At LiLi the First, Women Come First
• August 17, 2015

It has become a frustrating trend that shopping for women’s clothing has turned into a task more daunting than it is enjoyable. Ifat Pridan, owner of LiLi the First boutique, is turning that trend on its head.

Tucked inside a cozy Wisconsin Avenue space, LiLi the First is quickly making its mark on Georgetown, one month after opening its doors. The modern boutique, previously located in Vienna, Virginia, is a haven for women who are seeking a positive shopping experience and confidence boost, no matter their shape or size.

“I just want women to feel beautiful and comfortable,” said Pridan. “Clothes should not be just for women who look like models.”
Female empowerment is at the forefront of Pridan’s business, as she partners with the Women’s Center in Washington, D.C., to support local women going through any number of difficulties. The boutique’s “Fashion Support” rack features gently used, chic pieces of clothing available for grabs, with 100 percent of proceeds donated to the women’s nonprofit.

The effort is already proving to be a success, as Pridan has raised more than $1,000 in donations that go toward classes, training and counseling for local women. “I just want to help women to be stronger,” she said, adding that even under a calm exterior, there are plenty of issues a woman may be dealing with and in need of support.

Aside from the “Fashion Support” rack, Pridan often holds in-store events as a way to thank customers and celebrate fashion, with 10 percent of the events’ proceeds donated to the Women’s Center.

The fusion of chic styles, emerging designers and community outreach is enough to make LiLi the First a desirable boutique, but Pridan’s friendly, customer-oriented service is what keeps shoppers coming back for more. She creates a personal connection with customers by offering tips on pieces that would help them look and feel their best. After seeing a number of repeat customers within her first month of business, Pridan says the trust she establishes with them goes a long way and brings back what traditional shopping should be. “It’s something you can’t find online,” she said.

Pridan said she hopes to continue the success of LiLi the First’s strong Georgetown debut: “From my perspective, growing is part of every entrepreneur’s business goal.” While she doesn’t know about expansion happening in the immediate future, the next step for Pridan is to put her own name on clothing labels and delve into designing, a fitting venture for the woman behind a pioneer business.

LiLi the First is at 1419 Wisconsin Ave. NW. [gallery ids="102148,133062,133058" nav="thumbs"]

MPD Cracks Down On ‘Johns’ With Prostitution Sting
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The Metropolitan Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit has arrested 41 men since July 14 for soliciting prostitution in Northwest D.C.

Starting in January, the MPD unit has conducted a number of sting operations at hotels around Thomas Circle not far from the city’s old Red Light District on 14th Street NW. Police lured johns online with fake advertisements, giving the men men hotel room numbers and arresting the ones who showed up.

Police were spurred by reports of street prostitution from local businesses and churches around Thomas Circle and along the bustling 14th Street corridor downtown. Prosecutors in the District have increasingly focused on prostitution cases of late in an effort to battle human trafficking.

The arrests come after Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans proposed new legislation that would crack down on johns by allowing police to tow and boot their cars. The “honey, I lost the car” bill, as Evans dubs it, is meant to embarrass johns and decrease prostitution in the city. He said recently there has been an “enormous increase in street prostitution” in the city.

His proposal comes from a long line of ideas the District has experimented with to crack down on prostitution since the early 1990s. Other ideas tested out by the city government to put a damper on prostitution include banning right turns on certain streets and starting a “John School” to shame and frighten men caught soliciting prostitutes.

LLS Woman of the Year: Katie Simmons Hickey
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“Every time I watch that video, still, I get choked up,” Katie Simmons Hickey says softly.

She’s referring to her own fundraising video, created to inspire contributions for her candidacy in this year’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year competition. The 10-week annual fundraiser, which concluded last month, raises funds for LLS blood cancer research. Candidates like Hickey competed on behalf of children who are local blood cancer survivors, the Boy and Girl of the Year.

