Fighting Cruelty with Fashion! F4P Runway Show

Photography © Tony Powell www.tony-powell.com

Check out ALL the photos HERE

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Fashion for Paws® (F4P) Runway Show infuses the nation’s capital with cutting edge high fashion, drawing an extraordinary crowd of VIP’s, fashion and animals lovers alike. In 2008 and 2009 Washington Life Magazine named Fashion for Paws® the best fashion event of the year and in 2010 BizBash Magazine named Fashion for Paws® the best fashion show of the year. The F4P Runway Show includes three different catergories of models walking the runway. The heart and soul of the event are the fundraising models who agree to raise funds in the weeks leading up to the event and participate in a friendly fundraising competition. The top male and female fundraiser will be awarded the title “Model Washingtonian of the Year,” on the runway on April 9th.

 

© Tony Powell. Fletcher Gill

© Tony Powell. Ashley Taylor

© Tony Powell. Wendy Gordon

© Tony Powell

Capital City Ball

Click here to view and purchase all the photos!!

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

 

Team Brunette @ Midtown Loft

Click here to see all the photos!

© Tony Powell

I went over to the new Midtown Loft for a fundraiser hosted by Taryn Fielder and Makeda Saggau-Sackey, members of Team Brunette – one half of the Blondes vs. Brunettes organization that has, since 2005, raised nearly $150,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter.

© Tony Powell

This unique charity has brought some of Washington, D.C.’s most prominent young women leaders together to raise awareness about the disease – sometimes occurring in individuals as young as 30 – and funds for the Chapter so that it may continue to provide services and programs – at no or low cost – to area residents.

© Tony Powell

Other notable Team Brunette members: Kate Michael and Angie Goff. Located on the south side of Dupont Circle, the Midtown Loft is a bright new addition to the local lounge landscape.

© Tony Powell

Nowhere near as trendy as Fly or Spot lounges directly across the street, Midtown seems to relish in it’s homier, more user-friendly environment.

© Tony Powell

With pool tables in the back and plasma screens on the walls tuned to sports – I felt more at home than as though I was out.

© Tony Powell

The 3-story walk up reminded me of tenement houses in New York City, but once upstairs, the open layout and comfortable environment made me soon forget the generous climb. I’m always amazed at how many paths are crossing at all times.

© Tony Powell

I found out, only tonight, that my friend Wendy Gordon, who was there with Charles Adler, is the President of Hisaoka Communications, an organization that was once headed by Joan Hisaoka, the recently deceased sister of Robert Hisaoka, whose October 24th “Make a Difference” Gala, I get to cover for Washington Life Magazine.

© Tony Powell

According to the Blondes vs Brunettes website, “Sports is not exactly their thing. Sure, their hand-eye coordination is superb – when it comes to painting their toenails. But when it comes to fundraising, these women never fumble.”

© Tony Powell

To donate on Makeda’s page, visit: http://alz.kintera.org/bvbdc/makeda

To donate on Taryn’s page, visit: http://alz.kintera.org/bvbdc/taryn_it_up

To make a general donation to Team Brunette click here!

 

All of the money raised will support Team Brunette’s fundraising efforts before going head-to-head against Team Blonde on Saturday, November 14!

The Fran Plan!

Tea time with Sheila Johnson and Fran Drescher photos can be viewed and purchased at www.washingtonlife.com!

Fran with Angelina Jolie, who lost her mother to ovarian cancer photo courtesy of http://www.cancerschmancer.org

The wide sphere of people I get to meet and the various causes I get to learn about are two of the greatest advantages of working for Washington Life Magazine. I was given the assignment to photograph a tea time party hosted by Washington Mystics owner and philanthropist, Sheila Johnson, in the owner’s box at the Verizon Center, before the start of the Mystics/Minnesota Lynx game on Sunday. I also knew that comedienne Fran Drescher would be there, but what I didn’t expect to hear was the TV star and guest of honor, Drescher, talk so openly and honestly about the brave battle she waged and won, nine years ago, against uterine cancer.

So dedicated is she to the cause of early cancer detection (especially the 1st stage) she founded The Cancer Schmancer Movement in 2007.

