The Reinvention of Me: What Comes Next

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.)

I also wrote about why this organization matters so much to not just me, but the soldiers and their families as well.

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

Step Right Up, and get your tickets HERE

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 year, I attended the Washington Life Young and the Guest List party to help toast those individuals that Washington Life Magazine named as the best-of-the-best in D.C.  This year, I was honored to be named as one of them.

Like with any Washington Life party, a great level of detail (and hard work) is put into it and this party was no exception.

Held at Longview Gallery/Rogue 24, 600 fashionable guests stepped into a completely transformed space, complete with fully-stocked bars, a sushi bar, Rogue 24 food stations, a chocolate/champagne room (my favorite), bands, DJ’s and very chic decor.  It was the party of parties for the magazine – and a complete success.

If you were one of the lucky guests to be honored, you walked away with an amazing gift bag, full of products from: Michael Kors, Juicy Couture, Alessi Alessi, Lush, Kiehls, Alchimie Forever, Salon Daniel, Astor and Black and many more.  And, if you were one of the lucky FEW, you may have also received the keys to a Cadillac for a week!

Shout outs go to: Michael Clements, Kristen Thorne, John Arundel, Andre Wells, Kate Michael, Laura Chavez, John-Michael Scott, Fletcher Gill, Lindsay Kin, Cheryl Romero, Katherine Kennedy, Kirk Wiles, Christina Mohr, Ray Regan, Michael Woestehoff, Paul Wharton, Aureta Thomollari, Mary Amons and anyone else I may have forgotten.

Dress by BCBG Runway

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!!!

Courtesy of Vithaya Phongsavan

On Friday, May 28th, Luke’s Wings held their first annual Casino Royale event at L2.  My friend Vithaya Phongsavan, one of the photographers of the evening, had the best write-up about the organization and the event:

Wings…Luke’s Wings. You’ve likely heard of James Bond, the character that has been used in the longest running English-language film franchise to date. With 22 films under it’s belt, it’s also the most successful film franchise. We’d like to tell you about Luke’s Wings and show you scenes from its first annual Casino Royale Night. The cavernous but sleek and modern L2 venue in Georgetown DC held this special event. Attendees enjoyed specialty cocktails, gourmet hors d’eourves from Leopold’s Café, and a night of playful casino gambling complete with tables, games, and dealers. There was also a luxury raffle table and prizes included items from Neiman Marcus, Miller’s Furs, Mona Taner, Queen Bee Designs, and Adeler Jewelers. We wanted this night to be a success for a great cause because all proceeds go towards Luke’s Wings to purchase airplane tickets for hospitalized wounded warriors and their families.

The venue was a fitting place that provided an adventuresome atmosphere. Ladies and gentleman were dressed to the nines, with some in Black Tie apparel and others in Bond Girl attire. Everyone appeared to be dressed well, including the bar and wait staff that provided drinks to guests throughout the night. The music added to the vibe of the evening and socializing seemed just as much for revealing identities as it was for public discourse. The theme of the night was well played out as guests enjoyed all the casino had to offer. Thanks to the military personnel and veterans who attended, and thank you for your service.

The host committee was comprised of: Fletcher Gill, Sarah Wingfield, Charles Paret, Kelly Homan, Rachael Glaws, Mackenzie Miles, Wendy Adeler Hall, Stephanie Rackley-Abraham, Jason Sickels, Allison Priebe Brooks, Angela Desrochers, Todd Landen, Casey Olson, Michael Gerrior, Mitchell Weintraub, Brittny Corene McKinney, Lawrence O’neal, and Bob Morgan. Many thanks to the Corporate Sponsors of this event: Berico Technologies, The Abraham Group LLC, Cordia Partners, Morgan Franklin and Rent-A-Center.

Courtesy of Walter Grio

My boyfriend and I love costume parties (a very popular thing in San Diego) and therefore, we went all out – he went as “Mr. Black” (complete with a mustache painted on with my black eyeshadow), and I went as a made-up Bond Girl (a bit more sinister though, I imagine).  Much to our chagrin, getting out of our apartment complex, into the cab and trying to sneak into the back entrance of Cady’s Alley proved to be much less of a stealth operation than we had hoped, as I found myself explaining to almost anyone who caught my line of sight that “We normally don’t go out like this”.

Once inside L2 Lounge and with our friend Natalie Cartner (Dogography), we found ourselves being the only three that really went all out.  Although feeling just a tad bit self-conscious at first, we soon realized that when in costume, we were having a way better time.  Some of this might have been due to the fact that the three of us love posing in front of the camera (no shocker there), especially when there are empty pieces of furniture nearby (see Ball on the Mall for how that started).

Soon after, the drinks were flowing, the food was being passed and the clanking of chips was all around us.  I gave my boyfriend my $10,000 in faux money to play with, as I know that his gift for doing well at Blackjack could only help the efforts on winning one of the fabulous prizes set out on the prize table.  About 30 minutes in, he was up $120,000 and asked if it was enough.  Since my eye was on the Gucci bag, I let him know he’d have to get to $650,000 – he didn’t look thrilled but continued on playing.  An hour later, he handed me a slip – $680,000 won – and I raced over to the prize table and snatched up the bag.  Any woman within sight of what just happened was squealing with excitement… the bag officially had a home.

Shortly after, my wonderful friend Fletcher Gill (co-founder, Luke’s Wings) paused the festivities to thank everyone for attending, introduced a few military men that this cause has helped and had an opera singer sing the National Anthem (which was AMAZING). It’s so great to remember why we were all there: helping so many soldiers be reunited with their loved ones, while they are recovering/rehabilitating.  (Each one Fletcher has had at the event has been so impressive to talk to and they all have such heartwarming stories.)

Although many friends started to come in, Natalie, my boyfriend and I decided we needed to eat.  We went over  to Kafe Leopold for a quick bite, giving everyone in the restaurant quite an amusing site: He in all white with a faux mustache, Natalie in a stunning sequined gown (with a long train) and me with a short dress with a garter and gun strapped to my leg.  It was like a scene out of a murder mystery with three people plotting their next move.

By the time we got back to L2, the Bond Girl contest was getting ready to start and the prize: a mink stole was up for grabs.  Ok… so I

Courtesy of Vithaya Phongsavan

might have been feeling a bit greedy but I DID go all out with the costume and although Natalie won the new laptop, she also went all out so we put ourselves up there with three other women.  We didn’t win.  Although slightly disappointed, we did walk away with some fabulous items. Side note: the girl on the far right in the picture won the prize.

When the tables were being packed up around midnight and we said goodbye to the last of our friends, we agreed that life isn’t just better spent in ball gowns, it was also spent better in costume too.

Shout outs go to the following people for hanging out with us: Fletcher Gill, Natalie Cartner, Donna Donella, Lawrence O’Neal, Mark Vlasic, Jeffrey Cohen, Katy Johnson Nelson, Stefanie Ball, Vithaya Phongsavan, Moshe Zusman, Walter Grio, Ray Regan (for 2 minutes), Erin Smith, Rachel DeMita, Ivy Jiang, Mehraz Naini, Jason Mandel, Allison Priebe Brooks