This past Saturday, Luke’s Wings held their 4th annual Fashion Takes Flight. This year, the best of some of the most talented local designers were featured in a place that has never seen an outside fashion show: Nationals Stadium. Walking to the beat of Deejay Neekola‘s masterful mixes, the models graced the runway in the SS12 collections of Nam Nguyen and Walish Gooshe (Greg Taylor), F/W11 men’s collections by Streets of Georgetown and Donovan England, and the always amazing finds of Ella Rue.
Photos can be found here (check back for additional photos in the coming days):
Shout outs go to: KRISTEN MURDOCK (for whom this show would more or less not happen), my mom and stepdad, Ashley Pennington, Marissa Borst, Donna Donella, Erica McCants, Constance Christakos, Wendy Gordon, Sophie Pyle, Charlie Martel, Kate Michael, Elizabeth Kreft, Paige Mueller, Luke Radlinski, Mark Radlinski, Jason Morris, Jesse McCarley, Brittny McKinney, Lauri Tamney, Tim Lundin, Vithaya Phongsavan, Cheryl Romero, Mackenzie Miles, Katherine Kennedy, Ken Suarez, Brendan Kownacki, Kimberly Glenn, Tanya Good,
Last year, for the first time, I participated in Luke’s Wings Fashion Takes Flight – a fundraising fashion show that included real members of the military, modeling the latest collections from Saks Fifth Avenue (Tysons Galleria), Aram, Ella Rue and more. (Video below and recap can be found here.)
This year, we have even more reason to celebrate, as Luke’s Wings has hit some major milestones, not just making this an annual must-attend event, but also a celebration. In the last year, Luke’s Wings has had some major accomplishments, including (but not limited to):
Raising $32,000 at the 3rd annual Fashion Takes Flight
Receiving a $300,000 grant
Partnering with the Rumsfeld Organization
Receiving a donation from Arnold Schwarzenegger
Receiving countless donations and accolades from generous donors and sponsors for their tireless work
Having brought hundreds of families and soldiers together
This is no longer just a local charity – it has gone national. It has gained the interest of politicians, other military organizations, military leaders, government leaders and many many troops across the world. While you may hear of some of the glitzier things, what you don’t see is the hard work the supporters of Luke’s Wings put in behind the scenes, including many trips to military hospitals, fundraising meetings, meet and greets, attending countless networking events, as well as making sure some of these soldiers are reconnected to their loved ones.
You see, it’s no longer about the “who’s who” in the DC social scene supporting a local charity - it’s the “who’s who” in the national military, government and political scenes that are gaining traction – and fast. Luke’s Wings is a fantastic “connector” that allows these two worlds to collide for a common goal: to make sure that those that are protecting our freedom are taken care of, giving us all an opportunity to thank them for allowing us to continue to live in a country where freedom is what we stand for.
As such, a veteran volunteer to the organization, Kristen Murdock (USNA), will be walking the runway her final time, before she heads back to Afghanistan for a year. If for any reason to attend Fashion Takes Flight this year, give her a proper send off – thank her for her hard work, both in protecting us, as well as giving back to soldiers that are less fortunate. Details below:
This Year’s Fashion Takes Flight (Official Press Release)
Luke’s Wings is pleased to announce its 4th annual runway fundraiser, Fashion Takes Flight, on February 4th, 2012 at Nationals Park! Join us for cocktails, and an exhibition of some of the District’s finest threads modeled by our servicemen and women as part of our fourth anniversary celebration and 2012 kick-off campaign.
With sweeping panoramic views of the stadium on one side and two story windows overlooking the river and monuments on the other, in the Stars and Stripes VIP Lounge, Luke’s Wings supporters will enjoy Peroni beer, specialty cocktails by Van Gogh Imports crafted specifically for Fashion Takes Flight and gourmet hors d’oeuvres. Come mix and mingle among DC’s most fashionable, in one of the most unique venues in our nation’s capital- Nationals Park! A private tour of the dugout and batting cages will also be available to all attendees.
