Washington Life Magazine - April 2018 by Washington Life Magazine

men & women of substance and style

Andrea Mitchell & Judy Woodruff, Antonio Alves, Kathleen Biden & Karen Barker Marcou, Michelle Freeman, Bill Homan, Joshua Johnson and Eun Yang

pa rt paies! rt pa ie rt S! ie s!

THE 2018 A-LIST Washington’s Most Desired Guests • TRENDSETTERS Style & Personality • HOUSE ENVY At Home With Designer Darryl Carter

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24 '328)287 APRIL 2018

33 EDITOR'S LETTER

FEATURES THE A-LIST ................................................... MEN & WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE & STYLE.......................... TRENDSETTERS ..........................................

WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY FYIDC

EMBASSY ROW ...........................................

SOCIAL CALENDAR ...................................

INSIDER'S GUIDE ........................................ TRAVEL Family Fun in Florida ..........................

Heroes Gala........................................................4

Teach for America Gala ........................................

Affair of the Heart ................................................

Sibley Gala........................................................

Heart Ball...........................................................

The Last Empress of China ....................................

Valentine's Day Parties ..........................................

OVER THE MOON ......................................

POLLYWOOD

Compass Arlington Launch .....................................

HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC

Conversation with Mary Beard.................................

Dolly Parton at the Library of Congress ..................

Parties, Parties, Parties! ...........................................

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

Reception Honoring Princess Lalla .........................

HOME LIFE

BOOK TALK Peggy Cooper Cafritz ..................

INSIDE HOMES Darryl Carter ......................... REAL ESTATE NEWS................................... DESIGN TRENDS Velvet ................................ OPEN HOUSE ............................................ WHO'S NEXT Michaela Pratt...........................

LIFESTYLES TREND REPORT Artful Attire ......................... FASHION EDITORIAL Fashion for Paws..........

ON THE COVER: Judy Woodruff and Andrea Mitchell at Charlie Palmer Steak (Photo by Tony Powell) TOP FROM LEFT: Karen Marcou and Kathleen Biden at Charlie Palmer Steak (Photo by Tony Powell); Fort Myer (Courtesy Photo); Trendsetters shot on the roof of Union Market (Photo by Nick Ghobashi). CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Pigalle follies loubitag red sole pump ($725); neimanmarcus.com. FASHION shot at Fiola Mare (Photo by Moshe Zusman); a guest bedroom with toile wallpaper at Darryl Carter's residence (Photo by Tony Powell).

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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

Virginia Coyne SENIOR EDITOR

Kevin Chaffee DEPUTY EDITORS

Erica Moody Catherine Trifiletti CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Roland Flamini COLUMNISTS AND CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Janet Donovan, Steve Houk,Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr and Donna Shor ART DIRECTOR

Matt Rippetoe PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Tony Powell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Joy Asico, Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores, Larry French, Naku Mayo,Kyle Samperton, Erin Schaff, Jay Snap and Amanda Warden

PUBLISHER & CEO

Soroush Richard Shehabi SALES AND MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE

John Arundel BOOKKEEPER

Michelle Frazer WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT

Eddie Saleh,Triposs Mihail Iliev LEGAL

Mason Hammond Drake, Akerman, LLP EDITORIAL INTERNS

Catherine Douglas Moran and Kathryn Sanders

FOUNDER

Vicki Bagley CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS (*)

J.C. Suarès 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. *deceased

EDITOR’S LETTER

pring is a time of rebirth and, for me, of self-reflection. As the days get longer, the trees greener and flowers begin to bloom, one can’t resist being in awe of the resilience and strength of Mother Nature. It’s also a season of internal renewal, leading me to wonder how I can do better for myself and for those around me. Working on our “Men and Women of Substance and Style” feature proved to be the ultimate inspiration, and I hope our readers will feel the same. The individuals we feature are all prominent in their respective fields, givers of their time, deep thinkers and steadfast friends. They are the true definition of substance, and their unique style reflects their lives and work. If only they could share a bit of their superpowers with us! Inside, you’ll also find our annual A-List, a selective roster of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s most important playrs. Not surprisingly, many are drawn from the realm of politics, starting with President and Mrs. Trump, new members of the Cabinet, prominent senators and representatives,VIPs from previous administrations (including former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton) in addition to leaders from the worlds of diplomacy, media, business and philanthropy. Their one defining characteristic? Suffice it to say that heads turn when they enter a room. Every year for this issue, we attempt to narrow down a handful of local residents whose effortless style inspires us to try something new in our wardrobes. For this year’s “Trendsetters,” we chose seven sartorial risk-takers and then photographed them on the rooftop at Union Market.You’ve likely seen these dynamos on your Instagram feeds or spotted them around town at major events. Read on to discover what —and who — inspires their unique style. On May 5, the Humane Rescue Alliance will host its annual Fashion for Paws event blending couture and canines. In an effort to raise awareness about this worthy cause, we styled this month’s fashion editorial to take advantage of this opportunity to use cute pups as stylish accessories. When it comes to chic home design, prominent Washington interior designer Darryl Carter immediately comes to mind. For our Inside Homes feature, we stepped into his Embassy Row house, which has undergone multiple design iterations over the years as his style has evolved. In its most current state, the space seamlessly mixes antiques with modern touches.

And if you’re looking to decorate your own space, keep in mind that velvet is not only for the winter months. Our design trends page highlights colorful velvet items to spruce up your springtime decor. In February, we lost Peggy Cooper Cafritz, one of the city’s most generous arts patrons and the founder of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. For this month’s book talk, we highlight “Fired Up! Ready to Go!”, a book that features photographs and essays on Cooper Cafritz’s unforgettable African American and African art collections, one of the largest in the country. And as always, we bring you a wealth of parties including the WL-sponsored Sibley Gala, the Affair of the Heart luncheon and fashion show, the Heart Ball, Latin Lovers Soiree,Teach for America gala and Children’s National Heroes Gala. Do you know who the most powerful people in Washington are? We do. Find out next month in our annual Power List and look for party coverage of top springtime events including THEARC Wacky and Whimsical Tea, Innocents at Risk’s annual gala and the Sondheim Awards.

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

Executive Editor Virginia Coyne interviews “Women of Substance & Style” Judy Woodruﬀ and Andrea Mitchell at Charlie Palmer Steak.

P H OTOS BY OTO NY P OW E L L

SUBSTANCE, STYLE & RENEWAL

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SOCIAL CALENDAR

APRIL

C HI LDREN’S BALL Business leaders, government ofﬁcials, policymakers and other guests will gather for the annual black-tie event that includes a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and plenty of entertainment. The event builds support for medicine, advocacy and research for children. Union Station; 7 p.m.; black-tie; sponsorships start $3,500; contact Jen Fleming, JBFleming2@ ChildrensNational.org , 301-565-8530.

CAT HOLIC CHARITIES GALA Prominent members of the Washington community will join Fr. Bill Byrne for dinner, entertainment and dancing. Washington Marriott Marquis; 6:30 p.m.; tickets start at $85; sponsorships start at $2,000; contact Kimani Superville, kimani. superville@cc-dc.org.

INN OCENTS AT RISK GALA Join gala chairs Staci and Tony Capuano in their ongoing ﬁght to end child trafficking at the non-profit group’s 12th annual gala. The Mayﬂower Hotel; 7 p.m.; cocktail attire; $500, sponsorships start at $2,000; contact debsigmund@gmail.com, 202-625-4338.

P H OTOS BY TO N Y P OW E L L

MAR CH OF DIMES GOURMET GALA Washington notables, including more than 50 U.S. senators and representatives, will compete in a cook-off where celebrity chefs serve their favorite hors d’oeuvres, desserts and drinks. The recipes will be judged with awards given for six categories. National Building Museum; 6 p.m.; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Tina Cavucci, ccavucci@marchofdimes.org.

SPRING GALA Join co-chairwomen Grace Bender, Amra Fazlic, Amanda Polk and Jayne Visser for a special night at the museum’s largest annual fundraising event featuring dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Ambassador of France Gérard Araud and Pascal Blondeau will serve as honorary chair men and legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts. Proceeds beneﬁt the museum’s exhibitions and programming. National Museum of Women in the Arts Great Hall; 6:30 p.m.; black-tie; tickets start at $1,000; sponsorships start at $2,000; contact 202266-2815, fmurray@nmwa.org.

EVERYBODY WINS DC GALA The 2 3rd annual gala raises funds to support programming that pairs reading mentors with students in the Washington area. The evening’s keynote speaker is Juan Felipe Herrera, a twotime U.S. poet laureate and award-winning children’s book author. National Museum for Women in the Arts; 5:30 p.m.; tickets start at $200; sponsorships start at $1,000; contact Holland Diz, hdiz@everybodywinsdc.org.

BAL L FOR THE MALL The prestigious tented event held on the National Mall will feature beautiful views, noted speakers, and a seated dinner and dessert reception followed by dancing. The Mall, 5:30 p.m.; sponsorships start at $15,000; contact Vanessa Chebli, 202-407-9415, vchebli@nationalmall.org.

Raul Fernandez and Jean-Marie Fernandez with Elena and Robert Allbritton at the 2017 Children’s Ball.

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NAT IONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

A V INTAGE AFFAIR Wine lovers will rejoice at the tasting event that pairs pours with elegant cuisine and supports programs at Children’s National Health System. Auction items include special wines and collections, exotic trips and unique dining experiences. Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium; 6:30 p.m.; cocktail attire; tickets start at $400; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Kim Trundle, vintage@boardofvisitors.com.

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Cindy Jones, Amy Baier, Kristin Cecchi and Jamie Dorros at the 2017 National Museum of Women in the Arts Gala.

PHILLIPS PROGRAMS GALA Support Phillips’ Career and Technical education programs at its largest charity event, which will include live and silent auctions, rafﬂes, dinner and dancing. McLean Hilton; 6 p.m.; tickets start at $25; sponsorships start at $500; contact 703-941-8810.

SAVE THE DATE :/ 6321625(' (9(176

MAY Phillips Collection Gala MAY Kennedy Center Spring Gala MAY Arena Stage One Night Only Gala MAY Young Concert Artists Gala MAY Washington Ballet Gala MAY Embassy Chef Challenge

FYIDC The Insider’s Guide to Washington

Cézanne Portraits at the National Gallery of Art

EXQUISITE IMAGES

Post-Impressionist master Paul Cézanne mainly painted people he knew: himself, his family and friends in Aix-en-Provence. Sixty of these portraits from collections across the world are now on display at the National Gallery of Art, the first exhibition in more than a century devoted entirely to his portraits. They show the unconventional style with which he painted, one that was radical for its time. Several are exclusive to the National Gallery, and some have never appeared in the United States. March 25-July 1, Free admission, nga.gov.

‘PICTURES OF THE YEAR’ AT THE NEWSEUM

CAPTURED IN TIME

Photographs have the power to capture cultural moments, and some of the most moving images of our time are coming to the Newseum. Iconic photographs over a period of 75 years are celebrated at the exhibition, “Pictures of the Year: 75 Years of the World’s Best Photography.” Selections were carefully chosen from more than 40,000 possibilities, “tracing the evolution of photojournalism from World War II to today.” They include “Unrest in Baton Rouge,” a chilling photo that went viral from a Louisiana Black Lives Matter protest in 2016. April 6-January 20, Adults $24.95, newseum.org.

‘UNSEEN’ AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

HISTORY REVEALED As it celebrates its first 50 years, the National Portrait Gallery is recognizing artists who were left out of the conversation for so long. “UnSeen: Our Past in a New Light: Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar” examines “how people of color are missing in historical portraiture, and how their contributions to the nation’s past were rendered equally invisible. Focused around the two featured contemporary artists, the exhibition brings African Americans, Native Americans and Latino Americans to the forefront to amend the American historical narrative.” March 23-Jan. 6, Free admission, Npg.si.edu.

BAY BRIDGE BOAT SHOW

SHIPPING NEWS

Yacht enthusiasts will enjoy the Bay Bridge Boat Show while kicking the boating season into high gear. The annual Maryland weekend features more than 400 craft up to 70 feet in length and boasts a “try before you buy” option, daily seminars for those who are new to the boating life and antique boats on display along with shiny new ones. Stevensville, Md., April 27-29, Adults $12, children 12 and under free, annapolisboatshows.com.

EARTHY EVENTS Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) with environmentally conscious, familyfriendly events >>

Q BROCCOLI CITY FESTIVAL: Music, food, art, fitness and panel discussions celebrate the environment at the annual Broccoli City Festival. Big-name artists are featured and this year Migos, Miguel and Cardi B. will headline the daytime event that benefits sustainable living programs in cities. RFK Stadium, April 28, noon,$163 general admission, bcfestival.com. Q BOTANIC FESTIVAL: The U.S. Botanic Garden celebrates Earth Day with hands-on activities and the opportunity to meet with representatives from environmental organizations from across the area. April 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., National Garden, Free admission, usbg.gov/events. Q POTOMAC WATERSHED CLEANUP: For 30 years, the Potomac Watershed Cleanup has been getting people involved with the environment with its annual April cleanup, the largest regional event of its kind. There are cleanups throughout the month and specific childfriendly ones. April 14, various locations and times, fergusonfoundation.org.

