Fashion For Paws Is Throwing A $500,000 Party Full Of Models! And You're Invited...

Be sure to check out all 98 of our photographs from this event HERE!

NORTHWEST -- Washington's most fashionable fundraisers packed the walls of K Street darling Teatro Goldoni on Thursday night, for the kick-off reception celebrating the start of the 2011 Fashion For Paws fundraising campaign.

The city's top-ranked 'Fashion & Beauty Event' of 2010 according to BizBash, Fashion for Paws is a high-end fundraising program for the Washington Humane Society (WHS) that pairs cutting-edge fashion events with an amazing group of actors, athletes, musicians, politicians, and, of course, animal lovers throughout the year, culminating in a blowout runway show held each spring.

The 2011 runway show will take place on April 9th at the National Building Museum and will feature more than 65 individual models sporting the latest fashions from Tysons Galleria, including pieces from Saks Fifth Avenue, Betsey Johnson, Seven for All Mankind, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Nicole Miller.

In order to walk the runway at this year's show, however, each model will have to raise a minimum of $3,000. And over the next 8 weeks, close to 100 Washingtonians will face-off in a friendly competition to see who can raise the most amount of money, in support of the area's furriest, four-legged friends.

Last night's party served as the official start of this year's fundraising campaign and brought out a crowd of models, supporters, sponsors, and media personalities.

94.7 Fresh FM radio host & Executive Committee Co-Chair Tommy McFLY served as the master of ceremonies and, after welcoming everyone to the party, promptly introduced Fashion for Paws Executive Director Tara de Nicolas, Washington Humane Society President & CEO Lisa LaFontaine, 2011 runway show Co-Chair Amanda Polk, Executive Committee Co-Chair Wendy Gordon, Committee Fundraising Chair Windy Shepard, Tysons Galleria General Manager Rich Dinning, and Syzygy Event Productions head Julie Shanklin, the show's biggest sponsor, who each spoke as to the enormous impact of the Fashion for Paws program.

Guests were free to enjoy a sea of complimentary bottles of vitaminwater zero, one of the runway show's major sponsors, while SVEDKA vodka mixed-up batches of specialty drinks made especially for the occasion, with names like the "Pineapple Pug", "Bubbly Bulldog", "Cherry Chihuahua", and "Cranberry Cocker Spaniel".

A table full of sweet treats courtesy of the Georgetown Cupcake chain was also made available (and swiftly ravished by hungry two-legged animals). The storied cupcakery has generously agreed to stock a new line of Fashion for Paws-inspired cupcakes, in all of its locations from now through April 9th, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the WHS.

To say that Fashion for Paws has a famed following would be an understatement. Among the models and supporters at Thursday evening's reception were: Andrea Montone-Rinaldi and husband Dr. Peter Rinaldi, District nightclub's Glenda Fu, Todd Flournoy and Allison Prescott, 8112 Studios' Nicholas Cambata & Douglas Sonders, The Aba Agency's Aba Kwawu and Micky Farivar, ICRW's Lindsay Kin, philanthropist Lawrence O'neal, Microsoft's Dr. Mark Drapeau, Federal Realty's Vanessa Lopez-Isa, Quinn Gillespie & Associates' Christopher S. Brown, W Washington D.C.'s Kaitlyn Ferrara, one80 salon's Shannon Marie Cusello, MyDC Style's April Jones Firoozabadi, PCAOB's Nina Snow, RepEquity's Tiffany Carter, Toka Salon & Spa's Nuri Yurt & Teresa Beeman, Aesthetic Dental Spa's Dr. Alex Naini, Luke's Wings' Kristen Murdock & Rachael Glaws, WTOP 'Man About Town' Bob Madigan, artist Don Patron, epgPR's Erika Paola Gutierrez, A.B.E. Networks' Michelle Goldstein Benaim, Tribal Fusion's Stefanie Snider, PR maven Jill Collins, Garrison & Sisson's Matt Schwartz, Evolution Look's Paul Wharton, media guru Brendan Kownacki, beloved photographer Moshe Zusman, NTCA's Jessica James Golden, O'Neill Studios' Maggie O'Neill, and Washington Life's John Arundel (many of the F4P models were simultaneously celebrating their election to the magazine's recently announced "Young and the Guest List" for 2011).

Fashion for Paws was founded in 2007 and has since raised more than $1 million for the Washington Humane Society. As impressive as that may sound, this year's campaign alone is expected to raise close to $500,000 and only continues to draw even larger crowds. Indeed, less than 24 hours after last night's launch party, the program has already raised more than 10% of its annual goal!

As in past years, the 2011 runway show is guaranteed to sell-out. Grab your tickets today to get in on all of the furry fashionable fun!

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To learn more about Fashion for Paws or to make a donation, please visit the organization's website.

Be sure to check out all 98 of our photographs from this event HERE!