The First Ladies Luncheon began with green carpet arrivals and a cocktail reception where guests had a chance to network and mingle. Exhibitions from couture fashion designer Stewart Parvin and milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan created exclusively as a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II were showcased during the reception. Parvin worked with the Queen for 20 years and his designs adorning the room were inspired by what she would have worn during her reign. Recipient of this year’s 2023 Franca Sozzani Award, Thebe Magugu, also showcased his latest designs.

Over 32 first ladies were in attendance including First Lady of Paraguay, First Lady of Serbia, First Lady of Albania, Princess of Eswatini, First Lady of Ecuador, First Lady of Malta, First Lady of Cabo Verde, First Lady of Israel, First Lady of Colombia and more.  Additional notable attendees and honorees included Fern Mallis, Flaviana Matata, June Ambrose, Chaz Dean, Julia Haart, Preeta Sinha, Jennifer Hanks Allaire, Dr. Inez Hernandez, Aneeta Williams, Bonnie Lautenberg, Monica Elias, Sergio Nicolosi, Amy Shiels, Laine Siklos, Janna Bullock and Sofie Mahlkvist.  

When everyone was seated, Evangelou welcomed all guests and introduced the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange Video showcasing an initiative that launched in Buckingham Palace and then graced the F4D Global Runway in  New York City.

Following this, Evangelou introduced Queen’s Commonwealth Trust representative and young entrepreneur from Zambia Alina Karimamussama to speak about her experience advocating for the global work of F4D and honoring the global initiatives of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.  “I’m here alone on this stage, but when you see me, I want you to see all the communities that are represented by the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust,” Karimamussama said to the crowd. “I want you to see the thousands of women in Zambia who do not have the comforts or luxuries to be on the stage with me today.” The Queen’s Tribute also spotlighted special guests Freddie Toye of Toye, Kenning and Spencer and Kate McGuire, British refashion designer who has dressed Sarah Jessica Parker on Sex in the City. Onstage they presented the Royal Silk Robe and Gown. The gown was made from recycled fabrics from fast fashion lines and was presented to guests at the Met Gala this past spring. “I wanted to prove a point,” McGuire explained.  “We wanted to show people it’s possible to make couture out of old clothes, even fast fashion…We are calling her “Elizabeth” and every year from now on, she will attend Fashion 4 Development’s First Ladies Luncheon and illustrate the different potentials of upcycling.”

Internationally renowned Chef Anton Mosimann, OBE, of Mosimann’s private members’ club in London, known for his exceptional Cuisine Naturelle attended via video from London. Having cooked for four generations at the Royal House, guests were treated to his signature dessert, Bread and Butter pudding, one of the Queen’s favorites and a special Queen’s tribute menu was served to guests. The tables featured couture hat centerpieces by Suzanne Couture Millinery and a coffee table book of famed photographer Enzo Barracco, and as a special treat, guests were provided with the recipes for the desserts served that afternoon.

The annual luncheon is also dedicated to honoring those who celebrate the unprecedented cooperation between diplomacy and fashion around the world. Honorees included 2023 Franca Sozzani Award winner, Johannesburg-based designer Thebe Magugu. Sara Sozzani Maino introduced Magugu, honoring him for preserving his South African heritage through fashion and design. He stated, “When I started my brand in 2016, its mission was to act like an encyclopedia or a reference book of key ideas, people, cultures that run the risk of being forgotten. I’m a firm advocate in transcribing culture for modern generations, otherwise, those histories or ideas, will meet a dead end. I think that’s what makes fashion so incredibly important. It can inspire. It can inform. It can transform.”

Halfway through the luncheon, Emanne Beasha, a finalist on season 14 of America’s Got Talent came on stage to perform one of her signature songs,” Quello Che Faro.” She was introduced by Princess Corinna, saying “Music, as we all know, is a universal language that transcends all frontiers. It has the power to uplift spirits, connect us across cultures, and inspire positive change.”

Assembly member Rebecca Seawright introduced philanthropist Jean Shafiroff and presented her with the 2023 Philanthropy Award. “We must work together,” Shafiroff said. “Not just in our countries, not just locally, but globally, because sustainability is a global issue. It’s important for all of us to be involved.” She continued, “We want future generations to have the opportunity to live in a good world, it’s our obligation to work on a sustainable future by creating long and short-term goals, incentives and rewards, and a sense of team work together, this is all achievable and doable.”

Stefano Curti welcomed Carolin Westermann to the stage to accept the 2023 F4D Award on behalf of CEO of Hugo Boss, Daniel Grieder. Virtually, Grieder addressed the guests, stating “I believe that it is our responsibility as an industry to take care of our planet, the people that live in it and our environment. If current global trends continue without change, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. So, we must be bold for our planet because, as I like to say, no planet, no fashion.”

