Ambassadors and Diplomats
Brought Contemporary Fashion to the Forefront
April 9,2019
April 10,2019, Washington DC. The Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) presented Glamour & Diplomacy, a fashion show which debuted women ambassadors, wives of ambassadors, and diplomats in cutting-edge fashion by-contemporary designers from around the world, to a rousing enthusiastic audience on April 9, 2019, at the U.S. Department of State. Approximately 400 guests attended this one-of-a-kind Fashion show at the Dean Acheson Auditorium.
Maria Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs opened the program with a warm welcome and special congratulations to the three coordinators.
Jesus Daniel Hernandez, tenor, opened the show with a passionate musical selection which set the tone for the exciting program that followed!
“Washington, DC is a large multicultural and political hub. It is strategically located to make a significant impact on the fashion industry— as a result of yesterday’s success, there is fantastic interest by even more countries to participate in future shows” said Sheila Switzer, Program Chair at AAFSW and primary host of the event.
The program featured over a dozen countries from five continents, including: the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Nepal, Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Malta, Uzbekistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Paraguay, Peru, Iraq, Botswana, Mozambique, the United States, Australia among others.
The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, Hynek Kmoníček served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, drawing attention to the beauty of each country, innovative designer dresses, and model women leaders walking the runway.
“Our city offers an opportunity for designers from around the world to introduce their styles to one of the most prestigious international and diplomatic communities in the world... We are overwhelmed by the tremendous excitement and interest our show created yesterday!! Stay tuned Paris, New York and Miami — Washington DC is definitely the new, emerging center for diplomacy and fashion,” said
Jan Du Plain, event co-host and founder of Du Plain Global Enterprises.
The event brought together the diplomatic and political communities with fashion industry influencers.
“Strong women leaders are embracing fashion because it’s a powerful diplomatic tool as well as a way to highlight the modern, sophisticated style of one’s respective country,” said Indira Gumarová, event co-host, founder of Diplomacy & Fashion and wife of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States. “Fashion is bipartisan,” said Gumarová. “First Ladies such as Melania Trump and Michelle Obama have used fashion to create a statement and change the lives of up-and-coming designers.”
The event was presented by the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), in collaboration with Jan Du Plain of Du Plain Global Enterprises, and Diplomacy & Fashion Founder Indira Gumarová.
Sponsors who joined the circle of support for the fashion event included 80M signs, AVActions, Inc, GlamSquad, DJ Stylz, Embassy of the Czech Republic DC, Rizik’s DC and the Washington Opera Society.
Photo by Patrick Ryan
About the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide:
The Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) is a non-profit organization that has been representing Foreign Service spouses, employees and retirees since 1960. AAFSW is an independent advocate for its membership, giving members a stronger voice when working on common concerns and a chance to enjoy shared interests. AAFSW endeavors to provide programs that are of current international, political, cultural or local interest.
About Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc.: In 1995, Jan Du Plain launched Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc., an international public relations and special events company that represents a variety of non-profit and cultural organizations, focused primarily on Washington’s diplomatic community.
About Diplomacy and Fashion: Diplomacy & Fashion is a celebration of global nations and cultures, bringing together diplomacy, fashion, and philanthropy. The mission is to promote up-and-coming designers from different countries around the world. Diplomacy & Fashion envisions the creation of an exclusive network with an emphasis on fashion and the future of the industry in the center of the world’s diplomacy.