Jennifer Lopez with Fran at the 2008 Democratic National Convention photo courtesy of http://www.cancerschmancer.org

Utilizing her celebrity status and famous friends, she’s not only raised huge sums for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, she was also instrumental in having The Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act signed into law in 2007.

Fran with various politicians courtesy of http://www.cancerschmancer.org

In an excerpt from Drescher’s “Fran Plan,” she writes,

“Too many women are being told that they have cancer today, when they should have been told yesterday.

I am a uterine cancer survivor, but was misdiagnosed and mistreated for a peri-menopause condition I didn’t have. It took me two years and eight doctors before finally being told that I had a gynecologic cancer. I swear I got in the stirrups more times than Will Rogers!

As the result of this experience, I wrote the NY times bestseller Cancer Schmancer with the hopes that in telling my story I would prevent what happened to me to happen to others. But when I went on my book tour, I realized that what happened to me had happened to millions of women like me. And so it was then I realized the book was not the end but rather the beginning of a life mission to improve women’s healthcare in America. Toward this end, I have started The Cancer Schmancer Movement.

Our mission is to ensure that ALL women’s cancers are diagnosed in STAGE 1, when it is most curable. Early detection equals survival. It’s as simple as that. Through education, legislation, and social reform, we will not stop until the very landscape of America’s women’s healthcare consciousness has been replanted.”

Tony with Fran August 30, 2009 photo by Eric Kemp

To join the Cancer Schmancer Movement so that you can help revolutionize women’s health history and ensure that all women are diagnosed with cancer in Stage 1 click here!

Tie One On for MenzFit!

Check out all the photos at: www.tonypowell.smugmug.com

Ebong Eka and Rhonda Willingham © Tony Powell

Whenever Erika Gutierrez and Paul Wharton get behind a cause the crowds will appear. Such was the case last night at Donovan House, where a melange of DC life came together to raise money for one of my favorite non-profits, MenzFit. Founded by Rhonda Willingham in 2001, the organization was started with a relatively simple idea: Give a suit and a start to low income men. Over 3,000 clients – laid off workers, ex offenders, homeless, recovering substance abusers, the disabled, public assistance recipients and veterans – have benefited from Willingham’s efforts in Washington, DC and now a second office in Philadelphia. The concept has expanded from simply providing professional interview clothing to offering career development and financial literacy services. The eclectic crowd around the rooftop pool last night included Host Committee members LaVar and Trish Arrington, Ebong Eka, Carlos Gutierrez Jr., Nicole Siobal, Fletcher Gill, Wright Sigmund, and Anna VanMeter. Also spotted in the crowd: Mary Barth, Anna Kimsey, Omar Popal, Will Thomas, Andrew Noyes, Seyhan Duru, Lily Mazahery, Matt Landsberg, Christina Martin, Erwin Gomez, and Mary Amons.

Mary Amons, Paul Wharton, Will Thomas © Tony Powell

Erika Gutierrez and Fletcher Gill © Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

Nicole Siobal and Christina Chan © Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

Nicole Siobal and friend © tony Powell

© Tony Powell

Ebong Eka and Rhonda Willingham © Tony Powell

Mary Amons, Paul Wharton, Will Thomas © Tony Powell

Erika Gutierrez and Fletcher Gill © Tony Powell

Adult Swim: Dare to be Fashionably Courageous

To view or purchase photos from the fashion show click here. To view or purchase Adult Swim photos click here

SyLene Swimwear Models © Tony Powell

Each Sunday, throughout the summer, the rooftop of the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill plays host to Adult Swim, one of the most popular weekly pool parties in DC. I hadn’t been until this past Sunday when I was asked to photograph the Courage Cup fashion show by my friend Andrea Rodgers. The show, which took place during the height of Adult Swim, featured the Washington Wizards’ dancers as models, bling courtesy of Elizabeth Mandros Miller’s Mystique Fine Jewelers, and swimwear designs by syLene.

© Tony Powell

The emcee was none other than our very own arbiter of style, Paul Wharton, who brought his reality show camera crew along for the ride. The hardest part of taking digital pictures of constantly changing subjects, in direct sunlight, is not being able to clearly see the LCD monitor on the back of the camera. Without the ability to accurately gauge exposure I was forced to rely on a combination of experience and luck, and hope for the best. The “runway” shots turned out very well, however, 3/4 ths of the way through the show I spied a better vantage point – far away from the other photographers, and one that would place the sun directly behind me. By the time I moved my gear to the other side of the pool only three models were left to walk but what a difference a new point of view makes – frames 78-112.