Evangelou and Stephanie Dillon also presented the launch of “Global Runway”, a book they are co-authoring of storytelling, art and photography that will showcase fashion designers from 193 countries, whom are part of the UN helping to promote international cooperation and understanding. Guests went home with a physical copy of the first chapter, which spotlights Magugu. “Thebe, for me, is our poster designer. He is what epitomizes what we would like designers to be for the new way of moving forward in the fashion industry,” Evangelou said. In addition, “Global Runway” will premiere a fashion runway show at the United Nations in 2024.

Following the global runway video, guests enjoyed a live fashion show paying homage to the past and future of F4D. “Inspirations of the Ottoman Empire” by designer Mirela Nurce of Tonni86 Couture.

Speakers throughout the afternoon included remarks by Naila Chowdhury, the Director of Social Impact and Innovation at UC San Diego, who was just announced as F4D’s Goodwill Ambassador. As an advocate for human rights, she said, “We are at the critical juncture where climate, sustainability, gender equity, human rights, dignity, and zero tolerance of any form of violence has become imperative to address.”

To conclude, Stephanie Potter presented President of S&P Global Market Intelligence Martina Cheung with the 2023 Women’s Empowerment Award for her work with improving pay transparency and female empowerment. “Increasing female labor force participation and getting more women into gender equity roles, increased pay transparency, all of this contributes, and can contribute, trillions of dollars to economic growth over the next decade,” said Cheung.
An exclusive t-shirt collaboration designed by renowned artist Stephanie Dillion and fashion industry veteran, Aslaug Magnusdottir, Founder of Katla, officially launched at the luncheon to help support F4D’s mission. The t-shirt serves as a visual representation of the strength that arises when artists and advocates unite for a common cause. T-shirts can be purchased at www. Katla.com.

F4D Awards created exclusively by Toye, Kenning & Spencer, founded in 1685 and with a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Toye, Kenning & Spencer is the leading and most diversified craft skills employer in the United Kingdom. To learn more about F4D, please visit: http://www.fashion4development.com

About Fashion 4 Development

Fashion 4 Development (F4D) is a private sector global platform founded by Evie Evangelou in January 2011 in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and “Every Woman, Every Child”. F4D builds upon the core leadership principles of the 4E’s: Educate, Empower, Enhance, and Enrich, and activates partnerships that promote the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Industries, advance economic and social development activities, preserve culture and empower women. In 2015 F4D committed to support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and place a significant focus on sustainable lifestyle practices for a healthier world. Fashion 4 Development’s tagline – “Giving Back is the New Luxury” – and its message to promote positive social change are being received with open arms around the world, with initiatives in over 20 countries.

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The models to highlight in this show were Sammy Picone (www.instagram.com/sammypicone) who was casted from the streets of New York and is a Pole artist, Zack Veazey ( www.instagram.com/zackvz ) who is a male model, and a rising star, Jazzelle Zanaughtti (www.instagram.com/uglyworldwide) who is taking social media and brands by storm with her refreshingly unique beauty. 

The white back drop of the show was set against both real and artificial flowers, and the space was scented with Joya silken lotus leaves and blossoms enhanced by a fresh air accord and wild mint geranium. 

With all what was placed in the room, the garments maintained their beauty and primary focus. The common color theme in this collection was different hues of blue, to mimic the colors of the ocean. As a spring collection – the pieces will be perfect for next years resort get-aways and the Hampton’s life.  

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One of my favorite travel destinations is Iceland, this photoshoot brings me back in a major way. I wish I could have been there! On location in the Nordic Iceland landscapes, American photography veteran Annie Leibovitz helps showcase Chinese artist Bolin’s signature camouflage painting on himself with MONCLER outerwear as canvases.

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From 6:30pm – 8pm customers will receive 20% off Melody’s custom-made couture apparel, jewelry, sunglasses, hats and bags. While shopping and admiring the walls adorned with artwork from a local artist, stylists from Warren-Tricomi salon will be on hand for free blowouts, styling, beach waves and consultations. These will be first come, first served.

Melody Mayer’s designs have been seen in major department stores including Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Macy’s and Harrods in London and her accessories have been sold worldwide.  Melody’s spectrum of private clients has diversification from Hillary Clinton, to Madonna.  All of Melody’s pieces have a one-of-a-kind inspirational message and are made with exquisite fabrics evoking her signature theatrical glamorous style. Melody and her designs have been featured on VH1, MTV and MSNBC.

Fashion Designer & Owner of “WearWithAll” Boutique/Gallery

Melody Mayer is a fashion designer with a message. After many years in the industry, Melody is opening her first boutique/gallery, WearWithAll, at 10 Main Street in East Hampton, NY selling custom-made couture apparel, jewelry, sunglasses, hats, bags and mens vintage inspired t-shirts from Paris. In addition to the designer goods, the store will also feature a weekly rotating art exhibit featuring paintings by emerging artists from around the world. To celebrate each new installation, the store will host “Tea Time with Melody,” where shoppers can enjoy complementary ice tea and juices.