Hickey’s video features the 2014 Girl of the Year, 9-year-old Rylie, known to friends and family simply as “Rue.” During the course of the three-and-a-half-minute video, Rue shares how the most difficult part of being diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of 6 was making friends — “because I was bald ’cause of the chemo and everybody pointed at me and they were just kinda confused. So it was really hard for me to make friends,” she earnestly explains.

It’s the kind of video that, once you see it, you can’t pretend you didn’t. And if you were having a hard time understanding why the work of organizations like LLS is important, it becomes glaringly apparent in the face of a doe-eyed child who just wants to make friends like everybody else.

“I met Rylie at Kick-Off Night and I wasn’t 100 percent committed at that time,” says Hickey, referencing the evening that became a defining factor in her decision to accept her nomination. “Listening to her story from her mom and her dad, her brother and even Rylie, herself, was kind of the icing on the cake. There was no way I was turning back.”

And turn back she did not. “I was in it to win it,” says Hickey. “I’m very competitive by nature. I always have been since I was young. [I thought,] I’m not doing this unless I win it.”

Hickey’s competitive nature came in handy. The National Capital Area Chapter broke records this year, raising over $1.8 million for blood cancer research. Leading the 22 other candidates was Hickey, who took home the title of “LLS Woman of the Year,” raising over a quarter of a million dollars — $277,202.59 to be exact — making her First National Runner-Up.

“The last week I was a nervous wreck because I didn’t think we had it. I was pushing every day, stepping out of my comfort zone asking people for money, asking clients, friends and family,” says Hickey. “I had to step back and remind myself it wasn’t for me, it was for the kids and families.”

The kids and families affected by cancer are, of course, the reason LLS exists. “These kids are the true meaning of inspiration,” says Hickey. “To see them show up [to fundraising events] two days after chemo, smiling.” She trails off. “It was such an inspiration to see.”

It was the thought of the kids and families that kept Hickey going through some of the more grueling moments of the taxing, 10-week fundraising schedule, as well as her own personal reasons. Her best friend, Colleen, has been in remission from cancer for 14 years, and this past October Katie and her husband lost their son, Gabriel.

From this hardship, Hickey mustered strength. “I just knew I couldn’t give up,” she says. “No parent or patient is given that privilege. I’ve seen families go through it. It’s heartbreaking.”

The hours of hard work that Hickey and her team of supporters — including her 3-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, husband, mother and former-nanny-turned-campaign-manager — spent stuffing envelopes, scrawling mailing addresses, posting on Facebook and planning fundraising events is apparent in the tremendous results they garnered.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Hickey says of being named LLS Woman of the Year and First National Runner-Up. “It’s exciting. I’m ecstatic that my name will forever be tied to Woman of the Year for this region. It’s still a shock to me. I’m grateful and humbled that I’ve been given the opportunity to make an impact on LLS. Seeing the kids’ faces, knowing you’ve worked to help find this cure.” She pauses, seemingly grasping for words that ultimately escape her, possibly because they don’t exist.

“It’s inexplicable,” she finally says. “Nothing I’ve ever been involved with can ever come close to that.” [gallery ids="102149,133049" nav="thumbs"]

Belgian Restaurant, the Sovereign, to Move Into Former Champions, Blue Gin Space
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The Sovereign, a bar and bistro to be located at 1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, will open in the late fall, according to owner Neighborhood Restaurant Group. The restaurant will be in the building which once housed the famed Champions Sports Bar and later Blue Gin in an alley on Wisconsin Avenue, just north of M Street. The space has been vacant for almost four years.

“The two-story bar and bistro will be comprised of an 84-seat first floor dining room and 47-seat bar on the second floor,” according to the restaurateurs. “Known for his award-winning beer lists at Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Rustico and more, beer director Greg Engert is curating and creating a Belgian beer list unlike any other at the Sovereign alongside a menu of classic Belgian cuisine from executive chef Peter Smith.”

