Diana Mayhew hasn’t always loved pink. In fact, the president of the National Cherry Blossom Festival says she hardly used to wear the color. But after 26 years of working with the festival, she’s accumulated a wardrobe in the hue, breaking out pink pieces for every festival event.
Mayhew began volunteering for the festival in the late ’90s, becoming executive director in 2000. She started incorporating more pink into her attire, almost always pairing it with black. But since being appointed president in 2007, the color has become a staple for the cherry blossom executive. “It just evolved naturally,” she says. “Now I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
Friends and family have helped Mayhew lean into the color—mainly her mom and best friend, who both love fashion and started sending fun pink outfits they’d see online. Mayhew has now accumulated enough pink that she can pull out a look for every occasion. “It’s to the point where I actually have half of my husband’s closet,” she says.
Different events call for different pieces: a pale suit for a BID event, a hot pink dress with matching shoes for a party, or a pink jacket at the Tidal Basin in a shade somewhere between the pale Yoshino trees and vibrant Okame flowers.
Many items have spanned years of spring memories. Mayhew used to wear a pink winter coat every time she was interviewed by former Fox 5 DC anchor Holly Morris. For 15 years, the cheerful attire protected Mayhew from the cold while they chatted about festival events, waiting for the weather to warm.
People have started recognizing Mayhew as the woman in pink. Like the flowers that inspire her looks, the pink outfits are a sign of the season: “People would stop me and say, ‘Just looking at you, you remind me of spring.’ ”
