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This weekend saw a gala event held at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen shop in New York City featuring some of the biggest names in fashion from Calvin Klein to Kenneth Cole, however the focus was not on a hot new designer or label, but rather on fundraising for the small, earthquake ravaged nation of Haiti. In fact Donna has been one of the leading advocates for Haiti relief since a massive 7.0 earthquake devastated the small island nation on January 12th of last year. Donna’s efforts have come through her Urban Zen Foundation which was establish 10 years ago in part to honor her late husband Stephen Weiss. The Foundation’s focus in Haiti is a three part effort to promote education, healthcare and assist in the preservation of the small island nations unique and fragile culture.
As in the world of fashion Donna Karan does not hold back when it comes to philanthropy, attracting such marquee names as Demi Moore, Michael Douglas, Keith Richards, Uma Thurman and even former president Bill Clinton to this years ceremony. While praise was lavished on the former commander and chief for all his efforts to aid Haiti in the past year, Clinton himself had some compliments for the host. The former president told style.com’s Darrell Hartman “A lot of the political and social elite in American thought I came from the wrong side of the room. Once I got Donna’s clothes on, I had street cred in Washington.” Proving once again that from the red carpets of Hollywood all the way to the marble halls of Congress, style is something never to be taken lightly.
In his speech to the assembled fashion and film stars Clinton touched on everything from the dangers of global warming to the fragile nature of the world economy, taking ample time of course to praise the unwavering support and tireless effort that Donna Karan has given to the artistic community in Haiti and to their nation as a whole.
This past Tuesday night President Obama hosted a state dinner in the White House rose garden in honor of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In attendance where various dignitaries, politicians and heads of state, and of course the ever stylish First Lady Michelle Obama. The First Lady donned a graceful and elegant gown by Naeem Khan that featured all over an embellishment of silver beads and white sequins with a metallic thread woven through in geometric patterns.
If Mrs. Obama’s choice seems a little like deja vu that is because this is not the first time the she has selected one of Mr. Khan’s designs for an important affair of state. Mrs. Obama in fact wore a gold sleeveless gown from Naeem Khan to her first state dinner, held back in 2009 for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While the first lady has graced other prominent designers with the distinction of appearing at important affairs of state, such as Tom Ford who designed the white evening dress that Mrs. Obama wore last month to a formal dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, it is to Mr. Khan’s designs she returns most often.
It should also be noted that while it would be quiet rude to outshine a Queen at her own party, a state dinner in the White House is an occasion where the First Lady deserves to dazzle and Naeem Khan seems to be her favorite when it comes to such important nights.
Born and raised in India, surrounded by a rich and ancient culture Mr. Khan took to fashion from the start and may of his designs have been regarded “classics but tweaked.” Much like his native land Mr. Kahn’s dresses are diverse, vibrant and very lively which are all descriptors that could be applied to Mrs. Obama herself, perhaps offering the best insight into why the First Lady seems to love the opportunity to shine in one of Mr. Khan’s dresses. While the fashion world waits to see who Mrs. Obama will choose next and where it will take them, nearly every name in fashion can agree that it is a breath of fresh air to have a First Lady who is willing to be exciting with her take on formal fashion.
Internationally acclaimed film actress Natalie Portman celebrates her 30th birthday today. Born Natalie Hershlag on June 9th 1981 in Jerusalem to Shelly Stevens Hershlag an American artist and Avner Hershlag a prominent Israeli doctor Natalie’s path to fame began when at age 9 the family moved to Long Island, New York. Originally interested in pursuing a career in modeling Natalie was discovered by an agent in a New York pizza parlor at age 11 and instead set her sights on the world of acting. At age 13 Natalie, who took the screen name Portman, became a breakout child star thanks to her powerful performance in French director Luc Besson’s film “Leon” (released in the United States as “The Professional”) The film featured Portman as Mathilda an orphaned girl with maturity and intelligence far beyond her age, a set of traits that the young actress shared with many of her characters.
Once quoted by Fox News as saying “I’d rather be smart than a movie star” Natalie Portman has gone on to achieve both. Very well respected in the world of film for her down to earth demeanor and refusal to allow her celebrity status to define her life, Portman also found time to attend Harvard for a B.A. in psychology and co-author two scientific research papers. Reinforcing her commitment to learning Portman once said in an interview with the New York Post “I don’t care if [college] ruins my career” and has often said that when acting is done with her she may decide to become a doctor like her father.
