The 14th annual record of notably social individuals from politics, diplomacy, business, philanthropy, and the arts.
Enrico and Andrea Cecchi (Photo by Joseph Allen)
A
Mr. and Mrs. JAMES ABDO (Mai)
Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAM ABEL-SMITH (Mimi)
The Honorable and Mrs. TYLER ABELL (Bess)
The Honorable DAVID C. ACHESON
Mr. GLEN ACKERMAN and Mr. ERNESTO SANTALLA
Mr. THEO ADAMSTEIN and Ms. OLVIA DEMETRIOU
“Twin City” mayors, global opportunities for women, and dinner with the “Nanny”
By Janet Donovan
Cory Booker, Adrian Fenty
Separated at Birth
The only thing separating Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker and our own Mayor Adrian Fenty is 198 miles, “as the crow flies.” They share not only a passion for their respective cities, but bear an uncanny physical resemblance: tall, lean, and follicly challenged. It’s no surprise they are often mistaken for one another, and that was the case when they both appeared at a screening of Brick City, a five-part miniseries that premiered on the Sundance Channel on Sept. 21.
While the series is about the fight to eliminate crime, poverty, and corruption in Newark, Booker realizes such problems are endemic to all inner cities. “It is a kind of a sharing of spirit that helps us through difficult times,” he said, “especially in this economy when we have challenges and appreciate having other brothers and sisters that are in the process.”
Executive producer Forest Whitaker came to express his deep commitment to the project (as did directors Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin). The Oscar-winning actor is so far removed from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, whom he portrayed in The Last King of Scotland, that some guests wondered if he had actually shown up. The confusion was caused by his having trimmed down to half the size he was when he played the role.
Chinese Proverbs
“I got a letter from Harvard the other day, something I’ve always wanted,” Tammy Haddad joked, adding that it was about her women’s rights work, not an invitation for a fellowship. That was before she introduced her guests of honor, dual-Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, at a party celebrating the couple’s recent book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.
The title refers to a Chinese proverb roughly translated as, “Talking about a problem is half the solution; doing something about it is the other half.”
Love those Chinese proverbs. They link to everything in life. Take for example when Kristof said that basically we’re all messengers, but the messenger also has to get the message. Proverb: “To talk much and get nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.”
Women’s Global Issues Ambassador Melanne Verveer got into proverb mode as well when she noted the need for women to realize their potential. Proverb: “Raise your sail one foot and you get ten feet of wind.”
Enjoying the buffet, bar, and comfy settees on the lawn were Mike McCurry, Ann Dickerson, John Coale, Juleanna Glover, Anita McBride, Elsa Walsh. and Mike Allen. Proverb: “Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.”
The Real Anna Wintour …
She’s been called everything from merely ruthless to the anti-Christ – although Nostradamus would have challenged the latter. If you saw The Devil Wears Prada starring Meryl Streep, which was supposedly laced with nasty vignettes about Vogue’s legendary editor-in-chief, you might tend to agree with the portrayal. However, it would be worth the effort to reconsider by seeing the recently released September Issue, a compelling look into the everyday life of a talented, hardworking woman who drives the fashion industry and is, yes, also a piece of work.
If you made it to the Gilt Group’s after-party at the W Hotel, you saw enough Manolo, Prada, Dior, and Chanel to convice anyone that Washington is no longer “Hollywood for ugly people.”
The Goody Bag
Guests at a dinner in honor of Fran Drescher at Teatro Goldoni were the first to get a sample of one of her new FranBrand products. And no, it wasn’t a decongestant nasal spray. Coming out in November, the former “Nanny’s”organic skin care products will be sold on the Home Shopping Network with a portion of the proceeds going to her Cancer Schmancer charity. “We are good for the planet and good for the soul.”
In the bag: a lip balm that tasted so good, most of the guests passed on dessert.
WL’s Exclusive Look at Recent Society Weddings
George Chopivsky III and Clara Brillembourg
Easton, MD • June 20, 2009
Photo by David Murray
George is a vice president of Simpson Housing, a Denver-based real estate company with properties in the Washington area. Clara is an associate in the Washington office of the Boston law firm Foley Hoag.
Ceremony: Ukrainian Orthodox
Reception: More than 400 guests enjoyed the weekend of festivities at “Halcyon,” the bride’s family home on the Eastern Shore, where a vast tented “Midsummer Night’s Dream” theme prevailed along with “intertwined Ukrainian and Venezuelan buffets” and Latin music on the dance floor. Revelry continued at “Le Club,” a barn transformed into a Moroccan disco, until 5 a.m.
