Wiacek

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Matt Carpenter and Lindsey Gallo Cristina Alger and Daniel and Roxana Geﬀen with Jonathan Wang Liz Dubin and Morton Funger

Dace and Roman Martinez

WL EXCLUSIVE

CRISTINA ALGER’S BOOK PARTY Mason Residence | PHOTOS MASON RESIDENCE

JoAnn and John Mason WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Finlay Lewis, Alma Gildenhorn and Huda Farouki

PAGE TURNER: Bookish Washingtonians turned out to hear analyst/a orney-turned-author Cristina Alger read from her debut novel “The Darlings.” Set in New York City just before the ﬁnancial meltdown, Alger’s book follows the rise and fall of an a orney who marries up into a society family only to ﬁnd himself embroiled in a family scandal. FICTION FANS: Lorraine Wallace, Robert Higdon, Lynn Blitzer, Mirella Levinas and Lucky Roosevelt. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

VIRGINIA GOLD CUP RACES

Great Meadow,The Plains,

For information on hospitality tents, tailgate spaces, or to purchase tickets visit www.vagoldcup.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Harris Teeter.

Gates Open at 10AM. First of five races begin at 1:30PM. Races run rain or shine. Questions, please call 540.347.2612.

www.tokasalon.com

David Hardick

Richard Lee Snow and Laura Howell

Chef Michel Richard with Kate, Leah and Capt. Michael Duggan

Alan McCarter and Capricia Marshall

Chefs Eric Ziebold and Brian McKnight

WL EXCLUSIVE

Carolina and James DeSouza

ST. JUDE GOURMET GALA National Building Museum | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON FOODIE FEAST: This popular event, which has raised over $3 million for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital since its inception, delighted guests once again this year. Over 40 of the area’s best chefs prepared their specialties for more than 750 hungry revelers who then voted for their favorite dish. The evening’s top prize, the Taster’s Choice Award, went to BLT Steak’s Victor Albisu. SATED SUPPORTERS: Faye Morrisse e, Bob and Paula Hisaoka, Peter Tanous, Joe Duﬀy and Satsuko Young. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

Susan Butler and George Vradenburg Rachel Holmes and David Muse

Erin Kilday, Tom Liljenquist and Joyce Lavery

Chef Geoﬀ Tracy and Norah O’Donnell

Andrea McArdle and Tim Terpstra

WL EXCLUSIVE

‘STUDIO 34’ GALA

Zev Remba and Dorothy McSween y

Studio Theatre | PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON

Hilary Dean and Christopher Dinwiddie WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Carole Feld, Geoﬀ Stewart and Marjorie Doppelt

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

DISCO MADNESS: Studio Theatre celebrated its 34th anniversary by transforming itself into a la er-day version of New York’s most famous nightclub with custom-designed décor and dancing to the sounds of vintage hits by Donna Summer, Grace Jones and the Village People. Specialty cocktails, a seated dinner and a performance by local troupers headlined by Andrea McCardle (the original “Annie”) kept things lively until well past midnight when the disco balls stopped rotating and the stragglers hit 14th Street for last call. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING TURNBERRY TOWER THE TOP SELLING LUXURY CONDOMINIUM IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA AGAIN. WE SOLD AND CLOSED 91 TOWER RESIDENCES TOTALING $110 MILLION IN 2011.

TURNBERRYTOWER.COM | 703.243.3000 1881 NORTH NASH STREET, ARLINGTON, VA 22209 | SALES OFFICE ON 21ST FLOOR | OPEN 7 DAYS, 9 TO 6 LOCATED ONE BLOCK FROM THE ROSSLYN METRO.

COME VIEW OUR SIX NEW DESIGNER FURNISHED MODEL RESIDENCES. MAGNIFICENT TOWER RESIDENCES STARTING FROM THE $700,000’s TO OVER $4 MILLION. Obtain the Property Report required by federal law before signing anything. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the representations of the developer. Prices, plans and specs subject to change without notice. Exclusive Representation by The Mayhood Company. Located within close proximity to Rosslyn Metro Station. Void where prohibited by law. Equal Housing Opportunity.

HOME LIFE

Real Estate News and Open House | Ann Luskey’s eco-living and an environmentally responsible backyard

THE PATH TO

ECO-BEAUTIFUL A LOOK INSIDE THE BETHESDA HOME OF OCEAN CONSERVATIONIST AND PHILANTHROPIST ANN LUSKEY

H O U S E D E S I G N BY M E D I TC H M U R P H E Y A R C H I T E C T S W W W. M E D I T C H M U R P H E Y. C O M P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N I C E H OAC H L A N D E R W W W. H D P H O T O . C O M A N D A N N L U S K E Y BUILDER NASH CONSTRUCTION

A fourth-generation Washingtonian and the granddaughter of Ambassador Randolph and Dorothy Kidder, Ann Luskey is a trustee for numerous foundations, including The Kollegewidwok Yacht Club (Blue Hill, Maine),The City Kids to Wilderness Project (Washington, D.C. and Jackson Hole,Wyo.), Anne Luskey The Ocean Foundation (Washington, D.C.,) The Whaleman Foundation (Lahaina, Hawaii) and The Sylvia Earle Association (San Francisco, Calif.). Ann was left to forge her own way when, by age 28, her parents and grandparents had all died leaving

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Ann Luskey’s Bethesda “net zero” house provides many options to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle without sacrificing comfort. What does net zero energy mean? Simply put, that the building produces as much energy as it consumes on an annual average basis. The main features of the four-bedroom, 3,500-square-foot house include a 9.6 kW solar photovoltaic array visible on the roof and solar hot water panels providing 85 percent of domestic hot water needs. An “invisible” underground geothermal heat pump uses the earth’s temperature to provide reduced heating and cooling loads. Shade trees and a trellis facing south to control summer heat gain are also part of the net zero package.