WearWithAll is located at 10 Main Street in East Hampton, NY and you can learn more here: www.wearwithallfashion.com.

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On Friday, May 29th, 2015 celebrity jewelry designer Margo Manhattan stopped Madison Avenue traffic with a casting call that turned out to be a huge success with 150 gorgeous models. Leggy models lined up on Madison Ave. to be the new “it-girl” of  MargoManhattan.com, which will re-launch this July, and the face of the designer’s exclusive collection with EVine Live,  a digital commerce company that offers customers multiple ways to shop and interact via television, online, and on mobile devices. Be sure to grab the collection that is set to come out September 2015 where it will be the be available on TV for the very first time!  

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BELLA is the best beauty on demand app to hit the marketplace. BELLA’s stylists have been all over Mercedes Benz Fashion Week making sure the models walking the runway have cohesive, beautiful and polished looks that are in-line with the designers image… and they’re available to make sure you look polished and cohesive too. They’ll literally come right to your door, your home or office, and give you a makeover, or just touch you up!

The next time you want to make sure your face and hair are in-line with the wonderful person we all know you are, make sure you book an appointment with them. You won’t regret it.  You can find the BELLA app in the iPhone or Android marketplace by searching Bella, Beauty on Demand.

BELLA’s stylists recently worked the face & hair magic on the models walking the runway for Sonja Morgan of The Real Housewives of New York. Just yesterday, Feb. 16, Sonja celebrated the launch of Sonja Morgan New York Brands, set to debut Summer 2015.

Her capsule collection will have ready-to-wear, sportswear,
eveningwear, and swimwear as well as a jewelry line.

The show for new collection took place at this neat little venue in Murray Hill called the Carriage House.  At 3 levels I guess it wasn’t so little but it was cute in its own gallery-esque way.

They were filming for Real Housewives of New York – Sonja Morgan’s Fashion Show!  You will be lucky enough to catch the clothing looks on-line.  Lucky for you – BELLA on Demand beauty is available at your door – 24/7.

To learn more about Bella and all of their great services go to www.wearebella.com

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OnWednesday January 21st, Dale Noelle, President of TRUE Model Management held a “Winter Warm Up” cocktail party to raise awareness of the beauty in all body shapes and sizes in the lead up to NY Fashion Week.
Held at Times Square hotspot Proper West, guests including film producer James Belzer, TV Producer Lynn Shaw, Audrey Pass of Fox TV, Plus Model Magazine’s Maddy Jones, Gotham Beauty Lounge’s Chris Coffee, celebrity makeup artist Sebastian Latiolais, designers Daniel Silverstein, Ev Bessar and many others, arrived to enjoy mid-week drinks and dancing with a host of fashion insiders and influencers. With guilty pleasure pop hits, guests shook off the January blues, and spun the Gotham Beauty Lounge “Wheel of Beauty” to win free and discounted beauty treatments including free eyebrow grooming and sessions with makeup artists.

Guests posed for photos as they arrived and as they left they were gifted TRUE Model Management totes containing YBF “Your Best Friend” cosmetics, Color Club nail polish, copies of The Daily Front Row and other goodies.

Additional Guests included:  Tashina Zamlowski, Melanie Resha, Alexandra Boos, Andrea Webster, Anthony Higgins, Dina Khoury, Christina Maldari, Stacey Hughes, Jessica Jones, Christina Krasnyuk, Brooke Banker, Alison Cronin, Daniela Barbacini, Gina Lazorczyk, Claire Cannon, Taryn Gaston, Nicole Cossio, Quintin Perez, Ron Erick Odchigue, Gwen Devoe, Catherine Schuller, Ryan Wrinkle and Shane Snider of Puppet Shakespeare Company.

Dale Noelle was a successful and sought after model for two decades before founding the full service model management company TRUE Model Management.  Having worked for almost every mass retailer and fashion company including designers Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and many others, Dale founded TRUE as a result of numerous requests by her colleagues to introduce them to other professionals in the fashion industry.

TRUE represents all sizes and categories of models and embraces a vast network of clients to connect models with fitting, showroom, trade show, print, runway and commercial talent assignments. Headquartered in New York with affiliates in Los Angeles, TRUE is international in scope and represents talent throughout the world.

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My most recent find is.. Icelandic Wolf Fish leather.  The Icelandic Wolf Fish is just that, a fish. Now I’m sure the Wolf Fish has been around a lot longer than Materia.nl but it’s the first time I’m seeing it used as a leather? As far as Materia goes, usually companies in the textile industry will create pages on Materia and upload a few of the projects they’re working on. In the case of Icelandic Wolffish it appears they are the company and the only product they have is Wolf Fish leather. It comes in a variety of shades and it’s “signature characteristic” is its dark spots as you’ll see below which kind of resemble a cheetah print if you look at the hide as a whole.