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BY ERICA MOODY

FLORIDA TRAVEL

FYI FLORIDA

Bring the young ones on your next vacation to the Southern state

relax on FLORIDA’S SOUTHWEST COAST

play at DISNEY World With the continuing expansion of its parks, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., has much more to offer than the Magic Kingdom. And although it’s not just for kids anymore, how better to describe the truly unreal (or rather truly real) Disney experience than through the eyes of a child? Here are the impressions left by Disney’s newly opened Avatar augmented reality ride on a 10-year old visitor from the District, Alexander Paxson: Have you ever wanted to hang-glide or fly on a back of a bird? Well, now, at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, in the Avatar Flight of Passage, you will experience a virtual flight on the back of a magical bird called a Banshee who lives on mountains in a world called Pandora. When you are riding on a Banshee (virtually), it feels very realistic as you fly fast down and up and around mountains, over oceans with enormous waves. Finally, your Banshee lands safely and you finish the magnificent ride.

Here you can escape to golf, tennis and even eco-tours in Orlando, or take your pick of hundreds of untamed beaches and naturally preserved islands off Fort Myer, Clearwater, Sanibel or St. Petersburg to kayak, sail, dive, fish, hunt or island hop. Fort Myer offers world-class shelling along 50 miles of pristine beaches and is home to the J.N.“Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the U.S. If you’re a baseball fan, the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins hold spring training at the new, state-of-the-art, $78 million JetBlue Park. Stay at The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, a 5-star haven on 26 lush acres, with beach access on a private island and two acres of pools, waterslides and lazy river. – John Arundel

Stroll in st. augustine The places that function best in the nation’s oldest city are those that strike a balance of past and present. Start your visit with a walk down cobblestone Aviles Street lined with Spanish colonial buildings that now house contemporary shops and continue the stroll onto St. Augustine’s main pedestrian artery, St. George’s Street, which boasts numerous outdoor cafes and ice cream parlors. Make stops at the spectacular Flagler College, once the de luxe Ponce de Leon Hotel built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler and the 16th century masonry fortification Castillo de San Marcos, where volunteers dressed up in period costumes reenact cannon firings once used to ward off unwanted guests like pirates. Stay at the Kessler Collection’s charming Casa Monica Resort & Spa. – Catherine Trifiletti

RESCUE SEA TURTLES IN BOCA Teach kids about conservation by visiting the outstanding Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (gumbolimbo.org) and participate in a nighttime hatchling release. They are able to hold the baby sea turtles in their hands and then release them into the water at night. It’s truly magical to watch the turtles run to the ocean to begin their lives in the sea. – Erica Moody

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POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politics﹐ Hollywood﹐ Media and Diplomacy | Teach for America Gala, Sibley Gala and more!

Sen. Kamala Harris and Debra Lee at the Alvin Ailey Gala. (Photo by Tony Powell)

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POLLYWOOD

Bill and Karen Sonneborn with Chrissy and Jeff Brill Adele Fabrikant and Kevin Maxwell WL SPONSORED

Jerry Jasinowski, Christie Weiss, Isabel Jasinowski and Jeff Weiss

TEACH FOR AMERICA GALA

Kay Kendall and Amy Selco Meredith Balenske, Lauren Culbertson and Rachel Wolbers

Ritz- Carlton, Washington, DC | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL CIVIC LEADERSHIP CHANGING LIVES Educators, leaders and supporters gathered alongside Teach for America (TFA) gala chairs Chrissy and Jeﬀ Brill and Karen and Bill Sonneborn to celebrate at the organization’s eighth annual gala. Over cocktails and dinner, guests heard impact statements from alumni and keynote speakers Rep. John Delaney and April McClain-Delaney, who addressed the TFA’s mission to close the education inequity gap in the Washington, D.C. region with teaching programs that impact over 50,000 local students daily. Over the last eight years, the event has raised more than $8 million to support the organization’s services and operations.

Rep. John Delaney, April McClain- Delaney and Lily Delaney

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Ramsey White, Jamie Dorros, Kristin Cecchi and Vita Pagnani

Jack Davies and Monica Moore Thompson 14

Janice Smeallie, Keith Powell and Katherine Bradley

Kimberly Ellis, Ashley Pettway and Joreather Settles

Judy Bishop and Stuart Holliday

Davian Morgan and Mary Haft

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Debbi Jarvis

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POLLYWOOD Photo by Jack Hartzman

WL SPONSORED

Steve Salis and Kristen Salis

SIBLEY’S HOPE & PROGRESS GALA Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES AND JACK HARTZMAN PROMOTING PROGRESS Sibley Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 17th annual gala attracted more than 500 guests for a spectacular black-tie evening that included a seated dinner and live entertainment. The hospital’s signature fundraising event has raised $11.6 million since its inception, including $915,000 from this year’s event. Proceeds benefit the Johns Hopkins Women’s Center, to be launched this summer. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Anthony Evans and Kevin Sowers

Martine Dubin, Julia Ghafouri and Mary Ehrgood

Chip Davis, Rachel Sullivan, Dr. Colette Magnant, Carol Shannon and Geoff Brown Theo McCloskey and Mark Mavilia 16

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Kazuko Ueda, Ryo Yanagitani and Sachiko Kuno

Robert Sher and Amy Dickstein

Paul Johnson and Andrea Hulse-Johnson

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POLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC

DOLLY PARTON’S GIFT OF LITERACY The country singer celebrates 100 million books donated to the Library of Congress’ Imagination Library. B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N

ou can’t tell a book by its cover,” singer, songwriter, record producer, author, actress, philanthropist and all around superstar Dolly Parton joked at a ceremony celebrating the 100 millionth book donated to the Library of Congress’ Imagination Library, which she founded in 1995. She was, of course, referring to her outward, “painted lady” look, as she calls it, versus her new title of “the book lady.” Imagination Library is a book-gifting organization that has provided books to underprivileged children since its inception. Each month the program mails a specially selected, age-appropriate book to registered children starting from birth until they begin Kindergarten. Thousands of organizations across the country provide funding and support to the program and Penguin Random House serves as the exclusive publisher. “I do more homework now at night working on these programs than I ever did when I was in

school,” Parton told the crowd. The event also served as a launch for a monthly reading program, which Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden explained “will provide an opportunity for children anywhere to connect with a fun, engaging reading experience.” Parton fittingly kicked off the program by reading her book “Coat of Many Colors” to the young audience. The entertainer, who grew up in a family of 12 children in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, attributes her commitment to literacy to her father who never learned to read or write. Despite his lack of schooling, Parton calls him “the smartest person that [she has] ever known.” Citing the Bible’s call to “honor thy father and mother,” she created the program as a special homage to her dad’s hard work. “He was so proud that the little children called me The Book Lady,” Parton recalled. On a personal level, Parton said she reads about 50 books a year and does some of her

best thinking afterwards. Looking out over the children in the crowd, Parton noted that she was confident they were “going to make things come true in their own little world... That’s why it’s so important they learn to read books.” The dream of instilling a lifelong love of reading in children came true for Parton and she hopes the program will continue to inspire children to think big when it comes to their futures. Recent studies suggest that individuals who receive books from Imagination Library have shown positive signs for early language development. Hayden called Parton’s work for Imagination Library “awe-inspiring” saying “there is no way to truly quantify the impact this program has had on developing young readers across America and in other parts of the world.” Parton looks forward to celebrating the organization gifting its billionth book down the road. “Books are magic,” she said.

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P H OTO BY S H AW N MI L L E R ( L I B RA RY O F CO N GR E S S)

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Dolly Parton.

Artistic Director Robert Battle Sela and Art Collins Lucia Riddle, Ganesha Martin, Nicole Venable and Gina Adams

ALVIN AILEY GA Kennedy Center | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

BALLET BOYCOTT The Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre’s annual opening night gala has two major attributes: spectacular performances by the nation’s largest African-American dance company and a boisterous dinner-dance highlighted by the grand entrance of glammed-up dancers who then proceed to boogie and bop with benefactors until the wee hours. But alas, the scene was rather different this year when the entire 32-strong company snubbed the event due to snags in negotiations with management over a new three-year contract. Robert Ba le, Ailey’s artistic director, spent much of the evening circulating among the guests, comparing the contretemps to a family disagreement where everyone just needs to sit down and talk. THE SWEET SPOT More than $800,000 was raised to support Washington, D.C.-area activities, including scholarships for dancers, arts in education programs and the creation of new works.

Mary Barth

Darrell and Manasses Campbell with Leah Upshaw and Yelberton Watkins

Hillary Baltimore and Reginald Van Lee VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Suzi Cordish and Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Annie Totah, Shelley Ross-Larson and Didi Cutler

WL EXCLUSIVE

Ann Nitze, Prince Ermias Selassie and Princess Saba Kebede of Ethiopia, Moroccan Ambassador Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui and Bill Nitze

HOSTING A PRINCESS William and Ann Nitze Residence, Georgetown | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL ESTEEMED COMPANY Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui of Morocco, the newest ambassador of royal rank to represent her country in Washington (the others being Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait), was fêted at a reception hosted by Ann and Bill Nitze at their Georgetown residence. Calling the gathering “a shining testimony to the special bond between our two nations,” the Princess took care to note that diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Morocco began in 1787. SOUK SHOPPING: “We go to Morocco as often as we can,” Ann Nitze told the caftan-clad crowd, joking that she and her fellow shoppers had “really helped the economy” during her last visit there.

Nancy Howar O’Sullivan, Willie Lewis, Hilary Geary Ross, Alexandra de Borchgrave and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross

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POLLYWOOD | THE A-LIST

President DONALD J TRUMP and First Lady MELANIA TRUMP

Vice President MIKE PENCE and Ms. KAREN PENCE, Educator and Author s s s Her Excellency the Ambassador of Morocco, Princess LALLA JOUMALA ALAOUI, and Mr. MUHAMMAD REZA NOURI ESFANDIARI

Washington Life’s A-List — the last word on the capital’s mosthighly desired guests >>

His Excellency the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Prince KHALID BIN SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL-SAUD

Associate Justice SAMUEL ALITO JR and Ms. MARTHA-ANN ALITO

Mr. ROBERT L ALLBRITTON, Owner and Founder, Capitol News Company, and Dr. ELENA ALLBRITTON, Dermatologist, MedStar Washington Hospital Center His Excellency the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, YOUSEF AL-OTAIBA, and Ms. ABEER AL-OTAIBA

His Excellency the Ambassador of Kuwait, Sheikh SALEM ABDULLAH AL-JABER ALSABAH, and Sheikha RIMA AL-SABAH, Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations Refugee Agency His Excellency the Ambassador of Russia, ANATOLY ANTONOV

His Excellency the Ambassador of France GERARD ARAUD

Mr. MARTIN MARTY BARON, Executive Editor,The Washington Post Mr. JEFF BEZOS, Founder and CEO, Amazon. com and Owner,The Washington Post and Ms. MACKENZIE BEZOS novelist The Honorable JOSEPH R “JOE” BIDEN, Former Vice President of the United States and Ms. JILL BIDEN, Educator Mr. DAVID G BRADLEY, Chairman and Owner, Atlantic Media Company, and Ms. KATHERINE BRADLEY, President, CityBridge Foundation The Honorable KEVIN P BRADY Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. CATHY BRADY Kuwaiti Amb. Salem Al-Sabah and Rima Rima Al-Sabah with First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump at the 2018 Kuwait America Foundation Dinner. Photo by Peter Papoulakos.

Associate Justice STEPHEN G BREYER and Ms. JOANNA BREYER, Pediatric Psychologist,The

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Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Mr. ROBERT S DUVALL, Actor, and Ms. LUCIANA PEDRAZA DUVALL, Co-Founder,

Ms. BUFFY CAFRITZ, Philanthropist

The Robert Duvall Children’s Fund

Mr. CALVIN CAFRITZ, Principal, Cafritz Enterprises and Chairman, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and Ms. JANE LIPTON CAFRITZ, Principal, Cafritz Enterprises and Director, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Mr. STEVE CASE Chairman, Case Foundation, and Ms. JEAN CASE, CEO, Case Foundation The Honorable RICHARD B CHENEY, former Vice President of the United States, and The Honorable LYNNE CHENEY, Author, Historian and Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

The Honorable DIANNE FEINSTEIN, U.S. Senate, and Mr. RICHARD BLUM, Chairman and President, Blum Capital The Honorable JEFF FLAKE, U.S. Senate, and Ms. CHERYL FLAKE Ms. RENEE FLEMING, soprano, and Mr. TIMOTHY JESSELL, Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, LLP Associate Justice RUTH BADER GINSBURG Mr. DONALD E GRAHAM, CEO and Chairman, Graham Holdings Company, and Ms. AMANDA BENNETT, Journalist

The Honorable WILLIAM JEFFERSON “BILL” CLINTON, former President of the United States, and The Honorable HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, former Secretary of State

The Honorable LINDSEY O GRAHAM, U.S. Senate

The Honorable SUSAN COLLINS, U.S. Senate, and Mr. THOMAS A TOM DAFFRON, Chief

The Honorable CHUCK GRASSLEY, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Ms. BARBARA GRASSLEY

Operating office, Jefferson Consulting Group LLC The Honorable JAMES COMEY, former Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ms. PATRICE FAILOR

Mr. GEORGE T CONWAY III, Partner,Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, New York, N.Y., and Ms. KELLYANNE CONWAY, Counsellor to the President,The White House Mr. WILLIAM E BILL CONWAY JR., CoFounder, Co-CEO and Managing Director,The Carlyle Group, and Ms. JOANNE CONWAY, Co-Founder, Bedford Falls Foundation The Honorable JOHN CORNYN, Assistant Majority Leader, U.S. Senate and Ms. SANDY CORNYN

His Excellency the Ambassador of the United Kingdom SIR KIM DARROCH and LADY DARROCH

The Honorable BETSY DEVOS, Secretary of Education, and Mr. DICK DEVOS, former president and CEO, Amway The Honorable RICHARD J DICK DURBIN, Assistant Minority Leader, U.S. Senate and LORETTA DURBIN, Founder, Government Affairs Consulting