Luskey the eldest surviving member of her family. In her own words, she shares a very personal story of how she came to live a very different life in a modern, eco-friendly “net zero” (a building that produces as much energy as it consumes) house in Bethesda, Md., with her three children.

HOME LIFE

The green roof, over the single story of the wing of the house, serves as a means for rainwater management and heat island reduction, and provides additional outdoor living space with a view. Trays of plants were ‘recycled’ from the 2009 Solar Decathlon project in Washington DC. Energy conservation is only part of the story behind this house. Water efficiency and sustainable landscape design are also key elements in the overall design philosophy.

Ann Luskey

Above: All finishes and lighting were selected not only to meet environmental and air quality standards but also to achieve a clean, modern and tasteful aesthetic. “REFUSE” over the kitchen sink made from coke bottle tops by Ann Luskey, conveys the message to refuse single-use plastics. Sage, the family’s Maine Coon kitty is right at home beneath the shark mobile commissioned in 2011 by English artist Michael Chaikin. Center: The living room interior reflects the owner’s desire for eco-conscious materials married to museum-quality artifacts collected from her international travels. Interior finishes include many recycled, reclaimed, locally and sustainably harvested materials. All paints and adhesives on the interior are low-VOC and urea-formaldehyde. A market rate, zero energy spec home is not only possible but may become a prototype for the way homes are built to meet growing concerns over climate disruption.

A ‘

lmost overnight, my universe came to a screaming halt. I felt sure that I would never feel “joy” again. I couldn’t imagine climbing out of that deep pit of grief. Left to my own devices, with no parents to step in and correct my course, I became a consumer on a rather grand scale. What I was doing, I would later discover, would take almost 10 years to undo. How was it that all of these things the media told me I couldn’t live without had taken over; my stuff had become my burden. I paused, took it all in, and realized this path was in fact a rut, and I did not want to stay there. My children didn’t need to go to the school that I went

to or the same country club. I put the house up for rent, grabbed the kids and jumped straight out of that rut onto a boat.Totally logical. I knew as much about the ocean as the average person does about celestial navigation. This was bigger than me, a giant adventure. Home schooling, traveling in developing countries, foreign languages and then divorce. No small roller coaster ride. After diving in, both literally and figuratively, I was left with loads of questions. Why was there plastic trash all over every remote beach I stepped onto? How come the coral reefs in the Bahamas were covered in a thick bed of green algae? Where were the fish? Where was Jaws? I took a crash course in all things

ocean, and soon discovered that it was not well, and without immediate and decisive change it was going to get a great deal worse. Now that I knew this I had to figure out what I was going to do with it. I stepped off of the roller coaster and onto the ‘Slip ’n Slide’. I sold my big beautiful mansion, and gradually began shedding all my stuff. I was houseless, but not homeless. The kids and I lived on the boat down at the Washington Marina, but the drive to school was killing us. All I could think of was the carbon I was pumping out of my Suburban into the atmosphere, which in turn was acidifying some tiny little Pterapod’s exoskeleton. I didn’t need a house, but my kids

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Top: The master bedroom, designed by Ann Luskey and New York artist Avy Claire. Poetry by Rumi overlays an image of the ocean — the backdrop for an Indian wall panel; linens by Archipelago in New York. Capiz shell chandelier by West Elm. Above Left: Adorning a custom-designed vanity fabricated from repurposed lumber, the whimsical ceramic piece by Ann’s late godmother, Eve Watts, depicts her grandparents, Randolph Kidder and Dorothy (“Dottie”) Kidder. Bathroom windows alternate with mirrors to “frame” views of the green roof beyond. Low-flow water-efficient plumbing fixtures are used throughout the house. Above Right: A dark plum wall offsets a mirror covered in found oyster shells to create a calm dressing room. Left Inset: Large Mermaid Relief, 1995, by Stephen Balkenhol from PaceWildenstein.

