A Night Out: Black-and-White Glamour at the Corcoran’s Fall Fête

What: An “evening of natural glamour in black and white”—a.k.a. the Corcoran’s annual Fall Fête, hosted by the 1869 Society. Nonmember tickets ran $95, which got you an open bar, appetizers, a night of dancing in the Corcoran’s main hall, and the chance to peruse the current Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz photography exhibits.

Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St., NW.

When: Saturday, November 10, 7 PM until midnight.

Who: Hundreds of young Washington art lovers—and those just there to look fabulous and dance and drink the night away. Plus plenty of members of the 1869 Society, the group of young professionals who hosted the event.

Photos by Liz Gorman

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Food: A few standard buffet tables of cheese, crackers, and veggies. The museum also laid out menus “inspired” by Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz, whose photographs are currently on view at the museum. The Adams-inspired menu included focaccia canapés, chicken skewers, and mini prime-rib French-dip sandwiches (tasty but more than a little cumbersome to eat while balancing a drink and an evening clutch). The Leibovitz menu featured mozzarella and tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar on skewers, chocolate-and-berry tartlets, and salmon-filled puff pastries.

Drink: Christiana Vodka sponsored the event, so there were plenty of mixed vodka drinks to go around. Wine and other cocktails were available at the open bars. But the beverage of choice seemed to be Champagne. Maybe holding the elegant flutes seemed more aesthetically pleasing to these art lovers?

Scene: Upon entering the Corcoran, guests were treated to a decidedly more nightlifey version of the stately museum. The entrance hall was transformed into a dimly lit dance floor, flanked on either side by tables of food and open bars. VIP-ticket holders could walk upstairs to the bridge above the hall, where there was table service and early access to the photography exhibits. Most people were dressed in, well, black and white, as the event called for—but a few gorgeous ladies stood out in shocking red or colorful printed dresses. For a city that gets dismissed in the world of fashion, the Fall Fête attendees actually did look glamorous—though, as one of our favorite local fashion blogs, A Serious Job Is No Excuse, noted, more than a few women were all wearing this Milly dress.

But even those dressed to the nines cut loose later in the evening as the dance floor filled up and revelers drank up.

Ratings:

Boldface names: 1 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 3 (out of 5)
Food and drink: 3 (out of 5)
Exclusivity: 2 (out of 5)

Total score: 9 (out of 20)

Catherine Andrews