Over the years, the popularity of Fashion Takes Flight has grown, as attendees watch models and military service men and women ‘take flight’ in a swank, high energy runway exhibition highlighting cutting edge fashion by some of the District’s freshest new talent. Philanthropists and fashionistas alike come together to support an organization that aims to assist the families of those who serve.
Special guests include Deejay Neekola and our fabulous MC Natasha Barrett! Amazing styling by PR@Partners, Megan Riddle Make-Up, Blend, and the runway collections of some of the best local runway talent DC has to offer, including Nam Nguyen and Walish Gooshe!
After an amazing evening of supporting our wounded warriors overlooking the baseball field from the Stars and Stripes VIP Lounge, you are invited to join us at Lincoln for an Americana After Party.
Event Hosted by: Charlotte Jarrett, Kristen Murdock, Nichole Devolites, Mackenzie Miles, Lindsay Kin and Fletcher Gill.
Event Details:
February 4, 2012
VIP Reception (includes reserved seating) 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Open Reception – 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fashion Takes Flight – 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
After Party at Lincoln – 11:00 pm – 2:00 am
TICKETS:
VIP: $135
Includes:
· VIP cocktail reception with event hosts, models, honored guests, government leadership, sponsors
· Exclusive access to the VIP Lounge. Lounge includes private, heated balconies overlooking the baseball stadium
· Reserved Seat for runway show
· Gourmet fare
· Passed Champagne
· VIP gift bag
· Free Parking
· Invitation to our exclusive after-party at Lincoln
General Admission: $85
Includes:
· Open bars
· Gourmet fare
· Access to fashion show
· Free Parking
· Invitation to our exclusive after-party at Lincoln
MEDIA NOTE: All media attendees who are interested in covering the event must register by Thursday, February 2, 2012. Please register by emailing our Public Relations Director, Mackenzie Miles at publicrelations@lukeswings.org with your name, title, and publication.
Last week I wrote a post about why it was I made a choice to be a part of the Executive Committee for this year’s Fashion Takes Flight. This week, I am proud to say I can prove why.
Just under one month ago, the Executive Committee of Rachael Glaws, Kristen Murdock, Lindsay Kin, Mackenzie Miles, Fletcher Gill and myself got together to discuss the show. Just under one month later, it became a reality. Here are the highlights:
The event was held in the grand ballroom of Adams Morgan Mansion, which is now Stroga Yoga. The VIP guests were treated to champagne (many thanks to the Fly Lounge girls for serving), hors d’ oeuvres (thanks to Peacock Cafe and Purple Onion Catering) and violin music from the very talented Raea Leinster. At promptly 9:00pm, the upstairs was open for people to mingle at two more bars, while listening to the sounds of Seyhan and watching moving military videos on two 60″ flat screen TVs. Natasha Barrett, the emcee for the evening, welcomed everyone to the show and the National Anthem was sung by Samantha Dredge. When the lights went down, the runway lit up and the sounds of aircrafts filled the air. All eyes were glued to the flat screens that now illuminated the entire room. Lights flashed, the helicopter sounds came closer and the fog machine gave us an instant feeling of being on an aircraft carrier. Things went dark and the spot lights came on, with the men starting out the show in custom-made Don Patron shirts. This was followed by Ella Rue, Saks Fifth Avenue Galleria for men and Aram for women. The finale was giving our military models one final walk down the runway in their uniforms.
To close the show, Fletcher gave some wonderful remarks, followed by a moving video of some of the families that have benefitted from Luke’s Wings. MSA then presented Luke’s Wings with a check. This check, amongst many other donations (including ticket sales, silent auction items and other forms of donations) raised about $20,000 (so far).
There are so many thank you’s to be given for such a successful event. Please forgive me if not everyone is listed: Fletcher Gill, Lindsay Kin, Rachael Glaws, Kristen Murdock, Mackenzie Miles, Alfredo Flores, Daniel Swartz, Nakeva Corothers, Seyhan Duru, all of the models, all of the volunteers and all of the attendees!!!! Also, a special THANK YOU to my sister Cassie Devolites for flying from Colorado Springs to represent Air Force!!!