Left: ‘Tree Sculptures’ are a series of Dogon ladders from Mali. Silverback Gorilla and Pod from the Phillips Collection; video technology from All Around Technology. Above: A long and narrow undulating gypsum wall is lit at night with a choice of LED colored lights.

did; so I dialed my real estate agent and put in a request to the Universe: could I please have a modestly sized house that was contemporary, within five minutes drive of the amazing Washington Waldorf School, and was LEED certified? What also inspired me to move came from the enlightening

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

maneuver of my son’s fifth grade teacher, Dawn Fox, who sent the kids home to count the light bulbs in their houses. I am a lighting design fanatic and counting our bulbs took forever. I don’t know the number anymore, but I was stunned to find out that our 11,000-squarefoot house in McLean had more light bulbs than all the other 17 kids’ households combined. In six weeks’ time, I was walking through the stick frame of what would be my beautiful new net-zero eco-pad. My kids and I love this house. It’s great design, comfortable, funky, plenty big and it’s got a seriously low carbon footprint, which treads lightly on my subconscious. My

kids are proud of their home. They point to the solar panels, hang out on the living roof, and tell their friends why they should always bring their own bag to the grocery store. It feels good living here. We wake up in a better mood. I can’t imagine anybody wants to be a burden on the planet, and we don’t have to be. We simply have to commit and move forward in the right direction. One doesn’t really know what to expect when you step onto the ‘Slip ’n Slide.’ It’s a little unstable, you are probably going to wipe out, but it is a heck of a lot more fun than being in a rut. I am so grateful that we get to evolve.’

>@3A3<BA B63

B= 03<347B 16/@7BGE=@9A¸ >/@B<3@A

4]` ]\S ROg BB@ A]bVSPg¸a 7\bS`\ObW]\OZ @SOZbg Wa ]^S\W\U a][S ]T bVS ¿\Sab V][Sa W\ bVS EOaVW\Ub]\ ;Sb`]^]ZWbO\ O`SO BeS\bg a^SQbOQcZO` `SaWRS\QSa [O\g ]T eVWQV VOdS \SdS` PSS\ ]^S\ b] bVS ^cPZWQ eWZZ PS ]^S\ T]` g]c b] dWaWb

AObc`ROg ;Og 'bV ( !( >;

BWQYSba O`S "# ]\ZW\S O\R # Ob bVS R]]` O\R eWZZ PS OdOWZOPZS Ob QVO`Wbge]`YaRQ ]`U O\R eOaVW\Ub]\Zcfc`gb]c` Q][

Georgetown, DC

Dupont Circle, DC

McLean, VA

Georgetown, DC

Alex Venditti 202.550.8872 Paul E. Pike 202.550.8871

Michael Rankin 202.271.3344 Ann Hallman 301.802.2982

Penny Yerks, LLC 703.760.0744

Julia Diaz-Asper 202.256.1887

Originally a part of the grounds of the historic Evermay, this magnificent Federal is situated in the heart of Georgetown’s prestigious East Village. Notable features of this 8 BR, 8 full and 2 half-bath residence include gracious public spaces, gourmet chef’s kitchen, wood-paneled billiards room with adjoining wine cellar, private elevator and spectacular sprawling gardens, terraces and greenspace. Price Upon Request.

This historic 1911 Washington, DC Mansion was built by noted architect Clark Waggaman. This 12,000 sq ft residence features unparalleled workmanship and detail. Twenty-first century systems merge seamlessly with exquisite historical features to create this one-of-a-kind offering. Features include many imported period details from 18th & 19th century France. $10,900,000.

Stunning Galileo built custom home beautifully sited, overlooking a meandering stream and forest. The flawless interior includes thoughtful sightlines throughout, pristine hardwoods, custom stonework and 12’ ceilings. Offering a main level master BR with a cozy respite spa-like bath, library with floor to ceiling built-ins and private entrance, gourmet kitchen with the finest appliances and 5 generous sized secondary bedrooms. $3,900,000.

Spectacular Federal with 4 levels in the East Village. Impeccably designed and restored. Double parlors, formal dining room, full master suite with sitting room and en suite bath, chef’s kitchen with French doors leading to private garden, 6 fireplaces, original hardwood floors, 5 BR, 4 baths, 2 powder rooms, elevator and private drive for tandem parking. $3,798,000.

is pleased to announce that Great Falls, VA

Located on a spectacular 5 acre site is an elegant and inviting family residence. The expansive front terrace overlooks spacious gardens with views of the nearby private lake. Once inside, the inlaid herringbone and marble entrance foyer and extensive millwork introduce the elegant custom details which are reflected throughout. This exceptional residence combines elegant details with the prefect amenities for the most discerning family. $3,795,000.

Amanda Saul, Angel McQuade, Angie Nys, Ann Hallman, Beth Sheehy, Dan Melman & David Dodero have joined the company.

Penny Yerks, LLC 703.760.0744

Georgetown, DC

Charming brick 1812 Federal in the West Village features an elegant hall entrance, den, kitchen, dining room, and staff quarters. A second level living room opens to the terrace and garden. This 5 BR, 3 full-bath residence comes with 3 fireplaces with original mantels, random width floor boards, and an abundance of sunlight. Terrific location close to all of Georgetown’s finest amenities: parks, stores, restaurants, cafes and galleries. $2,040,000.

Julia Diaz-Asper 202.256.1887

Kalorama, DC

NEW LISTING – A truly special home offering unlimited potential on one of the premier blocks of Kalorama. Features elegantly proportioned rooms, fine architectural details, and an enviable floor plan with private terraces and gardens. Approximately 4,200 sf, 6 BR, 5 baths and garage parking. $2,295,000.