However after having won the 2011 Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the critically acclaimed “Black Swan” it seems that a career in medicine may have to wait. Not only smart and sexy Natalie Portman has used her clout to become a popular red carpet trend setter, who once again was included on most of the “best dressed” lists for the 2011 Oscars. With a style that combines modern chic and a conservative, old Hollywood style flair, Natalie proves that she is modern Hollywood royalty with the full package, beauty, brains and great taste.
This week marks the beginning of the New York City’s 2011 Caribbean Fashion show and all the cultures you would expect are in attendance for the inaugural year, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua and many other have sent their finest designers north to bring the latest in Caribbean couture to the states. However the biggest surprise is who is leading the pack. Long considered to be the melting pot of the Caribbean the Dominican Republic will be kicking off this year’s show with their breezy and eclectic designs.
“Dominican fashion designers are known for their chic and unique creations that reflect our country’s distinct culture and diverse influences.” said Magaly Toribio, Vice Minister of International Promotion for the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism.”The Dominican Republic boasts great design schools like PARSONS and iconic Dominican designers who set global fashion trends during the Dominican Republic’s two annual fashion events, DominicanaModa and Republica Dominicana Fashion Week, attracting discerning buyers and fashionistas from all over the world,” added Isabella Wall, DR Ministry of Tourism’s Los Angeles Representative in an interview earlier this week with PR Newswire.Lucia Rodriguez, a graduate of Parsons School of Design with 10 years of experience in the fashion industry, and a rising star from the houses of Joanna Mastronianni and Bob Evans will kick off the opening ceremonies tonight at The Arena in New York City with her high-end line from her own studio located in the heart of New York’s fashion district.
 Up and coming special occasion designer Clarisse has recently posted photos of their newest foray into 21st century fashion, Clarisse Classic, a cocktail line aimed at teens and 20-somethings. Clarisse first appeared on the scene in 2009 with an extensive prom collection and has since staked their claim to both prom and homecoming special occasion wear throughout the United States.The Prom 2011 collection from Clarisse was their best received line to date with many young women and boutique owners alike agreeing that Clarisse Designs produces one of the most diverse and youthful lines in the market today.
Considering their growing popularity and the fact that many of the prom girls who wore a dress or gown by Clarisse this year will be heading off to college in the fall it comes as no surprise that this savvy young label would look to follow their customer base into the professional world.Perhaps even more intriguing though is the signal that Clarisse is sending to the fashion world as a whole with the introduction of their Classic line. Thought to be just another seasonal special occasion designer the introduction of a cocktail line which will be sold and advertised year round indicates that Clarisse sees room for further expansion into the world of special occasion fashion.
The company has announced that their Classic line will be formally introduced to the fashion world later this summer at the America’s Mart shows in Dallas and Atlanta. While it may be a little too soon to predict the birth of a serious fashion house, Clarisse’s expansion has turned a few heads and yours truly will be sure to stop by during his travels to Atlanta, to see what the buzz is about.
Once considered as American as apple pie the high school prom tradition is now growing in popularity world wide. No where more so than in England where InterContinental Hotels Group, parent company to the Holiday Inn, reported that they saw a 500% nationwide increase in prom event bookings since last year!
While debate rages as to what is driving this dramatic increase in popularity, with some suggesting movies like High School Musical or television shows such as Glee while other pose that it is a logical extension of the rise of reality TV culture; one fact is certain, businesses across England and the world are getting on board.
Beyond just dress shops and fashion boutiques many businesses throughout England have begun to cater specifically to prom, from hair stylists, to limo rental companies to jewelers everyone is beginning to offer special packages to high schools students celebrating prom.
Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) celebrity Karina Smirnoff has revealed the date for her winter wedding to Detroit Tiger’s starting pitcher Brad Penny. The couple, engaged since October 4th last year, will tie the knot on January 21st in Cozumel, Mexico.
While there is no word yet on the size of the celebration or who is on the guest list the DWTS diva did promise a People magazine reporter at the Tao nightclub in Las Vegas that “It’s going to be a very diverse, colorful crowd.” With Karina’s relatives coming from all across Europe and the Penny family hailing from Blackwell, Oklahoma the formal dresses at the event promise to be a mix of jet-set chic with classic Americana. As for the bride to be, Karina is not saying whose design she will be wearing on her big day, only that she has narrowed it down to a final six!
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