Bridal Gown: Angel Sanchez
Event Planner: David Tutera and the Sorelle Group
Photographer: David Murray
Guests: Marc and Jacqueline Leland, Bill and Ann Nitze, Lucky Roosevelt, Mary and Mandy Ourisman, and the ambassadors of Argentina, Colombia, Ukraine, and Mexico.
Honeymoon: Bali, Bangkok, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Bhutan
Photo by David Murray
Photo by David Murray
Photo by David Murray
A sumptuous wedding, sassy valets, and a lively bash for Catholic Charities’
By Donna Shor
Mario Sacasaa and Xiomara Blandino
A Sumptuous Celebration
Shaista and Ray Mahmood outdid themselves hosting a dinner celebrating their son Asif’s wedding to beautiful Sunna Rana. The event was one of five celebrations; at the wedding itself, the bride wore red, in accordance with Pakistani custom.
Seen amid the crowd of hundreds in the blossom-filled National Building Museum: the ambassadors of Pakistan, the Arab League, Afghanistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. Also former President of Pakistan Mohammedmian Sumero; former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake; Melanne Verveer, the U.S. ambassador at large for global women’s issues; Rep. Jim Moran and his wife Lu Anne; Meridian International President Stuart Holliday and his wife Gwen, former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and wife Meryl; Rep. Gerry Connolly; Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett; Esther Coopersmith; Mahinder and Tak Sharad; Jacques and Brenda de Suze; former Virginia Sen. George Allen and Susan Allen; Alexandria Mayor William Euille; and Rick Inderfurth, former assistant secretary of state for Asian affairs.
Location: The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
WL SPONSORED – Photos by Kyle Samperton
HONORED VOICES: Over one thousand guests gathered at the Kennedy Center to celebrate the eighth annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, first over cocktails and then in the Eisenhower Theater. The star-studded evening was dedicated to five honorees from Cambodia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all making great progress for women in their respective nations. The final award, presented by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, went to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was declared a “Global Trailblazer.” “As a presidential candidate last year,” Hutchison said, “she made 18 millio
Ben Affleck, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Alysee Larsen
n cracks in the ceiling and inspired women all over the world.” Needless to say, political divides don’t apply when it comes to the global advancement of women. CELEBRANTS: French Ambassador Pierre Vimont, Wolf Blitzer, Andrea Mitchell, Tammy Haddad, Nina Totenberg, Juleanna Glover, Dan and Rhoda Glickman, John Pendergrast, Ellen Bennett, and Melanne Verveer.
The 13th annual record of notably social personalities from the worlds of politics, diplomacy, business, philanthropy, and the arts.
By Kevin Chaffee
John Pyles and Barbara Harrison
This roster is neither the first, nor will it (inevitably) be the last to single out certain individuals, who, by virtue of birth, rank, wealth or accomplishment, take part in the social life of the nation’s capital. Estimable precursors – drumroll here – include The Green Book,” so-called for its faux green suede cover, which has appeared continuously since 1930; and the Blue Book of Washington, D.C., which ceased publication around 1990 after a century in print. The Social Register, sometimes called the “Black Book,” also contains the names of numerous prominent local figures, many hailing from so-called “blue blood” families, although it merged its thin Washington volume into a much larger 12-city national version back in the 1980s.
A major difference separating Washington Life’s list from the others – apart from having no discernible color – is that we do not publish a “phone book” containing addresses and contact information, much less schools attended, club memberships and yacht listings. Ours is merely an alphabetical nomenclature of people who make a difference by adding immeasurably to their city, and by extension, their country and the world. Another point of contrast is size. Compared to the many thousands of entries contained in other directories past and present, WL’s Social List, currently about 700 names and counting, is relatively small. We do not see the need to include every member of the Congress, Cabinet or Court (i.e., Supreme), much less all those with top jobs listed in the “Plum Book” of political appointments.
Melanne Verveer with Global Trailblazer Awardee Sheika Lubna al Qasimi
Location: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
WL SPONSORED - Photos by Tony Powell and Sharon Farmer
THE EVENT: An inspirational evenings to honor women from around the globe for their courage, leadership and tenacity. THE EVENT: An all-star lineup including First Lady Laura Bush, actress Angelina Jolie, Zain Verjee, Carly Fiorina, and co-chairs Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Hillary Rodham Clinton presented awards. Broadway singer Q. Smith ended the show with a stirring rendition of “This is the Moment.” Three hundred guests dined on the terrace level and took home gift bags with hand-made baskets from Africa. THE GUESTS: Co-CEO’s Melanne Verveer and Mary Yerrick, Michele Norris, Gloria Reuben, Wolf Blitzer, Dina Habib Powell, Beth Brooke, Rose Ann Domenici, Marlene Malek and Judith Wilson.
WL Photos WLTV