“There is substantial talent behind this operation,” said investor and business partner Greg Talcott, who has been a Georgetown restaurateur for decades and was involved with Blue Gin and the Third Edition. Working with Mike Babin of NRG on some of the details to finalize plans for the bar and bistro, Talcott said, “Getting the process completed has taken a long time.”

The company noted its own serious authenticity: “The Sovereign will showcase the widest array of drafts and bottles from the very best Belgian brewers. With 50 drafts and 200+ bottles, the beer program will feature the work of Belgian brewers who embody the standards, techniques, and innovative spirit that underpins the fabled Belgian brewing culture.

“Just as the Sovereign will be championing brewers that use simple, true recipes and let technique and patience yield complex flavors, so will the menu feature rustic ingredient-driven dishes of Belgian cuisine, which draws from French, German and Dutch cooking traditions. Executive chef Peter Smith of PS7 and Vidalia has developed the menu –which will be available throughout the restaurant and bar– by combining his French training with experience gained while traveling through Belgium with Engert.”

The new place looks like it will be more than beer heaven. It will include many old-world favorites, such as Dutch-style mussels, anchovies and pickled onion or gruyere with caraway seeds. Expect old-world wines as well.

Will Greece and China Affect My Portfolio and Why Do We Care?
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If you’ve been watching the news lately you have seen China’s stock market fall by a third in less than a month, and Greece’s economy plunge towards default. So far, China has wiped out $3.5 trillion in wealth, more than the total value of India’s stock market, and the Greeks have voted to reject austerity measures that would save them from default and ultimately remove them from the European Union.

It is no surprise that people have been asking me how I think Greece and China will affect the market. My response is why do you care? While this usually triggers a nervous response, scary times do not always make your portfolio scarce.

Greece is one of the largest exporters of sea sponges. When was the last time you invested in sea sponges?

In China, the reality is the Chinese stock market has simply fallen back to levels last seen in March, but it’s still up by more than 75 percent in the last year (Economist Magazine, 7/11/15).

China is slowly transforming and adjusting to a capitalist economic structure, while the European Union is in its infancy. Compared to the magnitude and vitality of the more mature American economy, Greece and China might as well be in the dark ages.

As an investor you probably think I should be more concerned. But if you consider the history of U.S. monetary policy you realize that while imperfect, we have historical heft behind our economy.

The real problem is not the things we cannot, nor will never, control such as terror threats, typhoons, interest rates, political uncertainty, or the untimely booms and busts that are a reality of modern investing. The real conversation is how does one protect one’s cash flow during those scary times.

Gone are the days where $1 million in retirement, when interest rates were 10 percent, meant retiring on $100,000 of income, and when rates fell to 4 percent grandma had to cut $60,000 out of her lifestyle. No longer can you cut the budget by visiting the grandkids less.

Now let me rephrase the question. How much short-term return would you be willing to give up for the possibility of sleeping soundly at night, knowing that you are not only financially secure but also financially independent?

Security during the scary times means first determining the amount of money you need to support your lifestyle, with and without work. Second, calculate the gap. Then take five years of the gap out of the market and place it in a secure non-market based account to draw on worry-free. Then set up portfolios of risk, or market based vehicles, in five, 10, 15 and 20 year portfolios, putting the most volatile allocations furthest in the future where risk can be better managed, and where over time the temporary volatility of Greece and China become simply a pimple on an elephant’s back.

The question you should be asking is not how the price of sea sponges in Greece will affect your portfolio, or how today’s problems affect tomorrow’s bottom line, but rather, how can you structure your portfolio to help achieve long term security even through the bumps and busts.