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The Honorable STENY H HOYER, MinorityWhip, U.S. House of Representatives Mr. AL HUNT, American Columnist, “Bloomberg View,” Bloomberg News, and Ms. JUDY WOODRUFF, Anchor and Managing Editor, “PBS Newshour” Mr. VERNON E JORDAN JR , Senior Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP, and Ms. ANN JORDAN, Emeritus Trustee, The Kennedy Center

Mr. JARED KUSHNER, Senior Advisor to the President,The White House and Ms. IVANKA TRUMP, Businesswoman Mrs. CHRISTINE LAGARDE, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund The Honorable PATRICK LEAHY U.S. Senate, and Ms. MARCELLE LEAHY The Honorable THEODORE J TED LEONSIS, Owner and CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Ms. LYNN LEONSIS Mr. THEODORE N TED LERNER, Managing Principal Owner,Washington Nationals, and Ms. ANNETTE LERNER, Philanthropist Mr. J WILLARD MARRIOTT JR , Chairman and CEO, Marriott International, and Ms. DONNA MARRIOTT

Mrs. JACQUELINE BADGER MARS, Philanthropist Mr. CHRISTOPHER MATTHEWS, Host, “Hardball” and “The Chris Matthews Show,” MSNBC, and Ms. KATHLEEN MATTHEWS, Chairwoman, Maryland Democratic Party The Honorable JAMES MATTIS

Secretary of Defense The Honorable JOHN S MCCAIN III, U.S. Senate, and Ms. CINDY MCCAIN, Chairman, Hensley & Co. The Honorable KEVIN MCCARTHY, Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. JUDY MCCARTHY

Her Excellency the Ambassador of Jordan

General JOHN KELLY Chief of Staff,The White House, and Ms. KAREN HERNEST

The Honorable MITCHELL MCCONNELL, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, and the Honorable ELAINE LAN CHAO, Secretary of Transportation

Associate Justice ANTHONY KENNEDY and Ms. MARY KENNEDY

The Honorable STEVEN STEVE MNUCHIN Secretary of the Treasury, and Ms. LOUISE LINTON

Ms. JULIE KENT, Artistic Director, The Washington Ballet, and Mr. VICTOR BARBEE Associate Artistic Director, The Washington Ballet

The Honorable ROBERT S MUELLER III Special Counsel, Department of Justice, and Ms. ANN CABELL STANDISH

DINA KAWAR

Mr. JIM YONG KIM, President,The World Bank, and Dr. YOUNSOOK LIM, Pediatrician, Children’s Hospital, Boston, Mass. Dr. SACHIKO KUNO, Co-founder, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals and Founder, S&R Foundation

The Honorable MICK MULVANEY Director, Office of Management and Budget, and Ms. PAMELA WEST

The Honorable CHRIS MURPHY U.S. Senate and CATHERINE HOLAHAN, attorney, Nelson Mullins

POLLYWOOD | THE A-LIST

The Honorable WILLIAM T NEWMAN JR , Circuit Court Judge, Arlington County, Va.,and Ms. SHEILA JOHNSON, CEO, Salamander Hotels and Resorts

of Commerce, and Ms. HILARY GEARY ROSS, Journalist Mr. DAVID RUBENSTEIN, Co-founder,The Carlyle Group

Her Majesty Queen NOOR AL-HUSSEIN The Honorable DEVIN NUNES, Chairman, House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. ELIZABETH NUNES The Honorable BARACK H OBAMA, former President of the United Stataes, and Ms.

The Honorable MARCO RUBIO, U.S. Senate, and Ms. JEANETTE DOUSDEBES RUBIO Ms. DEBORAH RUTTER, President,The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Mr. PETER ELLEFSON, Professor, Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music

Whip, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. JENNIFER SCALISE

The Honorable ADAM SCHIFF, Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. EVE SCHIFF The Honorable CHUCK SCHUMER, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, and Ms. IRIS WEINSHALL, Chief Operating Officer, The New York Public Library The Honorable JEFF SESSIONS, Attorney General, and Ms. MARY BLACKSHEAR

MICHELLE OBAMA

SESSIONS

Her Imperial Majesty FARAH PAHLAVI The Honorable RAND PAUL, U.S. Senate, and Ms. KELLEY PAUL, Writer

Dr. DAVID J SKORTON, Secretary,The Smithsonian Institution, and Ms. ROBIN L DAVISSON, Professor, Cornell University

The Honorable NANCY PELOSI, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, and Mr. PAUL PELOSI, Owner, Financial Leasing Services

Mr. DANIEL M SNYDER, Majority Owner, The Washington Redskins, and Ms. TANYA

The Honorable MICHAEL R MIKE POMPEO, Director, Central Intelligence Agency, and Ms. SUSAN POMPEO

Mr. ARNE SORENSON, CEO, Marriott International, and Ms. RUTH MARIE SORENSON

SNYDER

Associate Justice SONIA SOTOMAYOR

General COLIN L POWELL, former Secretary of State, and Ms. ALMA POWELL, Co-chairman, America’s Promise

His Excellency the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China CUI TIANKAI and Ms. NEI PEIJUN

Mr. EARL A RUSTY POWELL III, Director, The National Gallery of Art, and Ms. NANCY

Mr. CHUCK TODD, Moderator, “Meet the Press,” NBC News, and Ms. KRISTIAN TODD

POWELL

The Honorable JEROME H POWELL, Chairman, The Federal Reserve, and Ms. ELISSA LEONARD

The Honorable CHARLES RIVKIN, President, Motion Picture Association of America, and Ms. SUSAN TOLSON Chief Justice JOHN G ROBERTS JR and Ms. JANE ROBERTS, Partner, Major, Lindsey & Africa The Honorable JOHN D JAY ROCKEFELLER IV, U.S. Senate (Ret’d.) and Ms. SHARON PERCY ROCKEFELLER, CEO, WETA-TV The Honorable ROD J ROSENSTEIN, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, and. Ms. LISA BARSOOMIAN, Attorney, National Institutes of Health The Honorable WILBUR ROSS JR , Secretary

Mr. FREDERICK J FRED RYAN JR , Publisher,The Washington Post, and Ms. GENEVIEVE GENNY RYAN,Vice Chairman,The National Theatre The Honorable PAUL RYAN, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, and Ms. JANNA RYAN The Honorable BERNARD BERNIE SANDERS, U.S. Senate, and Ms. JANE O’MEARA SANDERS, Fellow,The Sanders Institute Mr. ROGER SANT, Chairman Emeritus and Co-Founder,The AES Corporation, and Ms. VICKI SANT, President,The Summit Foundation

His Excellency the Ambassador of Italy ARMANDO VARRICCHIO, and Ms. MICAELA BARBAGALLO

Mr. CHRISTOPHER CHRIS WALLACE, Host, “Fox News Sunday,” Fox News, and Ms. LORRAINE WALLACE, Author The Honorable ELIZABETH WARREN, U.S. Senate, and Mr. BRUCE MANN, Professor, Harvard Law School The Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE

U.S. Senate, and Ms. SANDRA THORNTON WHITEHOUSE

The Honorable CHRIS WRAY, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Ms. HELEN GARRISON HOWELL

Mr. B FRANCIS FRANK SAUL II, CEO, Saul Centers, and Ms. PATRICIA SAUL The Honorable STEVE SCALISE, Majority

His Excellency the Ambassador of Germany PETER WITTIG and Ms. HUBERTA VON VOSS-WITTIG

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IN REMEMBRANCE

PHILANTHROPIC LEGACY A new book, “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” features the collection of the late patron of the arts Peggy Cooper Cafritz. BY ERICA MOODY

P H OTO CO U RT E SY M AR Q U ÉO

he absence of equity diminishes beauty,” Peggy Cooper Cafritz wrote in the introductory essay to “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” (Rizzoli). Before her death at age 70 in February of this year, one of Washington’s most generous philanthropists, activists and arts patrons published the book highlighting her collections. Cooper Cafritz, who was born in Alabama and lived through segregation, devoted her life to championing artists of African descent. Her massive trove of paintings, sculptures and other works was one of the largest of its kind until, in 2009, more than 300 pieces were lost in a fire that destroyed her Northwest home. It was the largest residential fire in D.C. history. But if Cooper Cafritz was discouraged, she didn’t let it show. She quickly rebuilt the collection, gathering works from such artists as Jacob Lawrence, Kara Walker, Kerry James Marshall, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Carrie Mae Weems, Nick Cave and Kehinde Wiley, who recently painted Barack Obama’s official portrait. She gravitated “toward art that is difficult and poses critical questions,” artist Jack Shainman explains. Themes such as slavery and police brutality are present in the striking pieces that lined her walls. Cooper Cafritz collected, in part,“as a political act of solidarity — a necessary step toward a more permanent space for artists of color on museum walls,” contributor Kerry James Marshall observed. She embraced conceptual art at a time when many were not so bold. “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” includes glossy photos of her artworks both before and after the fire (200 images in total) alongside essays by Cooper Cafritz, artists who were close to her, curatorial analyses and an in-depth interview with Studio Museum director Thelma Golden. Golden was struck by Cooper Cafritz’s eye for art, once expressing as much to her: “Many collectors collect from their eye, some collect from their heart, some collect from their intellect. You have always collected with all three.”

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Peggy Cooper Cafritz

“I always say it’s gut, eye, mind and heart,” Cooper Cafritz responded. The “heart” portion is key; it’s the collector’s kindness and generosity that so many remember. Cooper Cafritz would frequently attend shows to seek out underrepresented artists with promise whose careers she could bolster. Many speak of her as a mentor who offered guidance as well as financial backing. “Peggy was not the first to collect my work; however, she more than anyone else has helped me to cultivate the confidence and fearlessness required to establish my career,” artist Simone Leigh wrote in the book. This was no surprise to those who knew her best for founding the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1974, a renowned District high school that has produced such talents as Dave Chappelle and has a 90 percent African American student body. Her legacy, Cooper Cafritz said, is her children, grandchildren and the students of Duke Ellington, who are closer to seeing equity in art: “I thought it was so important for us to see ourselves in the context of beauty, and things that would make us question. I always knew that— that I would surround them with beauty and our history from the very beginning.”

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Alexandre Arrechea’s “Havana” (2016)

Kara Walker’s “A Warm Summer Evening in 1863” (2008)

WASHINGTON LIFEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

WHO INSPIRES US NOW. BY virginia coyne | Portraits by Tony Powell

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Judy Woodruff and Andrea Mitchell, photographed at Charlie Palmer Steak.

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JUDY WOODRUFF AND ANDREA MITCHELL BROADCAST LEGENDS & STEADFAST FRIENDS

hen Judy Woodruff ’s daughter Lauren gave birth to a son recently, Andrea Mitchell rushed to the hospital, arriving even before Judy’s husband, journalist Al Hunt. As we sit to discuss both their work and their friendship of 40 years, the two women are fawning over photos of the baby. “Here he is! He’s pulling himself up,” Woodruff says as she shows Mitchell a picture on her iPhone. “Oh my gosh!” exclaims Mitchell—twice. “This is so exciting!” The enthusiasm is genuine and the friendship runs deep. The two women met while covering Jimmy Carter’s White House for NBC News in 1978, and have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders ever since. They’re also at the top of their game professionally — Woodruff is managing editor and sole anchor of “PBS NewsHour” and Mitchell is chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News and host of the daily program “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on MSNBC. And although the busy journalists graciously put their phones away as we spoke, they were both standing by and ready to rush back to work amid rumors President Trump would fire his National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and other senior staff, but the President would leave that for another day. >>

WASHINGTON LIFE Has there ever been competition between the two of you? ANDREA MITCHELL You know, I cannot think of any competition between us. And in fact, when I was assigned to the White House to be a correspondent with Judy and our great friend John Palmer, Judy and John would look for any opportunities for me to do a “Today Show” piece. I was the number three and was primarily doing radio because, let’s just say I had a bump in the road. WL What happened? AM The then-president of NBC News did not like one of my “Today Show” moments the day John Hinkley was transferred from a

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helicopter to a motorcade for his arraignment. I was about a mile away and could not come up with any great description of what was happening because I couldn’t see anything. Anyway, I was demoted. JUDY WOODRUFF But it lasted just a nanosecond … AM Well, it felt pretty bad. But Judy and John Palmer came to my rescue and rehabilitated me. JW She didn’t need any rehabilitation. Everybody knew that Andrea was and is a phenomenal reporter and we wanted to give her a chance. But you’re right, in our business there is a lot competition, even within one shop. AM That’s true, but when I see interviews Judy has that I didn’t get, I’m not envious. Instead, I think, “Wow, look at what Judy just did!” JW And vice versa, I feel the same way. We’ve just known each other so long, I cheer her on. I retweet when she’s had a great guest. I mean, I’d be glad to be her biggest promoter. But our relationship is somewhat unusual in our business. There’s just a bond that has lasted all these years and I get a little emotional when I think about it, because Andrea has been there for me, for my family, through thick and thin and those kinds of friendships are rare in this city. AM I’m the proud godmother of Judy and Al’s daughter and that has been an amazing relationship for me, not having children of my own. I am close to all three of her children. They’re just very special to us. My husband (former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan) and I have spent every Christmas morning with the Woodruff-Hunts since ... JW Since the mid-’80s! We would have Andrea over for Christmas breakfast and then it just became this tradition. AM Now they can’t get rid of us! JW We never want to get rid of them! We can’t imagine Christmas morning without Alan and Andrea. AM And in fact, I’ve always felt that was the reason why Alan proposed to me. It’s not a coincidence that he decided that we should get married after coming back from Christmas morning with Judy and Al. The first thing he

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said to me when we got home was what kind of wedding did I want to have? And I think it was because of being with this family and seeing what a good marriage is. WL What is the secret to your longevity in this business? JW Well, for me it’s just that I love what I do, I love journalism and I just keep going. WL You’re not tired? JW I’m not as tired as Andrea should be, given her schedule! She never displays being tired. AM Yes I do! JW But I love what I do and I feel so lucky to be doing it after all these years. It sounds corny, but I have to pinch myself to think I’m still doing it. It’s interesting, it’s crazy, it’s unpredictable and yes, sometimes it’s exhausting, but it’s gratifying. I like to think that the work we do, I know it does - it makes a difference. AM It gives me energy. I’m learning all the time. And there is an element of public service and responsibility that I know I feel and Judy feels. It’s very complicated right now because there is so much coming at us and it’s changing so dramatically minute by minute. The people who would normally be my sources at the State Department and other agencies can’t really speak authoritatively — no one can because no one can speak for the President. We need to be much more cautious and double check sources to make sure we do not get something wrong. The cardinal sin right now, when the media is frankly under attack, is to leave anyone an opening to say that we were wrong. The stakes are just too high. JUDY AND ANDREA’S STYLE “I can describe Andrea’s style, which is elegant. She always looks perfect,” gushes Woodruff Mitchell shakes her head at her friend and laughs. ”We both like fashion,” she interjects, adding that they wear mostly solid colors because “solids look better on camera.” How has the dress code evolved for female reporters over the years? “During the Carter White House we wore a lot of pantsuits, but the Reagan press corps had more of a dress code because the first lady’s style translated down,” says Mitchell. “That’s true,” agrees Woodruff. “You tend to follow the tone set by the office.”