© Tony Powell

After breaking down my equipment I had a chance to do a little schmoozing: Model Katie Rost with her boyfriend Xavier Eccleston, new to the scene Little Black Blog creator Quinn Woodward Pu in the pool most of the afternoon with pal Mariam Shahla Assadian, and a long overdue tête-à-tête with Joelle Myers. What a simple pleasure it was to relax for a few minutes on a couch with Joelle, Paul, Katie, Xavier, and M. Nicole Siobal. It’s been a non-stop week of shooting in a dozen different locations. Practice makes better! I look forward to the start of the social season and the parties I shoot for Washington Life Magazine, the work that’s closest to my heart.

Andrea Rodgers, Paul Wharton, and Katie Rost © Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

Mystique Fine Jewelers photo © Tony Powell

White Nights @ Donovan House and Josephine Lounge

Click here to see all the photos!

Nupur Gupta, Christina Martin, and Casey Olson © Tony Powell

Dancer Mallory Terry © Tony Powell

The last time I was at Josephine I had the privilege of covering the pre-Inaugural “Black Door” party for Washington Life Magazine, the event’s exclusive media partner. It was a celebrity-laden evening that I’ll never forget. Last night’s 8th Annual White Nights party, was also, in its own unique way, a night to remember.

Two locations were chosen: first stop-the rooftop of Donovan House and then on to Josephine Lounge until the wee hours. The heavy downpour of rain all afternoon didn’t stop the brave from venturing out for the first leg of the activities. Very rarely do I lend my name to an event, but the cause was a very good one – raising awareness and money to support the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Having smoked heavily at one point in my life I feel blessed today that it’s no longer the huge burden it once was.

Seyhan Duru and Casey Olson © Tony Powell

White Nights originator Seyhan Duru, one of DC’s most visible DJ’s, told me how he attended the very first “White” party thrown by, then, Puff Daddy, in the Hamptons. Arriving back in DC he appropriated the theme and began a tradition that’s now in its 8th year. Every square inch of real estate was taken up last night by white-clad revelers dancing and drinking the night away. I was introduced to sugar-free Red Bull last night by Seyhan. Where have you been all my life? As a host committee we were able to get 700 to RSVP with, at least, 500 in and out of Josephine alone. I’d only planned to take a few shots but the atmosphere was so charged with energy I couldn’t put down my camera. Click here to see all the photos!

Casey Pauo, Maria Smith, John Dunsford, Tanya Sabel, Austen Shearer © Tony Powell

Dancer Mallory Terry © Tony Powell

Tina Cruikshank and Tina Krivorotova © Tony Powell

Casey Pauo, Maria Smith, John Dunsford, Tanya Sabel, Austen Shearer © Tony Powell

Nupur Gupta, Christina Martin, and Casey Olson © Tony Powell

Seyhan Duru and Casey Olson © Tony Powell

FFP celebrates 501(c)(3)!

Click HERE to watch a video of FFP president Chris Belisle!

FFP president Chris Belisle and FFP co-founder Kadreika Maiden © Tony Powell

How often do you think about where you’re clothing is made, or by whom? Was someone paid a fair wage? These questions often go unasked in relation to what we place on our bodies each day. Fashion Fights Poverty (FFP), one of the largest fashion fundraisers in DC, which celebrated it’s 501(c)(3) status last night at Scion in Dupont Circle, IS asking those questions…and many more.

Yvette Castro, Cindy Booth, Kevin Gouveia, and Irvin Marrero © Tony Powell

In addition to hosting Industry Workshops and Socially Responsible Consumer Workshops, FFP hosts a local fashion competition and an Annual Benefit. The mood was lively and the air filled with talk of their 5th Anniversary Gala – September 25th at The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel. FFP co-founders Sylvie Luanghy and Kadrieka Maiden, along with president Chris Belisle took over Scion’s outdoor patio and indoor bar with several dozen friends to celebrate the milestone for the organization. With the new status comes the ability to seek out greater funding from a wider variety of sources to fund its myriad programs designed to foster sustainable community empowerment. No doubt this is just a beginning for FFP!

