[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/6988269[/vimeo]
Kudos for W Hotel Washington and Patton Group for getting opening night up and running and for hosting a great bash. John Legend as a musical guest? Not many people can say that in Washington – score. Operatic performers playing violins and rock guitars? Excellent touch given the historically significant interiors (which have been masterfully reimagined by designer Dianna Wong.) Free flowing open bar and plentiful pass hors d’oeuvres? Check. Guest list … well … we’ll get to that later.
The last time I saw John Legend play live was at the InStyle Oscar party in 2006, where the red carpet was a Hollywood red carpet, and the gaggle of 200 or so photographers took pictures of Lindsay Lohan, Elton John, Macy Gray, George Lucas, Carmen Electra, etc. I, along with D.C. native/model/writer Katie Rost, whom I met that night for the first time, hung out in the VIP room with Hollywood VIPs. All this ran through my mind as I funneled through the 600 or so guests milling about the wonderfully restored high-ceilinged lounge with epic chandeliers before making their way up to the Moroccan-themed rooftop lounge. Although I enjoyed the InStyle party immensely, it’s nice to be able to come to an event with all the trimmings of Hollywood without the Hollywood pretension. It’s what makes Washington, “Washington” and not LA or NYC. There is nothing chic about having to door jockey even when you are on the list, but not the “VIP list,” or “the extra super special sponsor A-list” list.
Loren Nunley and Dela Taghi. Photo by Tony Powell
Certainly Washington has some work left to make it to level of those other cities in terms of style. But we are on the right track. Consider the fashion at the W opening. Except for the stylish gentleman pictured above, few men wore Cavalli, Versace, or guy friendly scarves, which are all the rage from the runways of New York to the streets of the Meat Packing District. Not one man with a fedora or Varvatos Converse sneakers (anyway, they’d be denied access later at some “black shoe only” nightclub Washington seems to favor). I saw lots of “I just got off work from the Treasury Department” style. Men, we have some work to do. The ladies? Nini Ferguson always appears in something fashionable and unique. But there was a lack of the beau monde style and urban contemporary chic that flows like Veuve Clicquot in the lounges of W properties in New York and Miami. There were fashion exceptions – the W Hotel’s Mariam Karim always rocks a smart contemporary look that goes against the Washington norm.
The night brought together a cross-section of Washington D.C. Septime Webre, Kay Kendall, Mark Ein, John Mason, Rick Rickertsen, Winston Bao Lord, Brett Baier, Tammy Haddad, Mary Barth, Paul Wharton, Luke Russert, Ann Stock, UAE Amb. Yousuf Al-Otaiba, Ed Henry, Reggie Love, and Robert Horry, along with a legion of media types (like me, running around with Flipcams and digital cameras) rounded out the guest list. The event did lack some D.C. star power (big name politicos, ambassadors, media stars, and socialites) and a few of the young next-gen Capitol Hill gatekeepers that the W Hotel has been trying to cultivate. Although the young White House staffers, led by socially active David Washington, represented well. This wasn’t a night of exclusivity and gravitas like you might find at a Rima Al-Sabah, slthough actress Emmy Rossum did turn heads. The W wanted a grand opening and not an exclusive tight-knit cocktail affair. It accomplished this. It was grand. It was enjoyable. It was well put together. John Legend was a coup. It was another notch in the beltway for Pollywood.
Engle Burns, Dennis Cail, Yelberton Watkins, and Edward Hubbard. Photo by Tony Powell
A special note on General Manager Ed Baten, a District native. Great guy – the property is in able hands and lucky to have him. When introducing Legend, who closed out the night with a high-energy performance, Baten said this was his “dream job.” Like Baten, we are all happy to see a property like the W open in Washington. It’s a great addition to the growing number of choices the Metro area has for entertainment and dining. The W brand should take a page from Baten’s playbook and continue to keep it real in Washington, because that is what is helping to define our evolving Pollywood style. We don’t have to try to become Los Angeles or New York. Judging by the number of events being hosted at the W Hotel this fall, the property will be playing an important role in Washingon’s style evolution.
Nini Ferguson and Morgan Harries. Photo by Tony Powell
Emmy Rossum. Photo by Tony Powell
John Legend. Photo by Tony Powell
Operatic costumes in full force. Photo by Tony Powell