MICHELLE FREEMAN SURVIVOR

MICHELLE’S STYLE An entire section of Freeman’s closet is devoted to the color red — pants, sweaters, coats and shoes. As a minority partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals and Wizards, she take “Rocking the Red” as seriously as the fans. Fashion is fun for her now, she says, which hasn’t always been true. “After Josh died, I wore suits all the time. They became almost like armor for me,” she says. “There was so much coming at me — so much pain and so much sadness that when I buttoned the suit it almost kept the world from hurting me.” Today, she’s more adventurous. “I wanted white boots and I said to myself, you know what, at 51, I can wear little white boots and I can have some fun with my fashion. I take chances that I probably wouldn’t have taken even five years ago.”

Michelle Freeman, photographed at Charlie Palmer Steak.

believe service to others can heal a broken heart.” It is with those words of conviction that Michelle Freeman began the 18-minute TedX talk she gave in Wilmington, Del. last December. The result was part confessional (she discusses her struggles with addiction, being a single mother in her 20s and living on food stamps), part road map for becoming whole again after suffering unspeakable loss. “It felt like a story I needed to get out there,” she says. “There are dark times in everybody’s life and when you turn to service to another human being, there is some repair of your soul,” she says today. The darkest of times came in 2006 when Freeman lost her husband, real estate scion Joshua Freeman, in a helicopter accident. Still in shock, she was handed the reins to the family business, the Carl M. Freeman Companies, as well as Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which provides grants to nonprofit groups. She subsequently began the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation in southern Delaware to honor her late husband, a music lover. The non-profit operates Freeman Stage at Bayside, an entertainment venue near the beach, and brings art and music into schools that otherwise would go without. Tragedy would strike again eight years later, when her new love, Matt Haley, a chef and humanitarian with whom she thought she would spend the rest of her life, died after being struck by a truck while riding a motorcycle through India. Devastated and broken, she turned to service once again to help her get out of bed in the morning. Only two weeks after Haley’s death she attended an event to raise money for THEARC in Anacostia. Her head and heart weren’t in it, she says, but it proved the impetus for her to continue her mission of giving. “As human beings, if we can take the very times we are the most needy, that we feel we need to be taken care of and become a giver, it’s transforming” she says in her TedX Talk. “It’s magical. And it frees you.”

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bill homan party maestro & wellness warrior

self-proclaimed health fanatic who takes juice fast retreats in California twice annually and spends three weeks a year at the Hippocrates Health Institute in Palm Beach detoxing on raw food, Bill Homan says it’s only natural that he would be drawn to helping organizations like No Kid Hungry. “It’s a passion of mine,” he says of the charity, which ensures children in underserved areas are able to have a wholesome breakfast at school yearround. “The crazy thing is you don’t realize how many starving children there are in this world, and how many starving children there are in this country in particular.” When we speak on a chilly Sunday in March, Homan, the co-founder of Design Cuisine, one of the city’s oldest and most acclaimed catering companies, has just returned from a 40 mile bicycle ride, a training exercise for the 300-mile, three-day No Kid Hungry “Chef ’s Cycle” rides he’ll participate in May and September of this year - one in Santa Rosa, Ca. and the other in Charlottesville, Va. Over the years, Homan has helped grow the event from a small group of 38 people to a ridership 250 strong, which last year raised more $2 million for the cause. That translates into 20 million meals for kids in need. He’s also on the board of EnventU, an organization that trains high school students in underprivileged areas for careers in the food industry, catering and event planning. Homan helped launch Design Cuisine in the Reagan era and has since designed and catered some of Washington’s most high profile parties, including a dinner for Princess Diana and events at the White House and State Department.The current White House social secretary, Rickie Niceta Lloyd, is a protégé of Homan’s. His company was recently acquired by Parisbased food services giant Elior, but Homan promises the changes are only administrative and that clients will receive the same attention to detail and level of service they’ve always had, adding he’s not going anywhere. “I’ll think about retiring in 2033 -- maybe,” he says with a laugh. “I love this business too much. I would never want to retire.”

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Bill’s style Homan, an art-lover and collector who is partial to Giorgio Armani suits, colorful ties and pocket squares, says he derives his style from colors, texture and patterns he sees all around him, whether it be in a window on Fifth Avenue in New York or the sites in a city abroad. “My style is a conglomeration of designers and clothing artists,” he says and divulges he mixes high-end clothing with pieces from retailers like Suit Supply and Zara. “Our business is creative and that is how I see myself. I feel creativity takes courage. You have to live on the edge to be successful.”

Bill Homan, photographed at Turnberry Tower.

KAREN BARKER MARCOU AND KATHLEEN BIDEN ADVOCATES FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS

hey met on a playground when their children were young. Both were stay-at-home moms who had given up careers to raise their kids. Their friendship was forged during runs through Rock Creek Park and Kathleen Biden became Karen Marcou’s biggest cheerleader when Marcou co-founded the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) ten years ago. The organization provides pro-bono legal services to domestic violence victims and children at risk. For years, Biden, the former daughterin-law of Vice President Joe Biden, lent her support and volunteered as much as she could. In August 2017 she joined DCVLP full time, and the longtime friends, who still run together regularly (and joke about still owning the same running shorts they wore 18 years ago) have united on a professional level to champion women and children who can’t fight for themselves in court.

WASHINGTON LIFE Tell us about the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project and its mission. KAREN BARKER MARCOU I co-founded it with two other women attorneys, who had also taken time off from the full-time practice of law to be with their children, because we wanted to practice pro-bono to help domestic violence victims and at-risk children. But we couldn’t find a group that would allow us to work without malpractice insurance. We also needed office space and litigation support, so we decided to start our own organization. That was in 2008. Today we have over 2,000 registered volunteer attorneys and have helped almost 1,000 victims and children this year alone. KATHLEEN BIDEN The beauty of our program, which makes it a very unique volunteer opportunity, is that you can sign up to take one case. If you take a civil protective order, for example, it’s about a two week commitment. And because we utilize mostly volunteer attorneys, we’re able to take every

$1 that’s donated to DCVLP and transition it into $4 of legal services. KM We’re a very cost effective organization. Additionally, over 90 percent of the money we raise at our annual fundraising event goes directly to support our programs.

“When a client stands in court with an attorney on either side ... it gives them a sense of support and confidence they wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s really powerful. – Kathleen Biden WL How important is it that victims have legal representation? KM There’s a right to counsel in criminal cases, but no right to counsel in civil cases, so if you’re being abused or stalked, representation is really important because it’s scary to go and face your abuser alone in court. KB We have a 95 percent success rate in cases that go forward. Of course, there are always people, even domestic violence survivors, who decide to go back to their abusers. The statistics show that it takes a woman seven times to leave her abuser — seven tries! — because he says he loves her, or she’s worried about the kids or finances or affordable housing. So, when our clients do choose to go back to their abusers we give them our card and say “call us when you’re ready.” Often they come back. WL Kathleen, you only recently came on full time, correct? KB Yes. I’m director of strategic partnerships,

It has given me so much confidence. And I feel as if my impact is important. It’s been an incredible opportunity for me to get back into the work force. It’s easy to be passionate about this. WL You’re doing so much good for others, but it seems you’re receiving something in return, correct? KM A side benefit of the organization is that we’ve helped many women on-ramp back into the workforce after taking time off. They’re really nervous when they first take cases again, but it’s kind of like riding a bike. Then they realize, “Wow, I’m good at this” and a lot of them have gone on to re-enter the field and find great jobs. And, of course, working with our clients is so inspiring. We get just as much out of it as they do. Helping them through the process of leaving an abusive relationship, honestly, it’s an honor to do it because they’re so courageous and just watching the courage and the resiliency that they have is really inspiring. It puts your own life and your own struggles in perspective. KB When a client stands in court with an attorney on either side of them, you can almost see it physically, it gives them a sense of support and confidence they wouldn’t otherwise have as they face their abuser. It’s really powerful. WL Where can victims go for help? And how can willing volunteers reach you? KM If you’re a victim of domestic violence, we have a walk-in clinic every Wednesday afternoon at Westminster Presbyter ian Church in Southwest D.C. that we operate with our partners DASH (District Alliance for Safe Housing) and My Sister’s Place, where survivors can access housing, counseling, and legal resources all in one convenient, lowbarrier setting. And if you’d like to volunteer, whether you’re a tax attorney or a patent attorney, even if you haven’t practiced law in 20 years, you can take a case with us. We will give you everything you need — the training, the supervision and the support. You can sign up to be a volunteer on our website, www.dcvlp.org.

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KAREN AND KATHLEEN’S STYLE When it comes to fashion, the two women agree they’re both minimalists. “Not a lot of makeup, heavy on the lip balm,” jokes Biden, who admits she is a big fan of costume jewelry to dress up her usually black outfits. “I’ve always been a tomboy and I spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m not very comfortable getting dressed up ... or doing this photo shoot,” Karen says. “My day-to-day is very simple and easy,” Kathleen says. (Her new favorite bottoms are elastic-waist pants from Ann Mashburn in Georgetown). “But I love a good dress and I got to wear so many great ones over the course of the eight years that my family was part of the Obama Administration.”

Karen Barker Marcou and Kathleen Biden, photographed at Charlie Palmer Steak.

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JOSHUA’S STYLE “I despise wearing suits,” Johnson says emphatically. His daily uniform: a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers or boots. “I don’t think a suit makes me credible. I don’t think a tie makes me a better journalist, “ he explains. “I do not need to feel like the star. I need to feel like the host of the show and make the guest feel like the star.” At the gym, the broadcaster wears superhero compression shirts by Under Armour. He says he’s baffled why the company has not yet released a “Black Panther” version given the film’s popularity. “I think the impact of the story was so incredible, I don’t understand why they haven’t done it already.” He even pled his case on social media, recently tweeting: “Dear @UnderArmour. Please make a #BlackPanther compression shirt ASAP. Size XXL. I will pay you all my dollars. Sincerely, Me.”

Joshua Johnson, photographed at WAMU.

JOSHUA JOHNSON RADIO STAR

t the first anniversary celebration for his daily radio program, “1A,” Joshua Johnson wore an open collar shirt, a sports jacket and light wash Levi’s jeans. He stood out in the crowd of women dressed in neutrals and men wearing suits, ties and crisp white shirts. Both his attire and speech were not-so-subtle references to his outsider status — something he relishes.“I am relieved,” he told the crowd who’d gathered to celebrate the show’s success, “that people desperately want to take a break from talking about politics all the time.” It’s a sentiment that has resonated both inside and outside the Beltway. The San Francisco transplant took over beloved radio host Diane Rehm’s time slot in January 2017, growing the listenership to an unprecedented 3.3 million people a week on over 300 stations nationwide. “1A,” which is produced by WAMU, is now the third-highest radio talk show on NPR, behind “Fresh Air” and “Here and Now.” Johnson’s “national conversation” covers topics from health care to the arts, and yes, politics, too, but in a prolonged, thoughtful manner that is foreign to the now ubiquitous on-air cable news battles between political rivals. “We would be missing a piece of our mission by reducing people to that kind of Jets/Sharks dichotomy,” Johnson says.‘It’s very profitable in broadcast news … but it’s also kind of dehumanizing.” The self-proclaimed geek is a huge fan of what he calls “modern day mythology” in the form of Marvel Comics,“Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” movies, calling them a release valve. On his desk at work, he keeps a key chain of the ark reactor from “Iron Man” - a reminder to not let the job kill him. He’s also a gym rat, where the former skinny kid has worked hard to build an undeniably hulking physique. “I said I was going to be the biggest thing in broadcasting one way or the other!” he jokes. “Every skill you gain builds on everything else,” says Johnson, tying his workouts to his job. “It makes a difference that I can go into the gym and beat myself down because then work feels less difficult,” he continues. “I will always work myself harder than anyone else can work me, so no matter what you throw at me, I’m fine.”

