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Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Canada State Dinner
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FEATURING PORTRAITS OF MARTY BARON, FRED RYAN, CHRISTINE LAGARDE, JEH JOHNSON AND SUSAN DIMARCO, SIR KIM AND LADY DARROCH
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STEVE CASE REMEMBERS JIM KIMSEY | NATURE CONSERVANCY PRESIDENT MARK TERCEK WASHINGTON CAPITALS GOALIE BRADEN HOLTBY | WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER GOWNS CHEF PATI JINICH’S MEXICAN-INSPIRED HOME
PA RT I PA ES! RT PA IE RT S! IE S!
JOSÉ ANDRÉS, DESIREE BARNES, MELISSA CHIU, DOUG KAMMERER, LAURIE STRONGIN, DANISH AMB. LARS GERT LOSE & ULLA RØNBERG
SPECIAL FEATURE
WASHINGTON LIFE’S
men & women of
Portraits by Tony Powell
T
hese remarkable and stylish men and women are helping redefine Washington culturally, politically, philanthropically and gastronomically. Hirshhorn Museum Director Melissa Chiu is turning heads as the first non-American to lead that institution and is using her connections in New York and around the world to increase support and visibility for the Smithsonian’s contemporary art museum on the National Mall. Chef and restaurateur José Andrés made headlines this year when he backed out of opening a restaurant in Donald Trump’s Washington hotel after Trump made disparaging comments about Hispanic immigrants. Andrés is also using his clout to lobby for clean cookstoves worldwide. The new Danish Ambassador, Lars Lose, and wife, Ulla Rønberg, bring a fresh take on diplomacy and culture to the nation’s capital. Desiree Barnes is the first-ever “press wrangler” at the White House, managing to help the White House press corps and reign them in at the same time. NBC4 meteorologist Doug Kammerer is passionate about talking to the next generation of viewers (and meteorologists!) at local schools and connecting with viewers in this new media world. Laurie Strongin, who lost her son Henry to a rare disease, turned her sorrow into a charity that brings smiles to the faces of hospitalized children and hopes to change what a hospital stay means for children throughout the country. What they all have in common is a passion for working towards the greater good. They exemplify hard work, substance and grit, and make it seem effortless. Here, they give us a small glimpse into their lives and share how they manage to always look impeccably put together. We also feature an elegant and unique group of trendsetters that are changing the city’s sartorial landscape and asked them to let us in on the secrets behind their personal style.
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1)0-77% ',-9 HIRSHHORN MUSEUM DIRECTOR The elegant, Australian-born Chiu is the first non-American to serve as director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, one of the nation’s leading institutions of contemporary art. She raised eyebrows in 2015 for unabashedly holding the museum’s 40th anniversary gala. in New York rather than Washington, but her methods are undeniably raising significant funds and boosting the museum’s profile. HOW DO YOU BELIEVE YOU’VE POSITIVELY IMPACTED THE HIRSHHORN?I think I bring an international perspective to the museum and I’ve enjoyed setting an agenda for our exhibition program for the next few years, which reflects an interest in making the Hirshhorn central to any thinking on contemporary art here in Washington. WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO CRITICS WHO SAY YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN NEW YORK?Over the last year we have planned events across the country including Los Angeles, Miami and Houston. We have held events in New York such as a fundraising gala that raised $1.5 million to benefit the exhibition program at the museum here in Washington. New York is an important art center and its proximity means that its an important place for the Hirshhorn to build support but the Hirshhorn is located in Washington. And all our programs, performances and exhibitions happen here. My first year at the museum was spent on the road building support for the museum and now we get to focus on developing the museum program of exhibitions. PERSONAL STYLE: I like very simple designs.
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%1& 0%67 +)68 037) %2( 900% 6 2&)6+ DENMARK’S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.; LEADER OF INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROJECTS AT THE DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE The young and dynamic new Danish ambassador, Lars Gert Lose and his wife Ulla, currently on leave from the Danish Agency for Culture, are already making a splash in diplomatic and social circles. WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH DURING YOUR TENURE AS AMBASSADOR? Ambassador Lose: The historic relationship between the United States and Denmark has never been stronger. We share the same values of peace, democracy, human rights and free trade. As ambassador, I want to make sure that this great relationship meets the challenges of the future through a strong transatlantic partnership. I want to work for enhanced security cooperation and with the U.S .and other coalition partners to strengthen the fight against ISIL. A big priority of mine is to enhance trade and economic opportunities for Danish businesses. The U.S. is Denmark’s largest trading partner outside Europe. Still there is huge potential – ready to be seized. DO YOU PLAN TO ENTERTAIN IN ANY SPECIAL WAY? Mrs. Rønberg: We both have an affinity for music, as do our kids. We do not all like the same style of music – I am a classically trained pianist and my husband is a self-proclaimed rock’n’roller on his guitar. We try to make music part of how we entertain. I believe that our modern residence could become a showcase for contemporary Danish art, crafts and design and am working on a project that would eventually bring contemporary art to this embassy. This April, we will open a Jacob Riis exhibit at the Library of Congress. Riis, an immigrant and Danish journalist whose photographs document life in New York City slums in the 19th century, revealed “how the other half lives.” DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE. Mrs. Rønberg: We like Danish designers Malene Birger and Bruuns Bazaar, who are established in the U.S. and around the globe. Clean lines and simple silhouettes is what Denmark and Danish design is known for. That is also how we both identify our personal style.