Gary Wicks 202.486.8393 Mary Fox 202.316.9631

Georgetown, DC

Tenley/Chevy Chase, DC

Watergate, DC

Gary Wicks 202.486.8393 Mary Fox 202.316.9631

Susan F. Carr 202.320.9914

Stan Kelly 202.997.1872

The incomparable 3303 Water Street – the most sought after address along the Georgetown Waterfront! Offering two separate 1 BR units, each with their own unique features & discerning qualities. A discreet, full service community with unsurpassed amenities incl doorman services, rooftop pool & spectacular views. These sophisticated residences are steps from fine dining, boutique shops & parks. $925,000-$1,049,999.

www.ttrsir.com

3 BR, 2.5 bath, three-level townhouse at Tenley Hill Condo. Features hardwood flooring, fireplace, track lighting, custom built-ins, stainless steel appliances, Jacuzzi and master suite den / dressing room. Complete with a large patio, 1 garage parking space, alarm, concierge desk and extra parking / large storage available for separate purchase. Steps to Tenleytown-AU Metro. $999,000.

Downtown, D.C. 202.234.3344

Georgetown, D.C. 202.333.1212

This truly magnificent Watergate apartment offers spectacular uninterrupted views over the Potomac River and downtown Rosslyn, VA. This sensational lateral co-op offers “Best Address” living in the heart of Washington, DC. The accommodations comprise a full service building with 24 hour front desk, doorman, maintenance and steps from historic Georgetown and the Kennedy Center of Arts. $579,000.

McLean, VA 703.319.3344

Chevy Chase, MD 301.967.3344

© MMXII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Sound, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity . Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

HOME LIFE | FURNISHINGS

GREEN SCENE

Eco-friendly outdoor living can be luxurious. Just ask the experts.

Richard Arentz Arentz Landscape Architects LLC

TIPS

To be sustainable, build to stand the test of time. Use durable materials and proper installation techniques in beautiful and timeless ways.

Avoid the erosive and polluting practice of concentrating runoff into large pipes and letting it quickly flow off site. Capture runoff from roof downspouts and site drains into cisterns to irrigate your garden. Use planted swales, rain gardens and French drains to slow discharge and increase infiltration.

Planting native is one of the easiest ways to make your landscape more eco-friendly. It require less water, fertilizer and pesticides and overall maintenance, while providing much-needed habitat for pollinators, songbirds and other wildlife. In addition, you should grow your own organic produce.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

Use local materials such as locally quarried stone or recycled stone from a nearby farm. Ipe (Brazilian walnut) isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t treated with harmful chemicals. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredibly hard and insect resistant. FSC-certified Ipe is easily sourced to ensure your materials are from responsibly cultivated, harvested and managed sources.

| APRIL

| washingtonlife.com

P H OTO O F L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D R I C H A R D A R E N T Z B Y R O G E R F O L E Y. A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y O F E AC H C O M PA N Y.

NDSCAPE

POOL

Don Gwiz TIPS

1 2

Use a salt system instead of chlorine to limit chemical use. If a salt system is unavailable, then add a mineral system like Nature 2 by Zodiac to cut down on chlorine use.

3 4

Use solar heating to heat your pool and spa instead of electric or gas heat.

Another option over electric or gas heat is to use a geo-thermal system to heat your pool and spa.

Install an Aquamatic Hydrolux Energy Saving cover on your pool to conserve electricity.

President, Lewis Aquatech Architects

Use variable speed pumps to help limit electricity consumption.

PATIO DRESS YOUR NEW ECO-CHIC BACKYARD WITH FEEL-GOOD SUSTAINABLE PIECES

Enviro Heat Synergy Aspect Fireplace burning renewable bioethanol fuel ($4,995); Room & Board, 1840 14th Street NW, 202-729-8300

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| APRIL

Stack Them Up

Mini Garden

Wood-slat Stackable Dining Chairs made with FSC-certified solid wood with polyurethane coating ($149); West Elm Georgetown, 3333 M St. NW, 202-333-2928

Recycled Glass Terrariums (from $160); Sprout Home, www.sprouthome.com

| washingtonlife.com

For the Kids Kids Adirondack Chair made with recycled high-density polyethylene ($235); Loll Designs, www.lolldesigns.com

HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

Spring in the City A senator’s son sells in Dupont Circle; choice East Village properties change hands BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R

THE DISTRICT Nelson and Margery Cunningham sold ST STREET NW for $3,250,000 with the help of Washington Fine Properties’ Nancy Taylor Bubes. Mr. Cunningham is an international consultant and was special advisor to the president for Western Hemisphere affairs under Bill Clinton and part of the ObamaBiden transition team. Mrs. Cunningham is a former managing director at Lehman Brothers and is now running the private equity due diligence advisory business at Avalere Health, a District-based reimbursement and regulatory consulting firm.The historic East Village semidetached Victorian features eight bedrooms, a master suite with sitting room, a lower-level in-law suite, a beautiful garden and a pool. Arman Oruc and Dagmar Smek sold P STREET NW to father-and-son duo Ronald Cohen and Alan Cohen for $2,475,000. Mr. Oruc is a partner at the Smith Thacher & Barlett law firm. Ronald Cohen is president of Cohen Companies, a District-based commercial real estate development firm. His son, Alan, is a general contractor and president of ADC Builders Inc. The four-bedroom Federal townhouse in the East Village was built in 1938. The property boasts hardwood floors throughout, a private garden and a two-car garage. TTR Sotheby’s Russell Firestone was the listing agent. Susan Hepner sold N STREET NW for $2,150,000 with the help of Washington Fine Properties’ Eileen McGrath and Nancy Taylor Bubes. Ms. Hepner is a partner at RAFFA, an accounting, technology and consulting firm with offices in the District and Rockville. The East Village Federal row house was built in

Joshua and Sabina Javits sold 2023 R Street NW for $2.32 million.