Judith Dror and FFP co-founder Sylvie Luanghy © Tony Powell

FFP co-founder Kadreika Maiden, Jodi King, and Adra Williams © Tony Powell

Shannon Cline and Rebecca Ballard © Tony Powell

FFP co-founder Sylvie Luanghy © Tony Powell

Happy Hour Honors Zina Pierre for Mayor

Check out all the photos at www.tonypowell.smugmug.com Click the Parties folder

Blacklisted Invitation

Blacklisted Host Committee © Tony Powell

Mayoral Candidate Zina Pierre and recording artist Marcus Johnson © Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

© Tony Powell

The Hakkai's © Tony Powell

BLT Steak GM Adam Williamowsky and employee © Tony Powell

Blacklisted Invitation

BLT Steak GM Adam Williamowsky and employee

Blacklisted Host Committee © Tony Powell

Beach Bash @ L2

Check out all the photos @ www.tonypowell.smugmug.com

Kelly Homan, Aouatif Hamadi, Luiza Rodrigues

L2 Owner Rodrigo Garcia and Fletcher Gill

The dozen or so times I’ve been to L2, Georgetown’s most private of hotspots, it’s been suit and tie, or at least a jacket. When I heard that the dress code for last night’s Endless Summer Beach Bash fundraiser included swimsuits, bikinis, towels, and sandals, I couldn’t resist. It was also my first opportunity to try out my brand new Canon EOS 5d Mark II digital camera at an event. I’ve known that Fletcher Gill has been doing good work with his non-profit, Luke’s Wings, for some time, but now I know just how good. His organization provides travel planning services and airplane tickets for the families of our wounded soldiers currently hospitalized at medical and rehabilitation centers all over the country. His efforts last night raised enough money to reunite the children of a military family with their parents, whom they haven’t seen in over 4 months. Their father is recovering at Walter Reed from injuries sustained in the war and his wife has been by his side since his arrival at the hospital. An arcade-style surf simulator, a beachwear/bikini competition, L2 beach balls, and beach-themed drink specials and games, all contributed to the oasis-like atmosphere inside L2 that was musically managed by the ubiquitous DJ Neekola. The prize for the winner of the best beachwear/bikini competition was a $500 shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s compliments of David Lazarus and the Lazarus Foundation. I had only planned to stay for an hour or so but ended up being there for 3, the time flew by so quickly. I kept bumping into people I hadn’t seen in a while. I caught up with stylist Lana Orloff and almost didn’t recognize Carolina Furukrona, who was showing off a sporty new haircut.

For more information about Luke’s Wings visit: www.lukeswings.org/

L2 Tattoo

Kate Michael

Lana Orloff and Carolina Furukrona

Warm-up at the W for KEENfest

All the photos can be seen at: www.tonypowell.smugmug.com

© Tony Powell July 29, 2009

Every so often a charity comes along that really means something to me. I feel blessed to be able to offer my photographic services, from time to time, to an organization that’s doing so much…especially for children. My friend Amanda Polk hosted a warm-up party at the Hotel Washington to raise awareness and funds for KEEN (Kids Enjoy Excercise Now) along with NBC Sports Anchor and Honorary Chairwoman, Lindsay Czarniak. The sold-out crowd included KEEN founders Elliott and Estee Portnoy, Holidae Hayes, Cindy Jones, Sharon Dougherty, Roby Penn, Aaron Jackson, stylist Lana Orloff, Pamela Sorensen, and designer Matt Landsberg. The raffle of prizes, which included a Michael Jordan-signed basketball, a two-night stay at the W, President’s Club tix to a Nats game, and gift certificates to Darlington House, raised over $2,000. The Warm-up party is the kick-off for KEEN’s biggest fundraiser of the year, KEENfest, which will be held on October 29, 2009.

For more information about KEEN: http://www.keenusa.org/

Curtis and Amanda Polk © Tony Powell July 29, 2009

Honorary Chairwoman Lindsay Czarniak and Me photo by Mark Silva

© Tony Powell July 29, 2009

Pamela Sorensen, Cindy Jones, Sarah Rosenwinkel © Tony Powell

© Tony Powell July 29, 2009