While I was Director of Marketing for a luxury mall in the D.C. area, I had many requests to provide clothes and/or sponsor local fashion shows. Given the type of clientele we were targeting, many of these were ruled out. This included a request from Luke’s Wings for last year’s very successful “Fashion Takes Flight”. When I was pitched the idea of men and women in uniform, walking the runway, I was excited about the concept, as I have a sister in the Air Force and I know how much it means to them to be able to do something fun that represents who this organization serves.
This year, I was given the opportunity to support it. I am incredibly grateful and thankful for those who have supported my endeavors in this, including two wonderful retailers-turned-friends. It’s because of them that this show will be better than last year’s, promising the attendees a really amazing experience with luxury fashion (and an awesome surprise twist, thanks to Don Patron).
Why I’ve decided to support it: Each and every non-profit, and those that run it, are put under the microscope with every event they do and every solicitation they make. Even with everything I did for this mall, I was met with a high level of scrutiny, as opposed to seeing what the rest of the world saw, which was a great experience for the betterment of others. This organization, at the core, has done some great things for some soldiers who have been to places and held experiences most of the rest of us would never even think of doing. With my dad’s dad having been a retired Colonel in the Army, my mom’s dad retired Air Force, my sister an active officer in the Air Force, and a whole slew of friends that have been to the Middle East no less than five times a piece, it’s not just another show for me. Instead, it’s a way to give those in service a fun celebration.
We’ve had an incredible group of people step up to put this on: Rachael Glaws, Lindsay Kin, Kristen Murdock, Mackenzie Miles – all professionals in their field who share the same passion for this show that I do. Our meetings are incredibly high energy with a ton of excitement for what this year’s show will hold. I hope that each of you decide to go – it will be a ton of fun with a really great program. If anything, come see my sister walk the runway and meet some of my friends that have incredible experiences serving overseas.
Details are below:
Friday, Janaury 28th
The Adams Morgan Mansion
VIP Reception – 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Open Reception & Silent Auction – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fashion Show – 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
TICKETS::
VIP………………………………………….. $125
Includes VIP cocktail reception with event hosts, honored guests, government leadership, sponsors
Reserved Seat for Runway Show
Passed Champagne
Three Premium Open Bars
Gourmet Passed Hors D’œuvre
VIP Gift Bag
Access to Fashion Takes Flight After Party
General Admission……………………… $75
Three Premium Open Bars
Access to Fashion Takes Flight After Party
Slowly but surely, I’ve been creeping out of my “cave” to join the rest of my friends in social world I’ve missed so much. I admit, the downtime was great (and much-needed) but it’s a new year – one, in which I make my own rules, both professionally and personally, and I could not be happier. I’ve found the freedom to support more events, possibly host a few but more importantly, to be able to set my own schedule in the process, resulting in a MUCH BETTER work/life balance than I’ve had in years.
Event Number 1: Caps Game
To kick things off right, my mom had given me her and her husband’s two front row tickets to the Caps’ game against the Lightning on January 4th. I decided to bring my girlfriend Samantha, whom I had not seen in a very long time. She had never sat that close to the action and was uber-excited. No sooner did we sit than the cameraman for Comcast Sportsnet asked us if we wanted to open the second period on TV with about 10 seconds of cheering. Who could actually say no to that? So, as stated on Facebook – I don’t want to know how we looked but I’m pretty sure if it was viewed in HD it was bad – fluorescent lighting and all (ok, I’m speaking for myself) still, it was fun. After this, we went on to watch 2 periods of hockey with a few minutes into overtime – Caps lost 0-1. Our added bonuses of this evening – running into Tiffany Carter, as well as Andre and Bethany Carter with their son Quincy.
Up This Week
Wed. – Planning meeting for Luke’s Wings Fashion Takes Flight – we have a fierce team of women behind this, this year and I couldn’t be more excited! Look for the official invite soon!
Thurs. – YELP event at the Crime and Punishment Museum with the lovely Kate Michael