1810 but recently underwent a million-dollar renovation. The property boasts original floors throughout, five fireplaces, an open floor plan with a chef ’s kitchen and a private garden. Joshua Javits (the son of former Sen. Jacob Javits) and his wife Sabina Javits sold R STREET NW to Dale Louda and Ann Navaro for $2,320,000. Mr. Louda is a manager of government relations at PPL Corporation. Ms. Navaro is an attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and previously worked as a lawyer for the Justice Department. The 4,000square-foot bow-front town house on “Art Gallery Row” near Dupont Circle was built in 1895 and spans the width of two city lots. It features an in-law suite, a gourmet kitchen and charming outdoor spaces, including a rooftop terrace with a hot tub.The listing agent for the

transaction was Marylyn Paige of Washington Fine Properties. The selling agent was Susan Jaquet with Long and Foster. Harvard economist Linda Bilmes sold TILDEN STREET NW to an undisclosed trust with the help of Marylyn Paige of Washington Fine Properties. The buyer’s agent was Susan Hand, also of Washington Fine Properties. The distinguished six-bedroom Tudor in Spring Valley was built in 1942. The property was recently redesigned and renovated to include an octagonal great room, an au pair suite, an elegant entertaining space, a stone terrace and a heated pool. The property was on the market for just one month before fetching $3,195,000. Larry Folk sold HOPKINS STREET NW to Glenn Engelmann for $1,725,000.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Mr. Engelmann is senior counsel in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.The three-bedroom historic Victorian town house has been meticulously restored and features four fireplaces, a second-floor library, a garage and a gourmet kitchen. Washington Fine Properties’ Ann Weir was the listing agent.

MARYLAND Ken Kido and Alison Whitmire bought CARLTON STREET in Bethesda from Joseph and Heather Mickum for $1,712,500. James Downing of Coldwell Banker was the listing agent. Mr. Kido is a senior-level executive at Capital One while Ms. Whitmire is a principal

at the leadership coaching company C-lever Biz. Mr. Mickum is a builder specializing in Arts and Crafts houses.The custom Craftsman was built in 2008 and boasts five bedrooms plus a special room for pets, a grand foyer entry, a gourmet kitchen, a lower-level recreation room, a home theater and a landscaped yard with an outdoor kitchen.

VIRGINIA Jeffrey Sant bought WYNFIELD WOODS DRIVE in Great Falls from Gregory Bronstein for $2,070,000. Mr. Bronstein is

an executive at Wells Fargo while Mr. Sant is a venture capitalist and founder of Primatics Financial in McLean. McEnearney Associates’ Anne DiBenedetto was both listing and buyer’s

The recently renovated six-bedroom Tudor at 5033 Tilden Street NW changed hands for $3,195,000.

agent. The six-bedroom custom home in Fox Run was built in 2005. The property boasts gourmet, caterer’s and outdoor kitchens, a screened-in porch, an elegant formal dining room and a living room with a separate study.

PROPERTY LINES BOLIVIAN MISSION TO THE Q STREET NW for an asking price OAS: The former home of the of $5.5 million. The property was Bolivian Mission to the Orga- built for Washington’s first terrinization of American States at torial governor, Henry D. Cooke, TH STREET NW is listed a Civil War profiteer who was at $2,250,000. The beautifully also a Republican-minded newsdetailed residence paper editor, railwas designed by road executive and Waddy B. Wood, president of the one of the bestFirst Washington known architects National Bank. The working in the Muhlners bought nation’s capital at the house in 2008 the beginning of the for $2.2 million. last century. Wood Jim Bell of Beasley was the visionary Real Estate is the listing agent. behind many of the other grand resiVACCINE GURU dences near the The former Bolivian Mission to Kalorama Triangle. the Organization of American LISTS Gary and States The four-story, ClasElizabeth Nabel are sical-Revival-style selling TH row house is listed by Lucinda STREET NW for $7,390,000 Treat and Penny Mallory of Evers with the help of TTR Sotheby’s & Company. Previous occupants Michael Rankin. Mr. Nabel heads include real estate developer the Vaccine Research Center at Charles H. Davidson and John the National Institute of Allergy Schulter, the late founder and pub- and Infectious Diseases where he lisher of The InTowner newspaper. is also the director of the Virology Lab. The six-bedroom EuropeanCOOKE’S ROW MANSION style Woodley Park residence was ON MARKET Greg and Kristin built in 1958 and features beautiMuhlner are parting with fully proportioned public rooms, a

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

circular library, a massive terrace with park views, a first-level master wing, two family rooms and a gourmet kitchen.