I could imagine it would be great for creating anything wearable as it doesn’t have scales like python, eel, etc.

Here it is in all its glory :

Used in tiny doses this fabric could be rather unique..

So here’s what the fish looks like in “real life”:

There are 3 different kinds.. the one placed on Materia is the Spotted Wolf Fish.. and is also the one I’ve seen most prevalent in design.

Here are a few different uses I’ve seen:

Givenchy Wolf Fish Sandals: (love)

This Stool:

And this kind of amazing hat by Jasmin Zorlu:

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First off, their recently debuted collection for Miami swim week is just insane. Geometrics, bondage, cutouts, the lines are just all so sexy but at the same time could basically be art so you won’t just look like you’re wearing something that looks like it shouldn’t be worn outside of the bedroom. The suits just look cool.. and arty,  you’ll basically be a sculpture even if you don’t have a sculpturesque body.

You can find Subuu at Intermix, Neiman Marcus, ShopBop and Evolve… or their website of course  http://suboousa.com

Here were my favorites from swimwear:

The Rise & Fall One Piece.. they have a two piece version of this one as well and being a two piece its innately a bit on the sexier side but I think the one-piece is perfect. I could see any body type wear this, and the intercrossing strings add a lot of visual interest. Pair it with a white floppy hat and a breezy coverup and you’re golden.

http://suboousa.com/2013-11-22-04-08-53/us-swimwear/2013-09-11-12-49-192083540383-detail

The Tangerine Halter Neck One Piece – I am in love with orange lately and the halter neck on this makes a statement. I think the lines on this will be very slimming while accentuating the waist in just the right spot and creating curves for those that might not have many. Bare shoulders can be so sexy. Only thing is if you’re out in the sun for any serious amount of time, the white sections are mesh so they may create interesting tan lines.

The suit alone could work well enough as a tank top.. just pair it with a flowy skirt and you’re set to hop around town or go to a pool party without showing too much skin.

http://suboousa.com/2013-11-22-04-08-53/us-swimwear/2013-12-31-03-40-141949603058-detail

Check + Black Bandeau Bikini – This reminded me a bit of a tuxedo kind of look. It’s a little bit jackie O and abstractism put together –  makes a statement with the perfect balance of white and black. You can match this with a bright red lip, red sunnies and slicked back hair.

http://suboousa.com/2013-11-22-04-08-53/us-swimwear/2013-12-31-04-34-131883733466-detail

Quilla Qua Pleated Maxi – This item I found in their sale section. I’m in love with feminine micro pleats right now.. on dresses, skirts, shirts anything. This piece definitely satisfied my love for the geometric and the colors I think are paired really well. This skirt would go really well with either or the two one piece suits I put up on top.

http://suboousa.com/2013-11-22-04-08-53/us-sale/quilla-qua-pleated-skirt-detail

Here’s Subuu’s about us taken from their website: Creative Director, Sue Di Chio, presents a unique philosophy of affordable luxury and premium quality, narrowing the gap between designer and contemporary fashion . Masterfully constructed yet wearable pieces, Suboo has grown from strength to strength rapidly gaining a devout following. Fusing clean lines, signature prints and bold colour, Suboo creates truly modern and distinctive women´s wear collections with a sense of style that is irreverent and fashion forward while still remaining timeless.

Established in 2008, as a luxe resort collection, Suboo is now a multidimensional brand with seasonal collections of Ready to Wear, Resort and Swim, gaining accolades and impressing notable media and buyers around the world. Showcased in more than 300 premium boutiques in over 15 countries  including coveted major department stores including Intermix, Neimen Marcus , Shop Bop and Revolve.

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Fashion designer Phoenix Keating made his US debut Wednesday at a private event held at Daylight Studios. The event, organized by LER PR (lerpr.com), showcased the Summer Spring 2014 Collection “Vaudeville,” which takes us on a journey through space and time.

When asked about his inspiration for the collection, the designer referenced iconic 1920s vaudeville entertainer Josephine Baker and the woman of the future, who travels through time to correct the course of mankind. Perhaps the closest thing we have to a time machine today, an aircraft carrier, Keating said the idea to design the collection first came to him while on a flight from Sydney where he found himself gazing out the window at the plane’s riveted metal.

His designs are ultra-modern with practical wearability. Keating brilliantly weaves together sheer organza and metallic leather to represent both past and future.

Phoenix Keating first made his fashion debut at the 2011 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia. Having only started his label two years prior, the young designer has already caught the attention of Lady Gaga who wore a Keating dress at her 2011 Sydney concert – earning the designer international recognition. “Vaudeville” is innovative, sexy and bold – made for the modern woman with a futuristic edge.

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