Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

Editor’s Letter

Nancy Bagley and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

If summer slipped by quickly, September seemed to move at an even more rapid pace for Washington Life. Fortunately, we managed to mix a bit of pleasure with business for a final end-of-summer hurrah on Nantucket with some of our friends and long time readers—including Kathleen and Chris Matthews, Alice and David Rubenstein, Marion and Bob Rosenthal, Margaret and Terry Lenzner, and Barbara Harrison and John Pyles—who graciously allowed us to take you on an insider’s tour of their island retreats. (See Inside Homes)

After we returned, our neighbors Lorraine and Chris Wallace kicked off the fall social season with an A-list cocktail party that was sparked with an edgy “back to school night” electricity. Likewise, Lynda Webster welcomed back 200 of our most fashionable women at her annual Chevy Chase Club get together.

We danced the salsa and celebrated the accomplishments of Latin American artists with Eva Longoria, Jimmy Smits, Sen. Barack Obama, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, Elizabeth Vargas and a host of other Washington, New York and Hollywood VIPs, including special surprise guest Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosa at the WL-sponsored Noche de Gala festivities. Special thanks are in order for Carol Marshall and Felix Sanchez for giving us exclusive photo opportunities and interviews with the stars. (See our Pollywood cover story).

A busy crush of venerable WL-sponsored events occurred after our print deadline, leaving us unable to cover them in this issue including: opening night at the Washington National Opera with Placido Domingo, Linda and Michael Sonnenreich, John Pohanka, Jacqueline Badger Mars, Betty Knight Scripps, Betty Casey and numerous other luminaries and Trustees; baseball’s inaugural Washington Nationals Foundation Diamond Gala with the team; the USO Gala with Wayne Newton, Generals Richard Myers and Peter Pace, Shaquille O’Neal, and John Elway; the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition at the Kennedy Center; and, an exclusive WL-Washington Ballet-Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show featuring Septime Webre, Kay Kendall and the ballet’s extraordinary dancers and friends strutting their stuff on the runway.

This month, we welcome new and regular contributors to Washington Life. Franco Nuschese of Café Milano shares his battle-tested rules of etiquette. Kevin Chaffee takes you on a flâneur’s tour of Dublin. Previous contributor Carol Joynt invites you back to Nathans for another lunch, this time with Dan Snyder dishing about the Redskins. Our gifted new Style Editor, Alison Lukes, updates you on the latest fall fashions in the Trend Report, and we present precious pieces from Cartier, Tiffany, Greg Ruth (at Finks), Roberto Coin and Bulgari (at Liljenquist & Beckstead) in What’s Hot.

Our talented contributing Fashion Editor Barbara McConaghy showcases top Turkish designers, modeled by Mimi Logogolu, wife of Turkish Ambassador Osman Logogolu; Massumeh Farhad, chief curator of the Freer and Sackler galleries; and museum benefactors Mary Ourisman and Serpil Ayasli. The designs will be presented in a fashion show against the backdrop of the new Imperial Ottoman Costumes exhibit at the Freer and Sackler galleries’ opening night gala, with special guest Oscar de La Renta. Special thanks to Nuri Yurt, of Toka Salon, for a beautiful job with hair.

WL readers are at the forefront of relief efforts for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In our new Washington “Power Couples” feature Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Rima, discuss their nation’s outsized contribution to victims of Katrina. In addition, WL covers a fundraiser for Katrina hosted by Andrew Wright, Ray Regan and Winston Bao Lord. Our signature social coverage this month also includes Washingtonians at the Preservation Society of Newport’s Dynasties and Dragons Ball as well as a fond farewell to Janet and David Bruce.

We hope you are as excited as we are about October’s social calendar. This month WL looks forward to serving as the exclusive magazine media sponsor for the Andy Warhol-themed party hosted by the Corcoran’s 1869 Society on October 7; the Freer and Sackler Gala and style and status fashion show on October 26 (see page 38 for a fashion show preview); the Washington International Horse Show, October 25-27; and the National Building Museum’s 25th Anniversary dinner on October 29.

It was a pleasure to hear the overwhelming positive feedback about our magazine’s new look and I am truly proud of our staff for their efforts. Don’t forget WL is also available for purchase at Whole Foods, and you can also sign-up to receive the new Digital Edition along with our email newsletter and invitations to exclusive movie premieres and other happenings at www.washingtonlife.com.

Washington Life looks forward to continuing as your number one pleasure read.

Sincerely, Nancy Reynolds Bagley



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