eight-bedroom 12,000-square-foot fieldstone Colonial built in 2008, features dramatic embassy-size rooms throughout. Other amenities in the Burning Tree property ROCKVILLE INVESTOR SELLS include two libraries on the main Gary Day listed CATHEDRAL level, a top-notch master suite, AVENUE NW in Woodley Park for and a custom bar. Long & Foster $3.3 million. Mr. Day is co-founder Real Estate’s Marc Fleisher is the of DB Capital Management, a listing agent. Rockville-based investment firm. The seven-bedoom, 5,985-square- VERIFONE FOUNDER SIGNS foot beaux arts house was built in OUT Bill and Patricia Smith 2007 and features an au pair suite Melton are selling CREST with a separate entrance, a lower- LANE for $9 million. Mr. Melton level in-law suite with a full kitchen is a venture capitalist and founder and laundry, four-level elevation, a of VeriFone. His wife, a poet, playtwo-car climate-controlled garage wright and photographer, is also and $100,000 Smart Home inte- the founder of Peace X Peace, a grated security, AV, climate, light- nonprofit women’s organization ing and music system. Matthew that promotes building peace Smith of W.C. & A.N. Miller Real- through online communities. The tors is the listing agent. four-bedroom McLean contemporary was designed by Hugh Newell ANNIE’S OWNER LISTS Paul Jacobsen in 1981 and recently Katinas, owner of Annie’s Para- underwent a multimillion-dollar mount Steak & Seafood House, renovation. It features a twois selling his Bethesda digs for acre waterfront lot, a three-car $5,250,000. Annie’s, one of the garage, a media room with retractDistrict’s oldest restaurants, is ing movie screen, a pool and an a local landmark that’s been in expansive deck. Coldwell Banker’s business for more than 60 years. Michael Schaeffer and Claudine BURNING TREE ROAD, an Chetrit are the listing agents.

HOME LIFE | HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES

The Wardman Park Tower (above) and one of its most famous residents, “Hostess with the Mostest” Perle Mesta (right).

Harry’s Star The Wardman Park Hotel and tower annex was the number one residence for the rich and famous in Washington for much of the 20th century BY DONNA EVERS

arry Wardman lived the ragsto-riches saga of so many of the adventurous immigrants who came to America in the late 1800s. As the story goes, he stowed away on a ship from his native England to Australia but was discovered and put off ship in New York. He eventually moved to Washington, found work as a carpenter and soon began building houses. Once he started, there was no stopping him. Wardman’s contribution was 400 single family homes, 12 office buildings, two embassies, eight hotels, two clubs, two hospital annexes and 400 apartment buildings. In 1918,Wardman built a mega-hotel on 20 acres of woodland at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Woodley Road NW. At the time, hotels contained luxury rental apartments as well as rooms for visitors. Critics dubbed it “Wardman’s Folly,” because they thought the site was too far from the city center and no one

would want to live there. They were wrong. World War I created a serious housing shortage in Washington with increasing numbers of politicians and military brass looking for a nice place to live. Architect Frank Russell White based the design of the new hotel on Wardman’s favorite golf resort, The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va. The new structure — the largest hotel in the capital — features such storied amenities as a massive dining room that doubled as a ballroom, tea and billiard rooms, Turkish baths and a grocery store. Although the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 prevented the hotel from staging a grand opening, it was immediately filled to capacity. Wardman was already dreaming of his next project, a luxury apartment tower nearby so tenants could live in even larger luxury suites. The perfect spot turned out to be right next door, which happened to be where Wardman himself lived. In 1928, while his wife was

on an extended visit to Paris, he tore down their Spanish colonial mansion and hired his favorite architect, Mihran Mesrobian, to build a masterpiece of Georgian Revival architecture. The beautiful X-shaped building was huge, but its detail work, such as brick corner quoins, dormered windows and rounded balconies, fooled the eye to make the structure both elegant and accessible. It’s been said that the only other building in Washington that accommodated more presidents was the White House. The complex was home to future presidents Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson; Vice Presidents Charles Curtis, Henry Wallace and Spiro Agnew; and presidential contenders Barry Goldwater, Adlai Stevenson and Bob Dole. Other VIPs included John Foster Dulles, John B. Connelly, Henry Cabot Lodge, Dean Rusk, Clare Boothe Luce, Robert A. Taft, Earl Warren and Casper Weinberger. “Hostess with the Mostest” Perle Mesta lived there as did Gore Vidal and Marlene Dietrich.The TV news program “Meet the Press” was broadcast from there for decades starting in 1947. Like many other business moguls in the Great Depression, Wardman went bankrupt and lost his $30 million fortune. He had wisely transferred parcels of land to his wife’s name, however, so he was soon back building again. He was on his way to making a second fortune when he died of cancer in 1938. During his incredibly prolific career, Wardman built some 80,000 housing units in the District, but the tower building was said to be his favorite. Certainly, no hotel or apartment house before or since has enjoyed the star power and celebrity status of the Wardman Park Hotel and tower annex. The original hotel changed hands many times and was eventually torn down and replaced, but the annex, subsequently re-named the Wardman Tower, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and the hotel complex remains the largest in Washington. Donna Evers, devers@eversco.com, is the owner and broker of Evers & Co. Real Estate, the largest woman-owned and run real estate firm in the Metro area; the proprietor of Twin Oaks Tavern Winery in Bluemont, Va.; and a devoted student of Washington history.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