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ANTONIO ALVES INTERNATIONAL FINANCIER

ntonio Alves gave up a successful career as an investment banker in his native country of Brazil to work for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a development bank that is part of the World Bank Group, because he wanted to reap more than just monetary benefits from his work. “At the IFC, there are financial rewards,” says Alves, “but I am also helping other people by bettering their lives in developing countries, which is personally very rewarding. “Alves, a principal at the organization, oversees the IFC’s investments in Latin America, specifically financing local banks so that they can in turn boost a focused area’s economy and help bring the population out of poverty. His second full-time job, as he describes it, is a volunteer position as head of the Harvard Business School Club (HBSC) of Washington. Alves earned an executive MBA from Harvard University in 2013 (he also holds an MBA from HEC Paris) and immediately sought out the club upon his return to Washington as a vehicle for connecting and collaborating with other alumni in the area. He began by leading networking events, and by 2014 had become president. In four short years Alves has managed to coalesce one of the hottest business salons in Washington, convening CEOs, ambassadors and top administration officials to discuss hot-button issues. Under his leadership, the HBSC also runs a scholarship program that every year sends two non-profit leaders based in the metro area to a 10-day executive program at Harvard, an experience “which will help them better run and execute their vision,” Alves says. The club pays the $15,000 tuition, airfare and living expenses. The 2018 scholarship winners will be announced at the Harvard Business School Club’s annual leadership gala on June 13 a the Four Seasons Hotel, where Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is slated to speak. Former General Electric Chairman Jeffrey Immelt will receive the HBS lifetime achievement award.

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ANTONIO’S STYLE Alves favors suits by Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna, saying the brand is aligned with his style: elegant and discrete. “Nothing too flashy,” he says. “I try to be sophisticated because of the caliber of the people I deal with on a daily basis.”

Antonio Alves, photographed at a private club in Washington.

EUN YANG STORYTELLER

EUN’S STYLE Yang describes her style as “urban chic.” She’s fond of “classic, minimalist looks with a little flair,” which allow her to showcase her personality while maintaining a professional appearance. She says she gravitates towards clothes that not only look good, but also make her feel good. “When you’re feeling strong inside - and I know that’s so cliché - but when you do feel strong and pretty, I think that shows through on the outside.”

Eun Yang, photographed at Hotel Hive.

orean American journalist Eun Yang returned to her birthland in February to cover the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It was her first-ever Olympic assignment and only the second time she’d been back to Korea since coming to the United States at the age of three. “I was extremely proud of the country,” she says. “They pulled it off without a hitch,” she continues, praising not only South Korea’s ability to host the largest sporting event in the world, but the Korean people for their hospitality. “They were so warm and friendly and willing to help anyone from any country because they wanted us to have a great experience.” “It was the most challenging and grueling work I’ve ever done, yet at the same time the most rewarding and fulfilling,” says the charismatic anchor of “News4 Today,” Washington’s most highly rated morning show. Her role was to highlight the lives and experiences of the athletes, a task she did not take lightly. “These Olympians give up everything, their parents give up everything for this one moment in time.” She was especially moved by the story of Maame Biney, the 17year-old from Reston, Va. who became the first African American woman in history to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. “Her dad brought her from Ghana when she was five and sacrificed his home, his finances and his friends because he wanted to give his daughter a better life and the opportunity to be on the world stage.” That passion translates into where Yang volunteers her time - youth related charities like the Posse Foundation, which helps high school students with good grades from underserved neighborhoods attend college on scholarship. She’s also hosted THEARC’s Whacky and Whimsical Tea for seven years running. THEARC brings art, recreation and health and social services to communities east of the Anacostia River. “Both organizations are similar in that they’re committed to our children and are working to build future leaders who represent the great diversity that makes this country what it is.”

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TREND REPORT

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UNIQLO Andy Warhol graphic t-shirt ($14.90); Uniqlo Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, 877-4864756, uniqlo.com

BUCKETFEET Starry Pattern shoes by artist Frederick_Jay ($65); bucketfeet.com

COACH Coach X Keith Haring long crochet skirt ($550); coach.com

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AKRIS Doll-printed gilet ($3,990); Neiman Marcus,Tysons Galleria, 2001 International Drive, McLean,Va., 703-4485554, tysonsgalleria.com

CALVIN KLEIN Acrylic knives clutch ($2,300); calvinklein.com

MARNI Maria Magdalena Suarez print cotton-blend shirt ($1,000); marni.com

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Pigalle follies loubitag red sole pump ($725); Nordstrom The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, 703-4151121, nordstrom.com

PRADA Comic print etiquette shoulder bag ($2,490); Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase, 301657-9000, saksfifthavenue.com

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FEATURE | TRENDSETTERS

ISOKE SALAAM You won’t find this self-employed public relations professional in jeans because her life is “always a fashion show.” Her ’70s Chaka Khan style is inspired by pieces from Solace London and Kenzo. At a local level, she frequents Meeps on U Street and any of Salvation Army’s numerous outposts. Salaam turns to statement coats to spice up everyday looks. “A great coat is like having on two fabulous outfits,” she says. “Nothing like having pretty armor.” @prgirlisoke

THE HEIGHT OF STYLE

BIG PERSONALITIES RULEBREAKING WARDROBES HOW THESE TRENDSETTERS STAND ABOVE THE REST

EDITORIAL DIRECTION ERICA MOODY AND CATHERINE TRIFILETTI SHOT AT UNION MARKET TH ST NE

ERICH HOSBACH The Graham’s sales and marketing director looks to the words of Coco Chanel for style advice: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off … because even in today’s anything-goes culture, less is more.” His effortless appearance was honed after living in Rome, and when he’s not traveling back to Italy on biannual shopping trips, he looks to STITCHED at MGM or the shops at CityCenterDC like Paul Stuart, Canali and Hugo Boss for classic, yet modern, finds that are “refined with an edge.”

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P H OTO CA PT I O N H E R E

PHOTOGRAPHY NICK GHOBASHI | WWW NICKGHOBASHI COM

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DANI SAUTER “If there is one thing every woman needs in her closet, it’s a sequin dress,” lifestyle blogger Sauter says. She inspires Washingtonians with her colorful, sequin-filled, body-positive blog, “Blonde in the District,” that encourages self-confidence through style. Locally, she shops at ELOQUII, ZOPHIA, Sophie Black and Rachel Pfeffer; counts Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga as style icons; and adores Christian Siriano for his inclusiveness in sizing and Gucci for its creativity. Her advice to novice fashionistas? “Be open to trends, but stay true to yourself. If it speaks to you, wear it ... unless it’s Crocs.” @blonde_inthedistrict

TARA PAPANICHOLAS “Set yourself apart from the rest,” the vintage queen of Washington advises styleseekers “Don’t overthink. If you’re not feeling it immediately, it’s not for you.” Papanicholas lives by these words when shopping for a personal wardrobe fueled by “eclectic vintage glam with a bit of tomboy.” She looks to the 14th Street shop Redeem for androgynous pieces and style icons Marlene Dietrich, Gwen Stefani and Grace Jones for inspiration. Having spent years collecting unique vintage pieces and selling them via her Etsy shop, Papanicholas has learned to look at fabrics, silhouettes and seams with a critical eye. @losgitanos_vintage

P H OTO CAPT I O N H E RE

GARY WILLIAMS The director and co-founder of Creative Theory cites Marvin Gaye, Pharrell, old Kanye West and Barack Obama (specifically for his “dad swag”) as style icons. Williams blends casual and athletic pieces to achieve his cool look, frequenting local shops Maketto, Redeem, Hugh & Crye and UBIQ. He wasn’t always so confident about his style. It took ample GQ-perusing for Williams to narrow his focus down to timeless pieces instead of fleeting trends. Of his style maturation he says, “I began to buy quality staple items, W A S H I N G T O N L I F E | A P R I L | washingtonlife.com pairing them with more budget-friendly purchases.” @MasterWilliams

LENA FAROUKI “My style is entirely a result of my upbringing in Abu Dhabi, which saw a lot of colors and textures,” Farouki says. The Curio Concept store owner promotes emerging international designers in her eclectic Georgetown shop where favorites include Vivetta, Isa Arfen and Taller Marmo. But her ultimate style icon is her mother, whose open-minded approach to style allowed Farouki to experiment with hers. “My style has done nothing but evolve,” she says. “Resisting style evolution is just as detrimental as resisting any change.” @curioconceptstore

BARNETTE HOLSTON “Invest in great well-made pieces and wear them with confidence,” is the philosophy that men’s fashion blogger Holston follows in his sartorial pursuits. For tailored looks, he turns to Billy Reid, Paul Stuart, Saks and Suit Supply and to Whiskey Ginger and Redeem to boost the “elevated casual with an edge” side of his wardrobe. He feels most elegant and stylish in a classic tuxedo. “There’s nothing like being dressed to the nines,” 35 he says. @dcfashionfool

LIFESTYLES

MOD S Q UA D SPRING FORWARD IN THESE RETRO LOOKS PUPPIES IN TOW AHEAD OF THE FASHION FOR PAWS BENEFIT ON MAY

PHOTOGRAPHY MOSHE ZUSMAN | WWW MOSHEZUSMAN COM ASSISTED BY ARYEH SCHWARTZ STYLIST JOY KINGSLEY-IBEH | KINGSLEY MODEL < TALENT MANAGEMENT MAKEUP CARLA PRESSLEY | KINGSLEY MODEL < TALENT MANAGEMENT HAIR JACQUI DAVIS | PR PARTNERS DOWNTOWN SALON MODELS CATHLEEN DOYEL= BREONA DEWITT AND TERESA FOSS-DEL ROSSO | KINGSLEY MODEL < TALENT MANAGEMENT EDITORIAL INTERN CATHERINE DOUGLAS MORAN EDITORIAL DIRECTION CATHERINE TRIFILETTI

PHOTOGRAPHED AT FIOLA MARE WWW FIOLAMAREDC COM K ST NW

On Cathleen: BUILDING BLOCK Business bag in black ($690) Hu’s Shoes 3005 M St. NW (202) 342-0202. VINTAGE Black and white stripped vintage dress (hairstylist’s own); STEVE MADDEN Johannah Ankle Boots ($99.95) Steve Madden 3109 M St NW (202) 342-6195. TIFFANY & CO. T Two hinged bangle, with diamonds ($7,500); TIFFANY & CO. Tiffany HardWear wrap necklace ($11,500); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear graduated link necklace ($9,500); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear gold 19mm ball pendant ($2,750); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear link bracelet in 18k rose gold ($6,200); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear link bracelet ($2,850); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear ball bangle ($1,700); TIFFANY & CO. HardWear ball hook earrings ($1,250) Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. (301) 657-8777. On Breona: ROESTTA GETTY White Cropped Skinny Trouser ($790) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. Black and White Scarf (stylist’s own). FENDI Black/Blossom Chemeleon Bi-Color Pump ($900) Hu’s Shoes 3005 M St. NW (202) 342-0202. ELLERY Inception Flute Sleeve Black Top ($1,240) Curio Concept Store 1071 Thomas Jefferson St. NW (202) 851-4946. Long Pearl Necklace; Black and White Silk Scarf (stylist’s own). TIFFANY & CO. South Sea Necklace of Cultured Pearls ($20,000) Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. (301) 657-8777. MIA ELLIOTT Jackie Cream/White Freshwater Pearls Hoop Earrings with Silver Rondells ($125) miaelliott.co. On Teresa: PROENZA SCHOULER Bounce Tweed Lady Jacket ($1,875) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. Black leather gloves; PARACELSO Black Paracelso Luxor Palazzo Pants (hairstylist’s own). Pearl Necklace; Pearl Earrings; Pearl Two Size Ring (stylist’s own). ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Black and White Peep Toe Pumps (model’s own).

APIECE APART Bravo Hammered Silk Caro Pink Shirt ($280); RETROSUPERFUTURE Pink Era Shades ($280) Huâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. MILLY Cropped Hayden Pink Pants ($350) Saks Fifth Avenue 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW (202) 363-2059. CHARLOTTE SIMONE Spankie Slap Bracelet ($140 each); PETAR PETROV Tailored Houndstooth Wool Coat with Belt ($1,995); NATHALIA TRAD Maia Mother of Pearl Shell and Black Tab Polish Shell Clutch ($1,995) Curio Concept Store 1071 Thomas Jefferson St. NW (202) 851-4946. MIA ELLIOTT Sophia Bib Necklace ($240); 14k Gold Filled with Emerald Dangle ($125) miaelliott.co. STEVE MADDEN Johannah Ankle Boots ($99.95) Steve Madden 3109 M St NW (202) 342-6195.

A.L.C. white sweater ($325) Hu’s Wear, 2906 M St. NW, (202) 342-2020. Pants (stylist’s collection).

SANDRA MANSOUR Mikado Top with Feather Detail ($1,705); ISA ARFEN Relaxed Wooly Carpet Men’s Coat ($1,800) Curio Concept Store 1071 Thomas Jefferson St. NW (202) 851-4946. ROSETTA GETTY White Cropped Skinny Trouser ($790); THIERRE LASRY Pink/Blue Multi Hedony Sunglasses ($400) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. FERRAGAMO Almond Flower Heel Patent Pump with Bow ($660); FENDI White Flowerland Kan I Crossbody Bag ($2,300) Hu’s Shoes 3005 M St. NW (202) 342-0202. TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger Flame Ear Clips with diamonds ($5,900); TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger 16 Stone Ring with Diamonds ($9,400); TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger 16 Stone Ring in Platinum with Diamonds ($9,900); TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger Bull Toggle Bracelet ($17,000); TIFFANY & CO. Schlumberger Dot Losange Bracelet ($40,000); TIFFANY & CO. Victoria Band Ring with diamonds ($16,500) Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. (301) 657-8777.