John E. Girouard is the author of Take Back Your Money and The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation, a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research, and an Investment Advisor Representative of Capital Investment Advisors, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Andy Murray Makes Appearance at the Citi Open Tennis Tournament Draw Ceremony (photos)
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Andy Murray, ranked No. 3 among the world’s best tennis players, made an appearance at the Citi Open Tennis Tournament Draw Ceremony to kick off the 47th edition of the Nation’s Capital Tennis tradition on Woodrow Wilson Plaza in Washington, D.C., July 31. Murray, a two-time Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medalist, was joined by WTA star Coco Vandeweghe. Also in attendance were British Ambassador Peter Westmacott; Brandon Todd, District Councilmember representing Ward 4, which includes the tournament’s home, the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center; Donald Dell, Citi Open Co-Founder and Tournament Chairman; Eleni Rossides, President, Washington Tennis & Education Foundation; Jeff Newman, Citi Open Tournament Director; Greg O’Dell, President and CEO of Events DC; and Paul Thornell, Managing Director, Federal Government Affairs, Citi.

The Citi Open Tournament runs from Saturday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 9. Single session/daily tickets and box seats are available for purchase at the tournament box office starting August 1 at 8 a.m. or at www.citiopentennis.com or by calling the tournament hotline at 202-721-9500.

See our photos from the Draw Ceremony by clicking on the photo icons below.

[gallery ids="102162,132866,132859,132901,132852,132881,132874,132889,132894,132842,132834,132789,132797,132773,132781,132805,132812,132818,132826,132907" nav="thumbs"]

Weekend Round Up July 9, 2015
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Grace Church 22nd Annual Bach Festival

July 5th, 2015 at 03:00 PM | $20 | Event Website

Visit Georgetown’s historic Grace Church to experience Bach’s most iconic works as they come alive. Starting Sunday, July 5, at 3:00 p.m., the festival will include a series of concerts for $20 admission, concluding on Friday, July 10, with a final concert at 7:30 p.m.

Address

Grace Church; 1041 Wisconsin Ave NW

Pink Martini

July 10th, 2015 at 08:00 PM | Event Website

The self-described “little orchestra” has become an international phenomenon, “mixing glamour and sophisticated easy listening with multilingual songs and the unexpected” (The Guardian)—see them on tour for hits like “Sympathique,” “Amado mío,” “¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” and more.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

House + Walking Tours: Tudor Place and the Civil War Home Front

July 11th, 2015 at 10:00 AM | $8-$15 | press@tudorplace.org | Tel: 2029650400 | Event Website

Civil War brought uncertain times for Tudor Place and surrounding Georgetown. Learn in a unique house tour how owner Britannia Peter Kennon saved her family home by boarding Union officers. See where they dined, learn what they ate, and hear about the landlady’s special precautions to avoid charges of espionage. After breaking for lunch on your own, join the expert guided walking tour of historic Georgetown.

Address

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden; 1644 31st Street NW

National Ballet of China

July 14th, 2015 at 08:30 PM | Event Website

Fusing classical western ballet with traditional Chinese dance, this spellbinding performance tells the story of star-crossed lovers through luscious costumes and poetic staging.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

Author Debriefing: The Billion-Dollar Spy

July 15th, 2015 at 12:00 PM | FREE | lhicken@spymuseum.org | Tel: (202) 654-0932 | Event Website

While getting into his car on a February evening in 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States. From David Hoffman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Dead Hand, comes the riveting story of the CIA’s most valuable spy in the Soviet Union.

Address

800 F Street, NW

Jane Austen Film Festival Presents: Emma

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | Free | marketingintern@dumbartonhouse.org | Tel: 2023372288 | Event Website

There is no shortage of outdoor movies to choose from in Washington, D.C., this summer, but what sets the Jane Austen Film Festival apart is the picturesque backdrop of Dumbarton House, which The Georgetowner calls “a perfectly historical fit” for the romantic stories of the author. Dumbarton House will host the 4th Annual outdoor film series screening popular adaptations of some of the most beloved Jane Austen novels. Bring a blanket, bring a date, bring friends and family and come watch under the stars!

Address

2715 Q St NW

Cheers or Jeers

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | $10 | media@dcshorts.com | Tel: 202.393.4266 | Event Website

For 12 years, the D.C. Shorts Film Festival has presented the best short films from around the globe. Now, watch the ones that did not make the cut in an interactive evening of jeering in misery — and cheering for victory.