Potomac, Maryland

$2,950,000

Crafted of the ﬁnest materials, this grand 2-acre estate offers 15,000+ square feet of luxurious living space including 14 bedrooms with a 1st-ﬂoor master and 11 full baths. A beautiful rear terrace overlooks the pool and lushly landscaped lot. Michael Matese 301-806-6829/ 301-907-7600 (O)

Potomac, Maryland

$2,750,000

Extraordinary new home on a prime lot. 2 master bedroom suites. All bedrooms with private bath. Study with ﬁreplace and French doors to covered porch. Fabulous gourmet kitchen with Viking appliances and more. Easy commute to DC, VA and airports. Parvin Navid 301-325-6401/ 240-497-1700 (O)

Washington, D.C.

$2,495,000

Outstanding residence in sought after Kent neighborhood beautifully designed & built by Samuel Pardoe w/approx 5,500 sf features fabulous ﬂoor plan & grand, updated interiors on private 13,000+sf lot. 7BR, 5FB, 2HB. Lenora “Mufﬁn” Lynham 202-489-7431/ 202-362-1300 (O)

Washington, DC

$1,739,000

If you are searching for the sublime, look no further than this classic Wesley Heights 5BR/4.5 BA Colonial. Richly appointed with leaded glass, two ﬁreplaces, gourmet kitchen, hardwood ﬂoors, deluxe baths, high ceilings, sumptuous master bedroom. Woodley Park 202-483-6300

#1 in the Mid-Atlantic Region There’s a reason why Long & Foster® sells more $1,000,000 and above homes than our nearest competitors by far. 27%

Washington, D.C.

$1,450,000

Washington, D.C. 25.7%

Fashionable 2BR/2BA condo. Inspiring residence with sensational space and style. Ample 4-car garage. Spacious ﬂoorplan. Roof deck. Enchanting home with beautiful design. Paul Madsen 202-255-1739/ 202-363-1800 (O)

24%

21%

Percent of Homes Bought & Sold

Potomac, Maryland

$1,350,000

Surround yourself with style in this gorgeous, spacious Tudor. Dramatic 2-story foyer with wraparound 2nd ﬂoor Balcony. 5 Bedrooms, 4 Full Baths plus Lower Level Au pair Suite. Cathedral ceiling Family Room, table-space Kitchen. Margaret McLaughlin 202-297-3914/ 202-363-9700 (O)

Washington, D.C. $1,250,000 Lose yourself in luxury in this fashionable Colonial. Admirable home with sensational space and style. 3 BR/3 and 1/2 baths. Largescale. 3 ﬁreplaces. Spacious ﬂoorplan. Incomparable grace and comfort. Friendship Heights 202-364-5200

$1,425,000

Distinguished 5BR/4+BA Vintage Colonial. Highlydesirable home that is elegant and enchanting. 2 ﬁreplaces. Double ovens. Entrancing home with magniﬁcent design. W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors 301-229-4000

18%

15%

12.8%

12%

9.9%

Washington, D.C.

5.7% 3%

$1,299,000

Classic amenities define this 5BR/4BA Colonial. This superlative residence offers fireplace. Spacious floorplan. Delightful design and a warm welcome. Chevy Chase Uptown 202-364-1300

3.1%

LONG & FOSTER

Washington Fine Properties

Coldwell Banker Residential/NRT

Sothebys International Realty

Weichert REALTORS®

No one has more expertise selling luxury homes than Long & Foster. With unrivaled professional experience, exclusive local knowledge, and a world-class approach to service, Long & Foster is the right choice whether you’re looking to buy or sell an extraordinary home.

www.ExtraordinaryProperties.com Potomac, Maryland ®

* Source: Information included in this report is based on data supplied by MRIS and its member Association(s) of REALTORS who are not responsible for its accuracy. Does not reﬂect all activity in the marketplace. Data from January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011 on number of units bought and sold $1 million and above. Information contained in this report is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, should be independently veriﬁed, and does not constitute an opinion of MRIS or Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

$1,125,000

Fulﬁll all your dreams in this fashionable four bedroom, three plus bath, three ﬁreplace Colonial offering brilliant livability! Stunning home with grand yet gracious design. Peggy Virostek 301-370-8846/ 202-966-0400 (O)

HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE

To Market, To Market Spring has sprung in Washington and these properties are on the shopping block

Asking Price: $3,290,000

MCLEAN

MCLEAN VA Located near Tysons Corner, this home was built in vintage Virginia plantation-style, the huge front porch spans the façade. Museum-like details include hardwood, tile, herringbone brick, and paneling. Grand windows overlook the gardens. There are indoor and outdoor pools, a greenhouse sunroom, a great room, and a finished lower level. The master suite fills an entire wing with a boudoirstyle dressing room, a custom show two walk-in closets and a coffee bar.

