Washington D.C. — On the evening of May 5, 2025, the President Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C., opened its doors for the second edition of Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace—a gala and exhibition blending heritage, diplomacy, and creative expression. The event welcomed diplomats, designers, museum directors, legislators, and cultural advocates to explore the global language of clothing through a carefully curated evening intertwining tradition, identity, and purpose. The historic residence came alive with color, texture, and intention.
Members of the press arrived at 5:30 p.m. to capture exclusive pre-event footage. The estate’s stately gardens and ornate interiors soon transformed into a runway of nations. By 6:00 p.m., guests began flowing through the doors, greeted by a light buffet in the garden and an exhibition spanning two floors. The showcase featured over 50 garments submitted by embassies and cultural offices from every continent—each offering a narrative stitched in fabric.
The exhibition unfolded across four galleries, inviting attendees to trace threads of tradition, modernity, leadership, and unity. Ceremonial dress and folkloric garb animated the first gallery with ancestral pride. Avant-garde silhouettes and contemporary takes on national attire commanded attention in the Drawing Room. The Library offered a more intimate reflection, presenting garments worn or inspired by First Ladies, portraying diplomacy through the lens of women in leadership. The Dining Room completed the journey with wedding and formal gowns, invoking the power of ritual and the universality of celebration.
Guided by Wilson House staff, guests followed a deliberate path through the home, ensuring a thoughtful flow from one narrative space to another. Designers of ten bespoke garments mingled with Ambassadors, congressional representatives, and members of the National Trust’s leadership. Traditional dress, tuxedos, cocktail wear, and diplomatic fashion made the evening a dynamic display of cross-cultural dialogue—not just in conversation, but in the artistry worn by its participants.
By 8:00 p.m., the garden buzzed with anticipation. Elizabeth Karcher, Executive Director of the Wilson House, offered brief but heartfelt remarks before introducing Gala Chair Janet Pitt. Pitt reflected on the exhibition’s evolution and welcomed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, the 2025 honoree.
Speaker Pelosi took the spotlight with poise, acknowledging her decades-long work in governance and diplomacy. Her career has spanned historic legislation, global partnerships, and groundbreaking leadership. Throughout, she understood how garments express purpose and presence. Her fashion choices—from dignified neutrals to bold coats during landmark moments—have become part of the political fabric, both literal and symbolic.
She received the evening’s highest recognition: the Esther Pin—a custom-designed brooch by Ann Hand. The pin draws inspiration from a 1918 Lalique brooch presented to Edith Wilson and pays homage to the late Ambassador Esther Coopersmith, a champion of global dialogue and the first honoree of this event in 2024.
The exhibition featured contributions from Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Madagascar, Malawi, the Maldives, Mali, Moldova, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Nations, the United States of America, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Each submission stood not only as a work of sartorial craftsmanship but as a statement—a declaration of cultural pride and diplomacy in thread and seam.
More than a gala, Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace offered a rare kind of dialogue: one where textiles spoke louder than titles, where hemlines and headdresses carried memories of struggle, celebration, and sovereignty. In the heart of Washington, the evening carved out a shared space—where policy met poetry, and past, present, and future converged not through speeches, but through stitches.
The President Woodrow Wilson House continues to reimagine its role not only as a historic site but as a platform for global exchange. With each year, this event deepens its mission—one garment, one guest, one gesture at a time.