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On Breona: ISA ARFEN Classic Pantalone in Quilted Lurex ($795); VINTAGE Gold Collared Choker ($225) Curio Concept Store 1071 Thomas Jefferson St. NW (202) 851-4946. SHOE DAZZLE Gold flats (stylist’s own). CO LOS ANGELES Ivory Sparkly Viscose Wool Jacket ($895) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. TIFFANY & CO. T Diamond Ring ($1,650); TIFFANY & CO.Elsa Peretti Mesh Earrings, small ($2,100); TIFFANY & CO. Elsa Peretti Bone Cuff in 18k Gold ($15,000); TIFFANY & CO. T Cutout Hinged Cuff ($5,800) Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. (301) 657-8777. Bronze head band (stylist’s own). On Cathleen: SIES MARJAN Tatum Straight Leg Pant Milky Blue ($645); APIECE APART Marjorelle Print Nuevo Silk Shirt ($395) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. THEORY Clairene New Divide Sportswear Jacket ($595) Saks Fifth Avenue 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW (202) 363-2059. FERRAGAMO Blanco Lower Heel Patent Sandal ($560); FENDI White Flowerland Kan I Crossbody Bag ($2,300) Hu’s Shoes 3005 M St. NW (202) 342-0202. MIA ELLIOTT Lapis Sticks with Blue Crystals/Gold Link Chain ($300); Blue Crystals, sea beads with cupid zucconia rondells ($175) www.miaelliott.co.

CHIARA BONI Flare Print Dress, Natalia Print ($695) Saks Fifth Avenue 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW (202) 363-2059. LIZ CLAIBORNE Vintage Liz Claiborne Fuschia/Teal Silk Scarf (hairstylist’s own). THIERRY LASRY Pink/Blue/Multi Color Hedony Shades ($400) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 342-2020. MIA ELLIOTT Gold leash with Handmade Links Chain ($225); Gold Link Wrap Bracelet with Brass Toggle ($175); Fusshia. Oyster Shells with Emerald Dangles ($175) www.miaelliott.co. FETE IMPERIALE jumpsuit ($590); d/eleven, 11 District Square, SW, (202) 554-0915.

FENDI Pearl Neckline Dress ($2,750); THIERRY LASRY Black Hedony Sunglasses ($400) Hu’s Wear 2906 M St. NW (202) 3422020. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Black and White Striped Peep Toe Pumps (model’s own). Black long silk gloves (hairstylist’s own). TIFFANY & CO. South Sea Necklace of Cultured Pearls ($20,000) Tiffany & Co. 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. (301) 657-8777. Pearl Ring, Pearl Earrings, Big Pearl Bracelet (stylist’s own). BUILDING BLOCK Business bag in black ($690) Hu’s Shoes 3005 M St. NW (202) 342-0202.

The Fashion for Paws 12th Annual Runway Show will be held on May 5, 2018 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. All proceeds benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance humanerescuealliance.org. For more information visit fashionforpaws.org. e,

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WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y over the moon﹐ heart ball﹐ latin lovers soiree﹐ heroes gala and more!

Luncheon Co-Chaiwomen Angie Marriott and Carrie Marriott at the Affair of the Heart benefit at the Marriott Marquis (Photo by Tony Powell)

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A Season of Departures British Embassy Social Secretary Amanda Downes to retire after three decades.

he British Embassy is vetting applicants to succeed Amanda Downes, the longtime social secretary who is retiring at the end of August. By any measure, she’s going to be a hard act to follow. For each of the past almost 30 years she has planned and organized hundreds of social events hosted by the British ambassador and his wife. Her main role, she has said, is “inviting guests, reconfirming with guests. I do the seating plans. I do the place cards and the escort cards. And on the evening, I’m there to greet people and help out.” The list of events includes every form of entertaining from one-onone breakfasts to large receptions, and from high teas to high profile fundraisers – not to mention two royal garden parties for Queen Elizabeth II, receptions for assorted other members of the British royal family such as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, and visiting prime ministers’ dinners for the president of the United States. Downes is actually the latest in a succession of departures by social secretaries from major Washington embassies in recent months. Francesca Craig quit the French Embassy for the Motion Picture Association of America’s Washington, D.C. office. More recently, Sandra Pandit moved from the Embassy of Germany to a private sector position; and last year, Donatalla Verrone, the longtime social secretary at the Italian Embassy, retired to Florida. But Downes is one of the longest serving embassy social secretaries and something of an institution in Washington. British Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch calls her “a Washington legend.” Downes is “everything an ambassador could wish for in a social secretary: an excep-

Amanda Downes at a White House Correspondent’s Association brunch in 2010.

tional conversationaist with an encyclopedic knowledge of protocol, who always operates with grace and charm,” he says.”Best of all, she knows everyone in Washington through multiple administrations. I sometimes think of her as the real British ambassador in Washington.” Other former ambassadors chimed in with e-mails. Sir Christopher Meyer’s e-mail from himself and wife Catherine was typical: “We associate three things with Amanda: efficiency, cheerfulness and an understanding of how Washington works. What more could you ask for?” And Lord Kerr, formerly Sir John Kerr, reminisced, “Katharine Graham, Colin Powell, Senator Mathias – I gave the dinners they came to, but it was Amanda they came to see. Everyone knew her, everyone liked her.”

“Amanda has given successive ambassadors tremendous support, adapting with great skill and sensitivity to the different styles and preferences of each one,” said Sir Peter Westmacott, Darroch’s immediate predecessor, adding that she helped make 3100 Massachusetts Avenue THE diplomatic address in D.C. Some frequent guests will also be sad to see her go. Alexandra de Borchgrave, for example, spoke of her “warmth, grace and civility over m any years.” Downes was appointed in 1988, and has served under eight ambassadors. While it’s been a fascinating assignment, she says, it’s time to go home. “I haven’t lived in England for almost 30 years,” she observed one evening at the residence as guests swirled around the large main salon. Only dead Washingtonians turn down a coveted invitation to the elegant neo-Georgian residence on Massachusetts Avenue NW designed by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. The embassy reckons that between 12,000 and 14,000 guests are entertained yearly and the list is as broad as it is long, ranging from the transient political population from the administration and Capitol Hill to the District’s more permanent social denizens, media, literati and captains of industry. One requirement specified in the embassy’s job advertisement for Downes’ successor was an ability “to handle sensitive and confidential situations.” It said “poise, tact, diplomacy and discretion” were a must. Downes is known for her discretion. Another friend said, “Compared to Amanda, Trappist monks who have taken a vow of silence are chatterboxes.” Downes had intended staying for 22 months, not nearly 30 years. “But it’s been a wonderful experience,” she says.

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p h oto by to n y p ow e l l

BY Roland Flamini

Erin Egan, Dr. Roger Packer, Christine and Jonathan Terrell, Elizabeth Kaufman and Ben Turner

Justin and Carolyn Fung, Laurie Strongin and Allen Goldberg

WL SPONSORED

Tim Messier and Amy Porter Stroh Luke and Nicolina Miller

CHILDREN’S NATIONAL HEROES GALA Mandarin Oriental | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL EVERYDAY HEROES Art programs, music therapy and tutoring services are a few of the resources that can greatly improve a child’s hospital stay and make them feel like kids instead of patients. Annually, Children’s National invites sponsors and friends of the hospital to celebrate the work of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. This year’s event benefited its Psychosocial Services Program, which supports art and music therapy, child life specialists, tutoring and educational services, clinical psychology and social work support. Guests dined at magnificently decorated tables before dancing and live auction bidding well into the night. The event raised over $500,000, ensuring the hospital’s continuing ability to provide families with the highest quality patient experience.

Ajoy and Sunitha Mathew VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Susan Pillsbury and Julie Kent

Nina Pillsbury, Fendell Pillsbury, Ann Ling and Christine Lee

WL EXCLUSIVE

Freer/ Sackler Acting Director Richard Kurin and Michael Pillsbury

THE LAST EMPRESSES OF CHINA The Pillsbury Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Lucky Roosevelt and Alexandra de Borchgrave

INFLUENCE AND OPULENCE Potential underwriters learned details of next year’s “Empresses of China’s Forbidden City: 16441912” at the Smithsonian’s Freer/Sackler galleries as they admired appropriately exquisite Asian art at the Georgetown residence of Susan and Michael Pillsbury. The sure-to-be-a-blockbuster exhibition of spectacular objects focuses on the lives of the imperial women of the Quing Dynasty and will include rare artworks — royal portraits, scrolls, seals and Buddhist devotional pieces along with costumes and tableware — that will provide a glimpse of life in the Imperial City. “It was a completely understudied topic until now,” co-curator Jan Stuart told guests, noting that relevant details were “not well recorded” by male historians of the time. “The women never had bound feet” and “rode astride while hunting,” she said, proving that they were not always sequestered.

Lisa Barry and Jim Gale

VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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| Embassy row

Love in the Air

valentine’s day celebrations | photos by tony powell, ben droz and erin schaff

Rose Jaffe, Sheldon Scott and Niko Sommaripa Marilouise Avery and Jonathan Willen

romance around the table hillwood estate, museum and garden

Transformer ball Susan Bollendorf, Ed McAllister and Elizabeth Odom

Six of Washington’s finest designers were tasked with an imaginative proposition from Hillwood: decorate a tablescape sourcing items from the late Marjorie Merriweather Post’s collection. The result is a stunning exhibit “The Artistic Table” housed in one of the museum’s Dachas and showcasing a mix of classic motifs with contemporary flair from designers Timothy Corrigan, Barry Dixon, Charlotte Moss, Alex Papachristidis, P. Gaye Tapp, Hutton Wilkinson and Josh Hildreth. To kick off the exhibit’s opening, Hillwood hosted a Valentine’s Day celebration catered by Design Cuisine, where guests were able to roam the estate and enjoy a sneak preview of the creative dining scapes a few days before its opening to the public. The six-table display, curated by Wilfried Zeisler, will run through June 18.

Goldie Aronson, Chloe Dionisio and Jules Freeman

Victoria Reis and Paul Sherrill

Lucian Perkins and Sarah Tanguy

DJ Ali Stone

comet ping pong The Washington art community came out for Transformer’s “Heartbreakers” Ball over Valentine’s Day weekend, where creative attire was encouraged and an on-site pop-up store featured works from more than 40 of the avant-garde gallery’s local artists. There were plenty of icebreaker activities, including tarot card readings, body painting, a photo booth and crystal demonstrations, all to the tunes of DJ Ayes Cold.

James Alefantis

Ethan Weinstein, Sophia Trone, Ben Freeman, Ford Fruggen, Carolina O’Leary, Stuart Powell, Francesca Cetla and Max Weinstein

latin lovers soirÉe Colombian ambassador’s Residence Over 200 guests, many of them teenagers, celebrated an early Valentine’s Day, dancing late into the night as celebrity DJ Ali Stone spun tunes in the ornate ballroom of the Colombian Ambassador’s residence. The event was organized by supporters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), led by high schoolers Carolina O’Leary and Stuart Powell. “Leukemia is one of the leading causes of death in kids under 20,” O’Leary said. “It could be us. It is us. It has affected our family and friends.” Partygoers helped raise more than $100,000 to fund research and find cures for blood cancers.

Jake Kreindler and Julia Mehlman

Kurt and Catherine Zimmermann, Leukemia survivor Arabelle Blalack, Elizabeth Kaufman and Ben Turner

Anna and Robert Trone

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Melanie Colton and Darla Jane Brewer

Jean-Marie Fernandez, Mae Haney Grennan, Karen Donatelli, Amy Donnelly, Amy Baier, Carrie Marriott, Anna Trone, Sharon Bradley and Jamie Dorros

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Bill and Donna Marriott

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART Marriott Marquis | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL FASHION FOR HEALTH More than 900 Washingtonians — mostly clad in red — took a break from their daily routines to enjoy the American Heart Association’s annual lunch and fashion show featuring the latest spring trends from Bloomingdale’s. The event hosted by the AHA’s Women’s Board raises critical funds for the organization’s research grants, which target medical advances to reduce disability and death from heart disease, the number-one killer among women, and to raise awareness of cardiovascular health issues. In the last 18 years, the board has raised upwards of $7.4 million for the cause. RECOGNIZABLE FACES ABC7’s Alison Starling and NBC’s Doreen Gentzler and Doug Kammerer were spotted.

Mimi Lawless and Kristin Bonacci VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

Monique Samuels

Patti and Rob Franklin

Tim Morris and Angie Marriott Abigail, Colin, Colby and Stephanie Harris WL SPONSORED

HEART BALL

Katie McLaughlin and Alison Goradi

Mandarin Oriental | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL

Roquell Wyche and Stephen Narcisse

SEIZE THE DAY The Latin mantra carpe diem (“seize the day; trust little in the future”) was the theme of the American Heart Association’s annual soirée, which gathered over 400 guests to dine, dance and participate in a robust silent auction. Event chairman Rob Franklin introduced this year’s Face of Heart honorees Abigail Harris age 5, and Colby Harris, age 2, who were born with the same rare heart defect. Their father, Colin Harris, expressed deep gratitude for the modern medical advances led by the AHA that have improved his children’s health. WORTH BIDDING Special guest Vernon Davis of the Redskins gave football fans a reason to be excited about sports experiences that were offered, while one adventurous bidder walked away with a National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos.

