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Pratt Contemporaries Black and White Party
January 27, 2024
8 p.m.–12 a.m.
Enoch Pratt Central Library
For one night in January each year, the library is the hottest spot in town. The annual shindig put on by the Pratt Contemporaries—Enoch Pratt Free Library’s group of young professionals—has gained a reputation for being one of the best bashes of the year. Each time around it takes on a different theme. Last weekend’s 14th-annual event, which drew a sold-out crowd of 750, was dubbed “New Orleans, Mon Amour,” with guests encouraged to dress accordingly—though, of course, only in black and/or white, with slight touches of color permitted.
Partygoers weren’t the only ones decked out. So was the Central Library, where folks gathered to enjoy New Orleans-style music and dance to a DJ, with nary a “shhh” to be heard.
Left to right: Heidi Daniel, Enoch Pratt Free Library president/CEO; Christine Espenshade, Enoch Pratt Free Library board chair; Deb Baum, The Bryn Mawr School senior director of communications; Peter Espenshade, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professor of cell biology
Left to right: Matthew Lengel, Pratt Contemporaries board chair; Beulah Sabundayo, Enoch Pratt Free Library board member; Dr. Paul Sabundayo, Mercy Medical Center internist; Nicholas Meeks, Patrick Sutton Interior Design interior designer
Left to right: Michael DeStefano, Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecutor; Phillip Westry, event governance chair/FreeState Justice executive director; Elizabeth Aceto, marketing director; Chris Aceto, event co-chair/T. Rowe Price portfolio manager
Left to right: Jacqueline Pearlstone, Pearlstone Collective owner; Keri Phillips, Danfoss head of HR North America; Bridget Faherty, The College of Information Studies at The University of Maryland assistant dean of finance administration
Left to right: Heather Oros Nano, New York-based therapist; Joe Nano, NewEdge Power CEO; Jordana Pollack, CBRE senior transaction manager
Left to right: Raymone Jackson, T. Rowe Price head of diversity, equity and inclusion; Dr. Tosin Adegbola, Enoch Pratt Free Library board member; Steph Sundermann-Zinger, Towson University associate director for graduate marketing; Liz Sundermann-Zinger, Enoch Pratt Free Library chief of central libarary and state library resource center
Left to right: Caitlin Haus, event co-chair/McGuireWoods associate; Robert Haus, Deloitte manager; Heather Arbogast, McGuireWoods partner; Michelle Lim, McGuireWoods associate
Left to right: Khalilah Imperatrice, PCAOB inspection leader; Rocco Imperatrice, Ciena senior director; Melissa Garcia, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia program manager; Brandi Nadler, W2 Consulting senior communications consultant
Left to right: Dr. Kenisha Solomon, Johns Hopkins Suburban Hospital anesthesiologist; Chibuzo Uwakaneme, project manager; Dr. Angele Wafo, family medicine physician
Sylvia Mackey’s history as a fashion model is obvious by the way she works the camera. Though her modeling gigs may have slowed down, that’s the only thing about the 82-year-old that has.
The widow of NFL great John Mackey was one of the first to call attention to the connection between professional football players’ brain injuries and dementia—a mission she continues to promote.
Then, there is her continuing career as a United Airlines flight attendant, as well as her ongoing love of fashion. In fact, she says one tends to fuel the other.
“I always like to go shopping on my trips,” Mackey said, pointing to the white knit duster she picked up in Paris.
But, when it comes to events, all she needs to do is shop her closet.
For the Black & White party, Mackey paired the duster with a silver lame Boston Proper top, black sequin leggings, black glitter Sam Edelman platform sandals, piles of pearls (“seven bucks a row”) from Nordstrom Rack, Akira rhinestone earrings, a feather boa courtesy of Amazon, and a black patent crocodile clutch that she estimates is about half her age.
So, why put in the effort? “Why not? I always want to look good. I’m vain,” she said with a laugh.