Address

Penn Social; 801 E St NW

Mayor Bowser Brings FitDC to Georgetown
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It takes the mayor to get some Georgetowners up and out early on Saturday morning.

Mayor Muriel Bowser brought her FitDC initiative to Ward 2 and Georgetown July 25 at Jelleff Recreation Center on S Street NW.
Bowser walked into the Jelleff parking lot, joined the group waiting for her arrival and started the line dance with Ward 2 FitDC coach Aimee Stoltz. After the warm up, officials and neighbors took a 1.5 mile walk on the east side of Georgetown along R Street and P Street that circled back to Jelleff.

Along with Department of Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt, M.D., and Keith Anderson, director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, Bowser encouraged everyone to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Bowser also discussed D.C.’s Billion Steps Challenge, which is like the Let’s Move! initiative, begun by first lady Michelle Obama. It is a citywide effort that encourages all D.C. residents to get active by collectively walking one billion steps. This challenge serves as a unique platform that will allow the FitDC coaches to encourage and motivate participants to get out, move more and make healthier choices resulting in better health outcomes. 
[gallery ids="102159,132932,132927,132921" nav="thumbs"]

Benetton Closes Its Georgetown Doors
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Benetton, the major fashion retailer that expanded across the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s, has now dwindled down to one American store following the sudden and quiet closing of its Washington, D.C., store in Georgetown.

Last week, the store, located on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW, was abruptly boarded up with no explanation of its closing. The brand’s name has also been removed from the building’s exterior wall.

Though the Italian-based company still has an international presence—particularly across Europe and South America–the Georgetown closing signals the end of Benetton’s era in the American fashion industry, as its New York City store is now its lone retailer in the country.

The dwindling number of American stores can be attributed to popularity of discount clothiers and the underperforming teen-apparel market. Famous retailers, such as J. Crew and Abercrombie & Fitch, are closing stores. Wet Seal, which used to be across the street from Benetton in Georgetown, has closed most of its stores.

Benetton was a giant of children’s fashion, largely in part to its United Colors of Benetton clothing line. The collection boasts vibrant, colorful pieces and had garnered attention through the use of eye-catching yet somewhat controversial advertising, which aimed to promote social awareness. At its peak, the brand had more than 500 stores in the U.S.

The Georgetown Benetton at 1200 Wisconsin Ave. NW was one of the first to be opened in the U.S. by retail marketing expert Iraklis Karabassis, who brought the popular, hip fashion house to White Flint Mall, its first ever spot in America. Head of IK Retail Group in Georgetown, Karabassis opened more than 100 Benetton stores in the U.S. and Canada. He sold his Benetton operation to the Benetton Group in 2008.

It is rumored that the Japanese retailer Uniqlo, which will open a Tyson’s Corner location next year, could become the next occupant of the three-story space, which once housed the National Bank of Washington.

Bowser Set to Crack Down on Synthetic Drug Sales
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Mayor Muriel Bowser plans to sign the “Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment Act of 2015” into law July 10.

The new legislation will authorize local police and government officials to “take swifter and stronger action against businesses that sell synthetic drugs,” according to a press release from the mayor’s office. The illegal substances, which are known by street names like “Spice,” “K2,” “Kush,” and “Scooby Snax” have had sales traced to gas stations and liquor stores.

The city has experienced a rise in overdoses of various synthetic drugs, and officials fear that the effects of the drugs can lead to a spike in homicides and other violent crimes.

Synthetic drugs appear to have played a part in the July 4 metro stabbing that left one man dead, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities believe the suspect in the attack, 18-year-old Jasper Spires, had synthetic drugs in his system at the time. The drugs can contribute to violent, erratic behavior and an altered mental state of those who consume it.

Bowser will be joined by District Councilmembers and law enforcement officials at the signing.