Peter and Cathie Monge with Marissa and Dr. Vinod Thourani

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OVER THE MOON

Horses, Films and Equine Art Trinity Church’s Hunt Country Stable Tour spotlights Mellon family properties. BY VICKY MOON

nce again, on Memorial Day weekend, the Trinity Episcopal Church Hunt Country Stable Tour will honor two of its benefactors, the late Bunny and Paul Mellon, who did so much to protect and maintain the area. The Mellons donated the entire church complex in Upperville in 1960 and there will be tours of this graceful 12th century Frenchinspired sandstone structure designed by H. Page Cross. (Hint: members of the Mellon clan are buried in the cemetery behind as well as other notable Hunt Country neighbors including former Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke, whose old home is also on the 12-stop tour.) Just down the road, the Mellon’s Oak Spring Foundation in Upperville, including their former stable, will be on view with notes by Mr. Mellon on each horse that lived there as well as a film about the foundation and the 50th anniversary of his great horse Mill Reef. Visitors can get a peek at the impressive Brick House, built in 1942, which once housed the Mellons’ prized collection of paintings. It’s now owned by Alex Vogel and his wife, Jill, a Virginia state senator. Additional Mellon-related stops on

Salamander Equestrian Center set on 340 acres in the heart of Middleburg was originally the Harriman Estate will be part of this year’s Memorial Day weekend Hunt Country Stable Tour.

Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 will be The Middleburg Agriculture and Research Center (M.A.R.E.) donated by Paul Mellon in 1992 for research on pasture land and animal productivity. (Hint: Expect romping foals.) And then, there’s the Middleburg Equestrian Center built by Paul Mellon in 1956, where racehorses are trained. The Mellons’ love of art is undisputed and the National Sporting Library & Museum is also hosting an exhibition of the Paul Mellon Virginia Equestrian Art Collection. At Joe and Laura Cramer’s 30-acre Foxview Farm, you’ll see lovely show horses and also a herd of Irish Dexter Cattle, the smallest European breed. Another tip while roaming the countryside: take note of the magnificent breeds of cattle: the fuzzy Scottish Highlands, the black and white Belted Galloways and the serene Longhorns. If you spot the latter, you might be passing by the farm of Robert Duvall (not part of the tour). The Academy Award-winning actor loans out his fields to a local breeder. Finally, there are several interesting real estate opportunities in Middleburg.

Three pieces of prime commercial retail property are for sale, so come to the village and open a shop. Foxfire Antiques at 7 East Washington Street, with massive display windows and elegant tile flooring, has an “asking price” of $1.25 million. Pauline Wisdom has owned the charming Wisdom Gallery for 30 plus years. It’s overflowing with whimsical gifts, home accessories and chocolate. She’s also selling her brick building at 10 South Madison Street along with the inventory and the business for $1.4 million. Both are listed with Thomas & Talbot. Since 1956, The Fun Shop on the west end of the village at 117 West Washington Street has been the go-to place for weddings, babies, Easter, Christmas and everything in between. Now owned by the second generation of the Allen Family, the property (part of which dates to 1800) includes the two-story, 6,000-square-foot shop and three additional houses all on nearly an acre of downtown land. They are listed by The Middleburg Group of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty for $5.9 million.

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P H OTOS BY M I S SY J O NE S/ CO U RT E SY

Artist Leslie Anthony was so inspired by the Highland ca le that she couldn’t resist painting this one called MacGregor.

Robert Reffkin, Mandy Mills, Patrick Chauvin and David Getson

Stephanie White, John Eric and Brad House

Meredith Margolis, Shari Gronvall and Jeanne Harrison

Daniel Hynes, Julia Sloan and Andrew Riguzzi

COMPASS ARLINGTON LAUNCH 3001 Washington Blvd., Arlington, Va. | PHOTOS BY AMANDA WARDEN BUILDING THE FUTURE Real estate heavyweights including Compass CEO Robert Re in celebrated the launch of the company’s new Arlington office, its sixth brick and mortar in the Washington, D.C. metro area. More than 250 guests, including many top agents, enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres from Main Event Caterers, a DJ, a live jazz band and a flower wall designed by UrbanStems.

Isobel Kuchinski, Jordan Stuart and Tiffany Tillotson

Sarah Tareen and Marc Pina

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John Henry and Ann Crittenden

Carl Colby, Emanuele Amendola, Mary Beard and Richard Hodges Ann Geracimos and Diane Tepfer

WL EXCLUSIVE

A CONVERSATION WITH MARY BEARD Christian Zapatka and Marilia Duffles

Embassy of Italy | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL LA DOLCE VITA INTELLECTUAL-STYLE The Embassy of Italy and Italian Cultural Institute, along with the American University of Rome (AUR), hosted a conversation with Mary Beard, a professor of Classics at Cambridge University and the bestselling author of “SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.” Beard discussed why ancient Rome should matter to us in 2018 and what we can learn about ourselves and the U.S. by studying its extraordinary rise and fall. The author recently penned “Women & Power: A Manifesto” on the historic prejudice against women in public discourse since ancient times. AUR offers American students the opportunity to study amid the historic and contemporary glory of the Italian capital.

Tom Duesterberg Elissa Ruffino

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PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES

A SAMPLING OF SOIRÉES VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM

David Gregory, Beth Wilkinson and Dick Sauber

DC LAWYERS PROJECT [FRENCH AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE] P H OTO S BY J E F F M A S O N

French Ambassador Gérard Araud opened his home in celebration of DC Volunteer Lawyers Project’s 10 years of service representing survivors of domestic abuse and at-risk children. Guests included the organization’s corporate supporters Williams & Connolly LLP, Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz LLP and Pfizer.

Kathleen Biden, French Amb.Barbara GérardLang, Bahishta Talash Araud and Adrienne Arsht and Marco Aguilar

Judge Todd Edelman and Claire Shipman

DC-CAP STARS TALENT COMPETITION [KENNEDY CENTER] P H O T O S B Y A M A N DA WA R D E N

Kia Dixon and Herb Tillery

Candace Ourisman and Ashley Taylor Bronczek

BUMBLE ‘QUEEN BEE’ PARTY [MILLIE’S] P H O T O B Y E R I N K I R K PAT R I C K FA B I O

Singer Wilfred Downing, radio DJ Donnie Simpson and choreographer Savion Glover judged a talent competition of 10 local high school students competing for scholarship money to be applied toward their first year of college. The DC College Access Program welcomed philanthropists Don Graham, Ted Leonsis, Katherine Bradley, Pat Butler and Pinkie Mayfield to the cocktail hour and performance, which is the nonprofit organization’s signature fundraising event that helps local students prepare for, enroll in and complete college.

Pat Butler and Leon Harris Performance of A Harlem Renaissance Revival

Thirty women wrote what “Love” equals to them during a “Galentine’s Day” hosted by personal gift concierge service Secretly Gifting. The group’s founders, Ashley Taylor Bronczek and Candace Ourisman, were named the District’s newest Queen Bees by the dating app Bumble, for which they will serve as brand ambassadors.

Rodney Hood, Ted Leonsis and Robert Hisaoka

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DUTY & DEVOTION [TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL] P H O T O S B Y PAT R I C K G R YA N

Madeleine K. Albright and Maria Walker

Fran Kenworthy and Susanna Quinn

Injured service members, veterans and their caregivers enjoyed a “date night” with an exclusive art show by New York painter William Quigley, a chef’s tasting menu and a sommelier selection of beer and wine hosted by The Yellow Ribbon Fund. Bestselling country music singer Maggie Rose joined celebrity and military guests to raise awareness and charitable donations for the organization.

Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer and Dr. Lynda Davis

BISHOP WALKER SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY DINNER [WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL] P H O T O S B Y M A R J O R Y H A R DY

The Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys celebrated its 10th anniversary with a fundraising dinner to support the education of boys from traditionally underserved neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and from Maryland’s Prince George’s County.

Taylor Schilling and Uzo Aduba Monica Mastal, Maggie Rose and Lindsay Judge

HMSHOST FOUNDATION’S CHEF’S TABLE [DOCK 5 AT UNION MARKET] P H O T O S B Y H M S H O S T

Renowned chefs from across the country prepared signature gourmet meals table-side for guests at HMSHost Foundation’s inaugural event, sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company and Baker Hostetler. The foundation combats poverty at the local level. Tony Award-nominated performer Denée Benton dazzled guests with a live performance at the charity fundraiser.

Steve Johnson and Tim Juul

Chefs Gabe Thompson, Danny Lee, George Pagonis, Helen Cavello, Hugo Ortega, Scott Drewno, Julian Medina, John Sugimura, Lorena Garcia, Russel Klein, Kahan, Jeff Steelman and Johnny Hernandez

Carrington King and Matthieu Finot

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S CUP [RICHMOND’S MAIN STREET STATION TRAIN SHED] P H O T O S B Y J AY PA U L

Michael Shaps

Virginia’s best wines were flowing at the annual Governor’s Cup celebration in Richmond, where the state’s top producers and local vinophiles congregated to watch the crowning of this year’s overall winner. Governor Ralph Northam was on hand to congratulate Carrington King and winemaker Matthieu Finot of King Family Vineyards, who took home gold for their 2014 Meritage. The competition consists of 40 judges sampling 440 wines from 100 Virginia wineries, considering appearance, aroma, flavor, overall quality and commercial sustainability as they taste.

Va. Gov. Ralph Northam and Bettina Ring

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HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House Inside Homes and who’s next

% (IWMKRIV¸W 0EFSVEXSV] Designer Darryl Carter’s 9,000-square-foot playground on Embassy Row exudes timeless style, comfort and a touch of humor. BY CATHERINE TRIFILETTI PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY POWELL

HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES

alking into designer Darryl Carter’s Beaux Arts home, formerly the Embassy of Oman, is akin to entering a different dimension, one where basic interior design rules as we know them hold no weight. In the foyer alone there is an antique rug cut, resewn, and f lipped on its backside, pieces of art hung waist-height, a stack of granite slabs on the f loor and a headless horse. The “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” sentiment strengthens after ascending to the formal dining room where a massive gilded mirror from the late psychic Jeane Dixon’s estate hangs behind a tangle t bars Carter recently installed after getting of white metal bored with the traditional piece. Nothing is complete until it is messed with, he says, pointing to countless examples of toyed-with decor that constitute what the self-described “homebody” calls his 9,000-square-foot laboratory. Carter’s knack for repurposing and reinvention is what fuels him to think differently and problem solve while mixing old and new, unbound by trend or tradition. The abundance of character Carter’s style exudes is a ref lection of his backwards entrance into the field of design. His foray into practicing law with his father ended shortly after his elegant Kalorama Triangle condominium was featured in a book and subsequently the cover of Metropolitan Homes magazine. Despite having no formal training, a steady stream of wealthy, rarefied clients (none of whose names he will divulge) fell into his lap and the artistic journey he had always yearned for began. In retrospect, Carter can pinpoint telling signs of a creative itch. As a young boy growing up in Bethesda, he used the punishment of being sent to his room as an excuse to rearrange bedroom furniture. His house is one of a few on Embassy Row that have unobstructed rear-facing views of Rock Creek Park. Since buying the real estate rarity in 1997, Carter has been on a steady pursuit of design nirvana, constantly

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OPENING PAGE: Darryl Carter and his pointer Eve in his ivy-laced courtyard. The sculpture is his original design.

THIS PAGE: (clockwise from top left) A mirror from Jeane Dixon’s estate with an intervening white metal overlay. A pieced-together dining table designed by Carter; Carter, who refers to himself as “an apartment dweller,” spends most of his time in his bedroom. The bed frame was designed by Carter. He prefers rugs and furniture that show wear. This runner, he says, invites guests to “walk on me.” ;The 110-year-old kitchen table informs conversation. “This is where spaghetti and F bombs happen,” he says;Carter’s master bath suite has an antique tub and one of the house’s nine fireplaces.

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Ashee

PREVIOUS PAGE: (clockwise from top left) ; A headless horse with unique musculature was a mold for bronze sculpturist Paul Wayland Bartlett. The painting accidentally ended up as the perfect backdrop. “That’s the craziest thing in the house,” Carter says; Wainscoting in the kitchen was sourced from an old Baltimore home. The étagère was moved around the house several times before landing on the counter to anchor the space; Revolving doors fashioned as the entrance to the exercise room; An orange light sculpture by Carter’s friend and neighbor Robert Haft, chairs hail from the old Patterson Mansion and an antique settee that served as inspiration for a piece in Carter’s collection for Baker’s Milling Road furniture line; A mid18th century Italian bust.

adding, removing, rearranging and sometimes, defiling. “Nothing is sacred,” he says. Even as we were setting up for this article’s photo shoot, his team was shuff ling art between f loors. Most of his prized finds are sourced from architectural salvage yards, which he endearingly calls his “happiest place on earth.” “If I find something I think is uniquely beautiful, it will find a place,” Carter says, treating the five-story playground like a puzzle with everrotating pieces. His master eye strays away from anything shiny (literally and figuratively), gravitating to “stuff that’s been used, has a history and a sense of life.” Once laden with drab gray carpet, cubicle offices and drop acoustical ceilings from its embassy days, Carter’s goal was always to honor the house’s original architecture showing that his sensibility runs deeper than surface level design. “I really do tend to organically follow the architecture,” he says, joking that he can read blueprints upside down. In this way he is an architectural whisperer, preserving period design features whenever possible. Recently, Carter has found his taste leaning modern, evident in lighting schemes throughout the house where white streamlined pendants offset ornate design elements. Is it hard, we ask, using your home as a laboratory and never being able to separate personal life from work? “No it is therapeutic,” he responds without hesitation. Carter’s persistent evolution and his enormous business success go hand in hand. His dexterous work has appeared in prestigious magazines, including cover stories for Milieu and Elle Decor. He just released a collection for Baker Furniture’s Milling Road line and has a retail store and showroom in Shaw. Carter is also working on commercial projects, bicoastal brand expansion, a television show and a third book. Locally, he and his team of designers recently tackled their first restaurant projects, Michelin-starred Metier and Kinship as well as their first apartment building,

Ampeer in Dupont, where they transformed common areas of the old Patterson Mansion into chic resident hangouts. Carter calls himself a nuance-driven purist – true to style that stands the test of time and true to his innate vision free from finger-wagging textbook speak and those who say there is a right and wrong way to approach interiors. “If you don’t know what you’re not supposed to do, you don’t know what you’re not supposed to do,” he says with ease. “I am not about bells and whistles.” Seekers of colorful mosaics, trendy patterns and tassels should look elsewhere, he says, explaining that his understated approach attracts a self-selecting roster of clients. Demure as it may appear, Carter’s aesthetic is rooted in humor. The headless horse that greets guests and framed New Yorker comics poking fun at traditional interior design in his powder room are what add “color” to his otherwise neutral palette, and give visitors a reason to smile. As much as the house may evolve, its ethos is unshakeable – proof that comfort and style are not mutually exclusive.

HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

Family History

Zach Leonsis sets a new District record with his purchase of the Oliphant mansion in Kalorama. BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R

Twenty-nine-year-old Zach Leonsis and his wife Melissa Cook (his college sweetheart whom he married in September), bought WYOMING AVENUE NW for $9 million from an undisclosed LLC. The six-bedroom mansion was formerly owned by Politico founder Robert Allbritton. Zach is son of sports-team owner and Monumental Sports and Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis. The purchase of the historic 1926 residence sets the record for most expensive sale in the District so far this year. Built by the Oliphant family (who built a handful of houses in Kalorama Heights), it has since been meticulously renovated to include four levels of stately charm. The house boasts a bright and sunny gourmet kitchen, mahogany library, billiards room, home theater and a dining room that opens to a glass conservatory with five sets of French doors leading to the well manicured rear gardens and pool. Mark McFadden of Washington Fine Properties represented Leonsis in the sale. Patrick Chauvin of Compass was the listing agent.

THE DISTRICT VOLTA PLACE NW in Georgetown fetched $2.795 million when Andre Leduc and Laura Litten purchased the historic Federal from Stephen and Maria Lans. The residence was a second home for the Lanses, who were using it as home base for taking in shows at the Washington National Opera and other District theater productions. The four-bedroom brick abode was originally constructed as a chimney factory in 1802 and now features a gourmet kitchen, five fireplaces, and a charming

private English courtyard and gardens. Russell Firestone of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s represented both parties in the transaction. Brian and Caroline Shure recently moved into MILLWOOD LANE NW, which they purchased from Maureen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Conner Witter

for $5.2 million. The classic, 5,800-square-foot six-bedroom, whitewashed brick residence in Kent sits on a half acre lot and features a luxe master suite, sunlit lower level, and elegant public rooms on the main level that open to a

private patio overlooking parkland. Character abounds in this 1941 beauty boasting variablewidth pegged floors, custom moldings and millwork and five fireplaces. Margot Wilson of Washington Fine Properties was the listing agent.

VIRGINIA A lovely all-brick home at DOMINION RESERVE in McLean changed hands when Katharine and Stephen Obryan Jr. sold to Priscilla and Scott Stanzel for $2.6 million.

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John Barabino, an entrepreneur and a former executive of Google, DoubleClick, and Firefly, sold LOWELL STREET NW for $5.2 million to an undisclosed buyer. The six-bedroom Cleveland Park Beaux Arts-style estate was built in 1917. The iconic stucco 6,000-square-foot residence boasts Cathedral views, a 40-foot pool and gorgeous surrounding gardens. The residence was the former childhood home of the late Robert Alvord and had been in his family for three generations. Mr. Alvord, a prominent local attorney, lived in the house with his wife of 43 years, Jacquelyn, and their children. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Margot Wilson was the listing agent. Robert Crawford, also of Washington Fine Properties, was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

Heather Kaye sold ND STREET NW for $2.15 million with the help of Compassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Daniel Hynes. The four-bedroom semi-detached Victorian townhouse in Kalorama was built in 1906 and features a renovated eatin kitchen, private patio, au pair suite and one car garage. Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laura Biederman was the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agent.

Mr. Stanzel was a George W. Bush spokesman and media adviser. The sixbedroom Colonial in Swanks Mill features almost 6,000 square feet of living space featuring arched doorways and paneled rotunda ceilings along with a white and grey chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, two-story family room with new builtins, a fully fenced yard and three-car garage. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Anne DiBenedetto listed the house. Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s George Koutsoukos represented the buyers.

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MARYLAND Suzanne Wilczynski bought CUMBERLAND AVENUE in Chevy Chase for $2.6 million from CEO of F5 Networks technology company, Francois Donou, and his wife, photographer Josiane Faubert. The expanded seven-bedroom features fine finishes in the 4,500-plussquare-foot Craftsman and includes a main level library, media room, updated kitchen, indoor play area and exterior sport court backing to parkland. Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greta Nicoletti was the listing agent. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Elizabeth Lavette was the buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; agent.

HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS

PROPERTY LINES

9TH PRICIEST IN DC UNDER CONTRACT: TH STREET NW, a 1926 Beaux Arts mansion in Kalorama listed by The Chauvin

House Team of Compass, has gone under contract. The asking price was $7.495 million, holding its spot in the top ten of most expensive District listings. The property, previously owned by Hani and Cheryl Masri, was restored and remodeled by the renowned New York City architecture firm Ferguson & Shamamian to feature grand rooms with high ceilings, ornate woodwork and custom fixtures. The five-bedroom property includes a garage and private terrace.

DISTRICT CHARM: Ron and Beth Dozoretz, noted Democratic party fundraisers, are selling TH STREET NW in Wesley Heights for a $18 million, letting it hold steady as the second most expensive listing in the District (the highest is CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD NW at $19.95 million). The private 1927 stone estate is nestled on a half-acre manicured lot complete with a 50-foot heated pool and a separate guest house. Embassy sized entertaining rooms, five fireplaces, two garages and a separate catering kitchen complete this six bedroom historic Colonial. Washington Fine Propertiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chuck Holzwarth is the listing agent.

CLASSIC WESLEY HEIGHTS: Steps from Battery Kemble Park in Wesley Heights, TH STREET NW is for sale for $2.495 million. Christian and Susan Charnaux are selling the elegant, recently renovated Colonial. Mr. Charnaux is an executive at Hilton Worldwide. The six-bedroom, 1938-built charmer boasts an open floor plan that is ideal for entertaining, a formal living room and light-filled family room with hardwood floors throughout. The lower level features a guest suite with a kitchen and full bath, play room, laundry, exercise and mud rooms. TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Russell Firestone is the listing agent. HIRSHHORN HISTORY: The former home of financier and famed art collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn is up for grabs for $5.3 million but many locals arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware of the rich history of this elegant Kalorama residence at BANCROFT PLACE NW. The mansion was built in 1924 under the stewardship of Brig. Gen. George P. Scriven (chairman of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the forerunner to NASA) and designed by architect George Ray in the Georgian style. In 1969, Hirshhorn and his wife, Olga, purchased the home from the estate of Mrs. Scriven and it served as their primary residence until Mr. Hirshhornâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death in

1980. The couple maintained close personal friendships with some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most legendary artists, including Pablo Picasso and Georgia Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe, who used to spend her birthdays at the residence. In 1981, The Hirshhorn Mansion was sold to George Washington University and served as its Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House for nearly two decades. In 2009, it was sold once more to George Washington University President Stephen Trachtenberg and his wife, Francine. Stan Kelly of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty is the listing agent. Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr at editorial@ washingtonlife.com.

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HOME LIFE | DESIGN TRENDS

Smooth Statement From accent chairs to focal pieces, colorful velvet is crushing it. BY ERICA MOODY

HANS WEGNER velvet chair ($8,500), Modern Mobler, 7313 Georgia Ave. NW, 202-882-1648, modernmobler.com

BACHARACH swivel barrel chair ($2,790), Jonathan Adler, 1267 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-965-1416, jonathanadler.com

ANTHROPOLOGIE Velvet Elowen Chair ($398), anthropologie.com

1ST DIBS Velvet teal upholstered swivel ottomans ($630 per item), 1stdibs.com

ROOM & BOARD Murphy sofa in Vance Rose ($1,699), Room & Board, 1840 14th St. NW, 202-729-8300, roomandboard.com 62

MAHARAM pillow in cotton velvet ($150275), Design Within Reach, Cady’s Alley, 3338 M St. NW, 202339-9480, dwr.com

MARK RIDDLE DESIGN ASSOCIATE= ROOM & BOARD

“While velvet on upholstery has never really gone out of style, its power to add luxury and texture to a room is being discovered all over again. There’s a reason it’s been worn by kings and queens for centuries. And it’s not just for fall and winter. From pale rose to vibrant fuchsia, velvet accents can be very much at home through any season.”

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OPEN HOUSE

Livable Luxury These magnificent homes are now available. WOODLEY PARK WOODLAND DRIVE NW

ASKING PRICE: $5,999,000

LISTING AGENT: This six bedroom/six bath, 10,000-square-foot historic Georgian estate, Daniel Hynes, 202built in1928, is located in the heart of the coveted Massachusetts Heights 841-1694, Compass community. It features a lush and private half acre lot framed with mature landscaping, a heated swimming pool and adjoining spa, multi-tiered terraces, embassy sized rooms, cathedral ceilings, three wood burning fireplaces, a guest suite and a full service wine cellar.

ALEXANDRIA

SOUTHDOWN RD This one-of-a-kind home in Alexandria offers the best of waterfront living just outside of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital.With 10,000 square feet of interior living space, this extraordinary property includes panoramic views of the Potomac River, a private dock and exquisite architectural details.

ASKING PRICE: $5,570,000 LISTING AGENT: Phyllis Pa]erson, 703310-6201, TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty

ST MARYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COUNTY MD CROSS MANOR RD This historic, circa 1654 waterfront family compound sits on 110 acres with 3,000 feet of waterfront. The fully renovated manor house is a peaceful and private setting with gracious formal rooms, updated kitchen and baths with two guest houses, an in-ground pool, sauna, tennis court, barn and stables, deep water pier and boathouse.

ASKING PRICE: $2,999,000 LISTING AGENTS: Anne Killeen, 301-706-0067 or Dan Corr, 202-494-3530, Washington Fine Properties

DUPONT CIRCLE R ST NW

This glamorous property has a flexible first floor with an en-suite bedroom and additional living room. The main entertaining level has a living room and dining room, an open gas fireplace with a marble surround and a wet bar. The large open gourmet kitchen has a separate open butlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pantry. The top floor features two grand en-suite bedrooms. Also featured is a separate luxurious English basement rental unit and a secure garage rental. space

ASKING PRICE: $2,000,000 LISTING AGENTS: Michael SchaeďŹ&#x20AC;er & Gary Jankowski, 202.547.3525 or 202.491.5910, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

EMBASSY ROW ST ST NW

This stylish French Norman classic is on a private cul-de-sac built in 1932. It boasts an expansive addition with beamed cathedral ceilings and a sunny, granite kitchen and massive living room. The flexible floor plan includes separate living room, fireplace and dining room; five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, loft, home office, guest suite with second kitchen, rear deck, patio, two-car garage and lush gardens. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E

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ASKING PRICE: $2,995,000 LISTING AGENT: Margaret Heimbold, 202-812-2750, and Denice Warner, 202-847-5162, Long & Foster 63

HOMELIFE | WHO’S NEXT

WHO’S NEXT The Mentor Foundation’s Michaela Pratt aims to end teen drug abuse by using positive peer pressure. BY C AT H E R I N E D O U G L A S M O R A N PORTRAIT BY TONY POWELL

ddiction is very common,” Michaela Pratt says.“Prevention is important now more than ever.” Pratt, 34, is president and CEO of Mentor Foundation USA, which uses positive peer pressure to counter drug and alcohol abuse by young people. “As a mother, I can’t imagine a bigger pain than losing a child,” Pratt says. When the time comes for her to talk to her children, aged two and four, about drugs, Pratt says she will tackle the topic the same way she does with the young people she helps. “I think you have to approach it with honesty,” she says. “Give them the right information, treat them with respect and make sure they know that they can come to you with a question.” Her commitment to preventing drug abuse stems from her father’s struggle with addiction. He died shortly after she graduated from high school. “I know now, from the letters he left behind and through his many attempts towards recovery, that his addiction started when he was a teenager,” Pratt says, adding that drug or alcohol use before the age of 21 heightens the risk of addiction. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 50. Accessibility and variety make addiction easier now for youth than ever before, with usage differing from neighborhood to neighborhood in the District, Pratt says; marijuana might be the choice drug in one and embalming fluid in another. While the statistics and stories of drug overdoses are bleak, Pratt says she enjoys watching corporate mentors work with students on mock interviews, resumés and professional development, using career mentoring for prevention. Mentor also recruits high school youth ambassadors to train them in social media, leadership and advocacy for using “positive peer pressure” on Instagram and driving school-wide projects. Originally from Sweden, Pratt moved to the U.S. to attend George Mason University, where she obtained a B.A. in Marketing and Business Management in 2008. Mentor Foundation USA is a national member organization of Mentor International, established in 1994 by Queen Silvia of Sweden in collaboration with the World Health Organization. “As a fellow Swede, I am proud that our country now has some of the continent’s lowest rates of drug consumption among students aged 15 and 16,” Pratt says. “I believe we can make this possible in the U.S.” In her role, Pratt oversees the foundation’s daily operations as well partnerships with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and other government organizations. Many ambassadors regularly open their embassies and residences to help, she says. Creating opportunities for open dialogue allows for interaction with students and removes some of the stigma around addiction. “Overcoming and conquering addiction is the hardest thing a person can do,” Pratt says. “My father tried and failed, and it cost him both his family and life, and trust me he wanted both.”

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

Michaela Pratt on the roof of the Swedish Embassy.

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