()7-6)) &%62)7 WHITE HOUSE PRESS WRANGLER She began working in the Obama White House as an intern at the age of 19, and is still there today, having spent her entire professional career at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. These days, she travels with President Obama, most recently to Cuba and Argentina, and helps facilitate and manage the press corps. WHAT, EXACTLY, DOES A PRESS WRANGLER DO? I’m essentially a traveling press aide to spokespersons and reporters during State visits, dance recitals, foreign trips, golf and virtually anything with a press component or outside of the White House. We are always there to assist the White House press pool. YOU STARTED WORKING AT THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN YOU WERE 19. HOW HAVE YOU RISEN THROUGH THE RANKS? Patience, sacrifice and being open to the rapid pace White House staffers operate on. WHAT’S THE MOST FUN YOU’VE EVER HAD ON THE JOB? Honestly, anytime we travel or encounter folks who felt they wouldn’t have had a voice or an opportunity to take part in history is always rewarding. WHAT’S THE MOST SERIOUS OR SOMBER DAY YOU’VE HAD?Attending the service where the President delivered the eulogy, for those who lost their lives in the Charleston, South Carolina church shooting. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE? Functional and comfortable. Although I love colors and prints, most people would tell you I like wearing black. It requires the least amount of thought on an early morning. 48
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.37f %2(6f7 CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR In the last 18 months, Andrés has opened China Chilcano and Beefsteak in Washington, J by José Andrés in Mexico City and a fish restaurant, Pwason Beni, in an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He’s also talked clean cookstoves at the 2015 Milan Expo and had a public spat with Donald Trump. His secret, he says, is he always wants to keep moving. WHY HAS THE ISSUE OF CLEAN COOKSTOVES BECOME SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND HOW ARE YOU HELPING THE CAUSE? Imagine you are a woman in Haiti, feeding your family every day.You cook the traditional way, with wood, or charcoal, or even animal waste.Your home is filled with toxic smoke.You have lung diseases from inhaling this smoke.Your children do not go to school. They go to gather wood for the fire.Your country has no forest left. I visited Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. I wanted to help. As a chef, making cooking better for everyone was so important to me. My organization, World Central Kitchen, works with a group called Switch Haiti. Together we have converted 100 school kitchens in Port-au-Prince away from charcoal, to clean cookstoves with liquid petroleum gas. We improved the health of 60,000 schoolchildren. We believe investing in clean cookstoves all around the world will not only save lives, but empower women and girls through access to more education. DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE. My style has to keep up with me. I like things that are casual and classic. I have a vest that I love from Eddie Bauer. For shirts, I love Vineyard Vines. And I am always wearing shoes from Camper, the brand from Spain. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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(39+ /%11)6)6 NBC4 METEORLOGIST It’s not uncommon for Kammerer to work 12 hour-plus days, particulary during major weather events like the blizzard of 2016. He often begins his days off the clock, talking to school children about meteorology and ends them by doing a radio “hit” at home just before midnight, The Clark Kent lookalike harkens anchormen of yore and has earned the trust of finicky Washingtonians. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT T0 YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS AT SCHOOLS? I really like talking to people about the weather. I love kids and if I can share my passion and knowledge with them, and earn potential viewers for the rest of their lives at the same time ... nothing makes me happier. HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN VIEWERS BLAME YOU FOR INACCURATE PREDICTIONS? It happens all the time. Usually, when the viewers say we didn’t forecast correctly, we really did and it was their perception of our forecast that was inaccurate. One of the hardest parts of the job is that we only have two and a half to three minutes on air to get a forecast out there, and do so in a way that the public understands. For instance, if we predict a 30 percent chance of rain, some people understand that as no rain and call and complain when it begins to sprinkle, even though we told them it would be a good ideas to keep an umbrella handy. That said, if we are inaccurate, I’ll be the first one out there to tell you, “hey, we got it wrong this time.” WHAT ‘S YOUR SECRET TO STILL LOOKING PUT TOGETHER ON THE AIR AT THE END OF A LONG DAY? Fitted shirts. Suits are always going to be tailored, but fitted shirts are something people tend to forget, and we end up swimming 50 in our shirts.
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0%96-) 78632+-2 HOPE FOR HENRY FOUNDER AND AUTHOR, “SAVING HENRY” Since launching in 2003, after her son Henry died of Fanconi Anemia, Strongin’s Hope for Henry foundation has served more than 15,000 younger patients at Children’s National, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and other hospitals around the country. She has raised over $3.5 million and hosted hundreds of birthday and Halloween parties, superhero celebrations, visits by athletes, readings and book signings to ensure that the sickest children don’t miss out on the wonder of childhood. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WATCH THE CHILDREN AT EVENTS YOU HOST IN HOSPITALS? I remember so clearly what it was like to be the mom of a young child spending weeks and months in the hospital undergoing radiation, chemotherapy and countless surgical procedures in the hope of getting better. But when we were there, there weren’t any programs like Hope for Henry to provide needed distractions from the monotony of lengthy hospital stays and the pain and fear that the kids and families experience. When Hope for Henry throws an over-thetop superhero celebration; a Halloween party with a haunted house, trick-ortreating and a pumpkin patch; or spa day with makeovers, manicures and photo shoots, I watch the kids’ faces light up and smiles abound. All of a sudden it’s like the hospital walls fade away and you can’t hear the beeping of the IV pumps anymore. All you can hear is laughter.
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DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE. Casual chic. I wear a lot of black. My favorite brands are Theory, Rag & Bone,Vince, Max Mara and DVF. My favorite new designer is Hope for Henry Honorary Chairman Abeer Al Otaiba, whose new line, SemSem, is absolutely gorgeous. 51