# Event Details - **Event Name**: SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 10:30 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: In tribute to a woman of rare elegance, celebrating a life of style, grace, and cultural devotion.About this EventABOUT THE EVENT:Join the Alliance Française Board of Directors for one of Washington's most memorable evenings at the historic 1910 Tudor Revival Residence of the French Ambassador in the Kalorama neighborhood. The AFDC Gala is an occasion to celebrate the excellence of French culture in its many facets and includes Honorary Guests of domestic and international acclaim.This year, our theme revolves around Fashion and Transatlantic Dialogue as we honor the legacy of the late Caroline “Nina” Pillsbury — a former member of the Board whose elegance, generosity, and style will be celebrated through an exhibition of select American and French designer pieces from her collection. Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, will be the Key Speaker and will share a few reflections on Fashion, Memory and Cultural TransmissionThis Gala will bring together patrons, supporters, and friends of French culture for a night of hors d’oeuvres, conversations, Ken Matthews’ Band’s Live Jazz Performances, and desserts by Pâtisserie Poupon.Your contributions help to support our FRENCH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS for children, teens and adults, as well as our SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS, concerts, conferences, book talks, the Annual Young Poet Prize, and the one and only loan LIBRARY in French Language in the Mid-Atlantic Region in order to bring the best of FRENCH and FRANCOPHONE CULTURES to Washington. A few events are free to the public because we believe that culture needs to be accessible to everybody. To do this, we need your support!ABOUT THE TICKETS: For everyone, please enter your postal address for tax purposes at checkout!(SEE DESCRIPTION of BENEFITS for EACH TICKET CATEGORY when you choose your ticket).Tickets start at$150 for Young Professionals (age 21 to 35), (no additional benefits): Please enter your Date of Birth at checkout$250 for AFDC current members: Please enter your AFDC membership number at checkout$350 for non-members.Tickets at: $500 and $1,000 enjoy addditional benefits (see description inside each ticket).The Alliance Française de Washington, Inc. is a non-governemental not-for-profit organization with a 501 (c) 3 status.Only the portion of the ticket price above the fair market value (FMV) of any tangible benefits you will receive is considered a charitable contribution. At this time, the FMV of each ticket is estimated at $150.00. All tickets above $150.00 benefit from a tax-deductible portion.All $100.00 tickets to sponsor an AFDC faculty are fully tax-deductible for the buyer (as long as they are not an AFDC faculty.)ABOUT THE LATE NINA PILLSBURY:A fluent French speaker and a true friend of France, Nina Pillsbury embodied French-American friendship with elegance, enthusiasm, and flair. In French, Nina was a "grande dame."She loved bringing people together and did so generously for the Alliance, serving many times as Gala co-chair. Known for her love of red -the color of life and beauty- she had a kind word for everyone, from Washington's decision-makers to AFDC staff and teachers.Her legacy is celebrated through a selection of her favorite pieces, reflecting her vision of fashion as dialogue: French and American, classic and bold, seamlessly intertwined. These pieces from well-known designers will be exhibited throughout the residence on the night of the Benefit Event.ABOUT DR. VALERIE STEELE:Valerie Steele is director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she has organized more than 25 exhibitions since 1997, including The Corset: Fashioning the Body, London Fashion, Gothic: Dark Glamour; A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk, Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color, Paris, Capital of Fashion, and Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis.She is also the author or editor of more than 30 books, including Paris Fashion, Women of Fashion, Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power, The Corset, The Berg Companion to Fashion, and. Fashion Designers A-Z: The Collection of The Museum at FIT. Her books have been translated into Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. In addition, she is founder and editor in chief of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, the first scholarly journal in Fashion Studies.Steele combines serious scholarship (and a Yale Ph.D) with the rare ability to communicate with general audiences. As author, curator, editor, and public intellectual, Valerie Steele has been instrumental in creating the modern field of fashion studies and in raising awareness of the cultural significance of fashion. She has appeared on many television programs, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Undressed: The Story of Fashion. Described in The Washington Post as one of “fashion’s brainiest women” and by Suzy Menkes as “The Freud of Fashion,” she was listed as one of “The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry” in the Business of Fashion 500: (2014 to the present).ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE OF WASHINGTON:For more than 120 years, the Alliance Française of Washington, DC has been the French heartbeat in the Nation's Capital, fostering dialogue and understanding through French language education and vibrant Francophone cultures. Through the generosity of friends, donors, and sponsors, AFDC brings people together across generations through classes, youth programs, cultural events, and the region's only French-language lending library.The Alliance Française of Washington, D.C. (AFDC) is a 501 (c) (3) non-governmental non-profit organization. Only the portion of your ticket exceeding the fair market value of the dinner and entertainment is tax-deductible. Tax ID: 52-6057767 https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/c843e110-ad1b-11f1-a13c-1d79dd064ad5-rimg-w493-h740-dce8d8b8-gmir.jpg Photo of Caroline "Nina" Pillsbury, credit Amedee Prouvost, former AFDC Board President. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/c8503d20-ad1b-11f1-a13c-1d79dd064ad5-rimg-w601-h740-dc080808-gmir.jpg Photo of Dr. Valerie Steele, credit Getty. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/c85d0e60-ad1b-11f1-a13c-1d79dd064ad5-rimg-w740-h740-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/c86a06b0-ad1b-11f1-a13c-1d79dd064ad5-rimg-w740-h740-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg Photos of the AFDC 2025 Gala at the Residence of France in Kalorama. Credit Tanairy Tapia and Julie Sheehan-Klenk https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/c87689d0-ad1b-11f1-a13c-1d79dd064ad5-rimg-w1200-h555-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg The Alliance Française of Washington is grateful to our sponsor for its participation to the Annual Benefit Event - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/washington/sold-out-fashion-blooms-at-the-residence-of-france-on-september-17-2026/100001988024710425 - **Event Categories**: art, music, literary-art, entertainment, exhibitions, fashion, summer-camps, concerts, workshops, live-music, nonprofit, kids - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Age Limit: 21+ - door_time: 2026-09-17T22:50:00Z - Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes - Location: Residence of the French Ambassador - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 1000, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Washington - **state**: DC - **country**: United States - **location**: Residence of the French Ambassador - **lat**: 38.9182289 - **long**: -77.0507063 - **full address**: Residence of the French Ambassador, 2221 Kalorama Road Northwest, Washington, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/611393638d96d8111d48dd6dba88fe1588b47cc66f9c68d7b74dadea76e5c0c4-rimg-w1200-h600-dceceadd-gmir.jpg?v=1778328941 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 being held? - **A:** SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 takes place on Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 10:30 pm at Residence of the French Ambassador, 2221 Kalorama Road Northwest, Washington, United States. - **Q**: Is there an age restriction for SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026? - **A:** SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 is strictly for guests aged 21 and above. Valid government-issued photo ID is required for entry. Guests under 21 will not be admitted. The event will be presented in English. - **Q**: Who is organizing SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026? - **A:** SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 is organized by Alliance Francaise de Washington, DC (AFDC). - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 is ideal for party-goers, social butterflies, and anyone looking for a great night out with music, drinks, and good vibes. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Washington, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If SOLD OUT! Fashion Blooms at the Residence of France on September 17, 2026 sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "SOLD OUT! 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(AFDC) was founded in 1905. Interrupted by World War 2, it reopened in 1949 originally as a social club and became an officially incorporated organization in 1965.AFDC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization, since 1955. It is not subsidized by any government. It is an educational and cultural institution headed by a Franco-American Board of Directors.The Alliance Française of Washington, D.C. serves as the leading center for French language, French culture and francophone resources in the Nation’s Capital. Alliance Française of Washington, D.C. enriches the lives of the D.C. community by offering the chance to connect with people of different backgrounds and cultures in order to better understand and appreciate the greater global community." } ] } ] ```