R E T R OSP EC T I V E
15 YEARS OF WASHINGTON LIFE … WE’VE COVERED IT ALL! Premiere Issue in ‘91
SOCIALLY SEASONED BY ANN GERACIMOS
The more things have changed socially in Washington in the past decade and a half, the less change there seems to be. With a few qualifications. The same charity events continue on, with many of the same faces in charge. Recall, and tack on the words “gala” or “ball” to: Wolf Trap, American Cancer Society,Washington National Opera, Corcoran Gallery of Art, the
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Washington Ballet, Washington Performing Arts Society, Fight Night. There are, of course, a few newer events on the black-tie circuit: the Mosaic Foundation, for example, run by (mostly unveiled) Arab ambassadors’ spouses. Black gowns remain standby operative costumes (easy to stash in office closets and they do help one blend into the crowd) but there has been a slight decline in what the purveyors of custom call “standards.” The biggest sartorial switch was the retirement of white-tie mode to near oblivion. (Only the Gridiron Club now commands it for a restricted showtime audience.) Global calamities of 2001 dampened the ardor with the result that guests for the first time were allowed only “optional” preference in their formal attire at that year’s National Symphony Ball.Then the no-medals-and-tails option became the norm, after which the ball moved forward in the seasonal calendar to September to avoid the usual December Kennedy Center Honors jam. And while two women chairs were customary, along came husband-and-wife teams. Now even two men, at least outwardly, can take over the role. Jim Kimsey, the sly debonair man-about-town, and pal Joe Robert helped break the old rules at the Kennedy Center’s spring gala a few years back. After all, Kimsey’s 60th birthday celebration at the St. Regis in ’99 was also a winner, complete with World War II décor and guests in 1940s dress. Royals still arrive with a flourish, but like Jordan’s knockout gorgeous Queen Rania they now come with a mission to promote social well-being. Queen Noor, her predecessor who is now a Washington resident, also turns up regularly as mascot to the Good. So do telegenic ambassadorial spouses who have taken over the role which professional hostesses once performed. Wives such as Kuwait’s Rima alSabah and Britain’s (now departed) Lady Meyer lend cachet to tried-and-
true embassy occasions with their extra edge in fashion and smarts. Without them, Washington would be a far less glamorous place. On an official note, it seems a long time since happenings at the White House took the breath away. State Dinners have declined, partly out of the Bushes’ personal preference and partly in keeping with the administration’s reluctance to offer too much showy entertainment in wartime. By contrast, the White House Correspondents Dinner has become a celebrity-stalkers’ boardwalk far removed from its original purpose as an off-the-record gathering of peers. But take heart: Robert Duvall does a wicked tango here on occasion, and philanthropist Catherine Reynolds can pull out all the stops, as she did for the patriotic themed affair she sponsored in the National Building Museum four years ago that featured entertainers Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Aaron Neville, Frank Sinatra Jr., Michael Crawford and Patti Austin. If there has been a toning down of glitz in the past 15 years, it has not meant an elimination of style.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| SEPTEMBER
| washingtonlife.com