Listing Agent Jim Bell 202-607-4000 Beasley Real Estate

Asking Price: $2,450,000 Listing Agent: Lilian Jorgenson 703-407-0766

BANCROFT PLACE NW WASHINGTON DC

Long & Foster Real Estate Inc.

closet, triple accessory closets,

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HEIGHTS

WOODLAND DRIVE NW WASHINGTON DC This stately residence has 4,400 sq. ft. of interior space with an embassysized foyer, gourmet kitchen, and living and dining rooms with soaring 12-ft. ceilings. French doors throughout the main level open onto a picturesque terrace overlooking a buildable 1/3-acre lot. The upper level has four bedroom suites with full baths, including a master bedroom which boasts a living room with fireplace and built-ins. Additional amenities include a large elevator, two bedroom/office spaces, laundry room, storage and a sizable unfinished space to install a home gym or media room. Asking Price: $4,195,000 Listing Agent Honor Ingersoll 202-297-9681 TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

KALORAMA

Designed by internationally renowned architect, Suman Sorg, this home is exquisite. The light-filled main level includes a formal dining room, chef ’s kitchen, den, living area with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, glass doors leading to the terrace and library.The master suite offers a pivoting wall, walk-in closet and attached bath. Four additional bedrooms, three full baths and a family room further enhance this home. The property’s exterior offers a zen-like rear garden, professional landscaping and an in-ground pool with surrounding flagstone terrace.

GEORGETOWN

DUMBARTON STREET NW WASHINGTON DC Located in the East Village of Georgetown, this authentic Federal has been meticulously renovated with the highest quality of materials. The three-bedroom, four and one-half bath home features a spacious living room, gourmet eat-in kitchen with top of the line appliances, elegant main rooms and a spectacular two-story addition with an office. Other amenities include a large, private flat lot with an exquisite pool and patio, perfect for entertaining.

Asking Price:

$4,700,000

Listing Agents: Nancy Taylor-Bubes| 202-256-2164 Jamie Peva| 202-258-5050 Washington Fine Properties

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

WE WANT TO HAVE YOU FOR DINNER. Smithsonian National Zoo’s

Z O O FA R I

Don’t miss 100 of DC’s top restaurants, May 17 at Washington’s most delicious fundraiser. Sponsored By: Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One Bank, The Coca-Cola Company, Comcast, GEICO, LivingSocial, MIX 107.3–WRQX, NBC4, Rosenthal Jaguar/Land Rover, Washingtonian Magazine, and 630 WMAL.

BUY TICKETS TODAY AT FONZ.ORG/ZOOFARI.HTM OR CALL 202/633-3042.

MY WASHINGTON Chris Dodd, chairman, Motion Pictures Association of America

WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW? Online theft of its content. No business in the world, no matter how successful, can compete with free. Our challenge is to educate people about the cost of online theft, not just to our industry but to American consumers as well.

2 5

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ABOUT YOUR NEW JOB? Discovering just how important the American film and television industry is to our country. Not just the billions of dollars it brings to our economy from around the world, but the number of middle class jobs it supports. There are 2.2 million people working in the industry in the United States with an average salary of $55,000 a year.

WHY ARE HOLLYWOOD STARS SO DAZZLED BY WHAT GOES ON IN WASHINGTON? Stars who use their celebrity to draw attention to important issues here and around the world are drawn to the opportunity to make a difference — Washington is the place to do just that.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU GIVE THEM WHEN THEY COME HERE? My advice is to connect their celebrity and activism to why their cause should be meaningful to average people across the country. I recently went to Haiti with Sean Penn to see what he is doing there to help people rebuild after the terrible earthquake.While Julianne Moore was promoting “Game Change,” she was also working with Save the Children to highlight the fact that child poverty in America has increased over the past several years.

MY TOP SPOTS 1. Jimmy T’s (501 East Capitol Street SE) is a Capitol Hill institution — small town diner where I often have breakfast on weekends. 2. Carmines on 6th and E streets NW is a great family place with an old fashioned feel. Our girls love the spaghetti and meatballs. 3. Eastern Market - We join the crowd on Saturday mornings at this historic neighborhood institution on Capitol Hill for a “Market Lunch.” 4. I enjoy bike riding to the Riverby’s, the used book store on the Hill. 5. My daughters love to ride the carousel on the Mall. 6. The IMAX movies at Smithsonian museums are always a favorite with our family. 7. We love to go to the movies, and the Avalon Theater is a favorite.

WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

| A P R I L | washingtonlife.com

PO RTRAIT BY MELIS SA RAUCH . CARMINE’ S BY STEVEN PURCELL . AVALO N THE ATER BY JAMES DADDIO. NATIO NAL CAROUSEL BY CHRIS B ENSO N COURTESY NATIO NAL CAROUSEL AS SO CIATIO N .

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST/LEAST ABOUT THE U S SENATE? The thing I miss most, apart from serving with remarkably good people, is the satisfaction of working with common purpose for the common good and having the opportunity to have a real impact on people’s lives while working on issues that I cared passionately about. What I miss least is — perhaps not surprisingly — is the personal demonizing of each other. If you want to be a legislator you need to work with people you don’t agree with — regardless of party — and unfortunately that is not happening on the Hill today.

The Best agents, the Best properties, the Best results. Quite simply the Best.