Zang Toi's Showroom Grand Opening Party

Designer Zang Toi and me

Fresh off the heels of his mega successful Spring 2014 fashion show, renowned Fashion Designer Zang Toi hosted an extravagant soiree to celebrate his new showroom location on the east side of New York. It was a privilege for me to be invited to both his fashion show and now his private celebration at his showroom right across Rockefeller Center. 

I arrived an hour into the start of the party due to a Summer downpour in New York which caused a lack of available cabs. Zang’s showroom was already full of mingling society guests, reporters and photographers. Zang was one of the first people to greet me. I can’t describe what an incredible feeling it was to know that one of the most iconic designers in the world knew who I was. It was a moment that I'll always treasure. Zang was dressed in his classic black suit and white shirt. 

Zang is truly a designer with the midus touch. Anything he produces shines with extraordinary opulence fit for a royal. In fact, Zang himself was recently given the royal title of Datuk Zang Toi by the King of Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah. Zang is originally from Krai in Kelantan in Malaysia.

Zang came to New York at the age of 20 where he studied at the distinguished Parsons School of Design. In August 1989, he opened his atelier and soon after, U.S Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour featured Zang in March 1990 issue and was one of the first Asian designers championed by the renowned editor. In 1990, Zang was awarded the Mouton Cadet Young Designer of the Year which recognizes the top, young, U.S. designer of the year.

Since that time, Zang's work has been featured in major publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Financial Times, etc. Not only has he dressed Hollywood celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Farrah Fawcett, Kristie Alley, Patti LaBelle, Gong Li, Eva Longoria, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas) and Heather Graham, but has also created luxurious wardrobe for philanthropists and royalty including Melinda Gates and Saudi Princess Haifa Bandar Al Saud.

HUGO BOSS New York Flagship Store Grand Opening Party

HUGO BOSS celebrated its Columbus Circle store expansion at the Time Warner Center in NYC with a black tie fete. The newly expanded store includes 3 floors, officially making it the biggest HUGO BOSS store in America.

The invite only guest list included A-list celebrities like Liam Hemsworth, Josh Duhamel and Woody Allen. The event featured a special premiere of an extraordinary video installation by renowned artist Marco Brambilla and a live orchestra with musicians from Julliard. HUGO BOSS collaborated with the Art Production Fund to feature Marco Brambilla’s work in celebration of their store expansion and to benefit the Central Park Conservancy. 

I was so excited to see the invitation from my friends at HUGO BOSS to attend the event and be a part of their special blogger Instagram campaign that evening. The premise of the campaign was to take an Instagram video of Marco Brambilla’s work with hashtag #HBNYC. Select videos were chosen to be featured on HUGOBOSS.com. I’m happy to report that my video made the cut! :)

Be part of the art with #HBNYC. 

For more information, go to www.hugoboss.com. 

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 4: Wearing Edward Roth

My Edward Roth NY dress made me one of the most photographed women once again at New York Fashion Week. 

Edward Roth seamlessly combines cutting edge high-fashion with art. They define new standards for excellence based on the feminine spirit, intelligence, and taste of women who lead in a city always looking toward the future. 

For day 4 of New York Fashion Week I had a chance to wear their ‘Graceful Endeavor’ dress. I fell in love with the dress the moment I saw it on their website. The leather accent on top transitions into a tastefully revealing slit. The rest of the dress is made out of the finest silk with a stunning art rendition of a woman and a red swan. The dress ends with a meticulously draped bottom that creates the illusion of red ruffles for the perfect finish. It’s truly a work of art in every sense of the word. 

The second I put on the dress, I felt like a powerful, futuristic version of my self wearing the latest fashion of the future in the present day. There are no befitting words that could possibly describe the feeling of wearing such a beautiful piece of wearable art. 

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 3: Wearing Eliza J

I was the lady in red in my Eliza J Fit & Flare dress for day 3 of New York Fashion Week this season. My favorite part of the dress was the flirty skirt portion which I couldn't resist taking for a spin around the Lincoln Center courtyard before my day of fashion shows. My schedule included Ruffian, Son Jung Wan and Katya Leonovich.

I paired my red Eliza J dress with neon Aldo heels. It was a bit of unconventional style choice as neon typically goes better with darker colors but it was definitely worth taking a chance with this brighter hue. I completed my outfit with black Prada swirl sunglasses which helped to nicely transition the look from dark to light colors.   

Eliza J is one of the top fashion companies and is currently sold at Macy's, Nordstrom, Carson's, Dillard’s, Von Maur and fine specialty stores.

Check out more of my Eliza J style snaps below!

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 2: Wearing Giovanni Lo Presti

I had the incredible opportunity of wearing a Giovanni Lo Presti Spring 2014 mask and romper for Day 2 of New York Fashion Week. I couldn't help but feel a certain level of fierceness and empowerment when wearing his unique designs. 

Giovanni was in town from Switzerland to present his Spring 2014 collection to the American market. Our mutual friend Eleonora Quizmolli from Sensation of House thought it would be great for us to meet and collaborate for Fashion Week.

As fate would have it I needed a few more pieces to wear for the shows. Giovanni kindly offered to dress me in his brilliant couture creations from his Spring 2014 collection of masks and ready-to-wear.

Being dressed by Giovanni for Fashion Week was a mesmerizing whirlwind of my fashion dreams come true. We met during his model castings for his Spring 2014 presentation which was happening later on in the week. It was an honor to wear his beautiful work which had not yet been shown to the world. 

Giovanni is known for his unique designs and use of sumptuous materials like leather, wool and silk. He’s praised for his exquisitely made, high-quality, sophisticated and luxury ready-to-wear designs. His revolutionary unbreakable masks are made to contort to the face for the perfect fit. 

Since launching of his designs in 2004, Mr. Lo Presti’s creations have been presented in several major fashion capitals including Paris, Nice, Cannes, Milan, New York, London, Nicosia, Göteborg, Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne. His designs have also been shown at the Cannes Film Festival, in 2005 for Chopard, and in 2008 - 2012 for Rouge FM Ambassador.

Check out giofashion.com to see more of Giovanni Lo Presti's designs.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 1: Wearing Alice Yim

The first day of Fashion Week is like the first day of school for me. The same principles apply, ie: finding the perfect first day outfit, seeing old fashion friends again and learning new trends. The start of a fashion season is always an exciting time to see what hot new styles will grace the stores in the coming months. 

I wanted my first day outfit to be bright and Summery so I wore Alice Yim's high-waisted red silk shorts and her short-sleeved top with a Dragonfly printed charmeuse front and a chiffon back. Alice seamlessly combines a minimalist, classic, feminine and edgy approach to her looks. 

The 10th Annual Style Awards

The 10th Annual Style Awards honored top talent in the fashion and entertainment industries. It was the perfect kick-off for the world's most prestigious fashion event, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, at Lincoln Center. Fashion icon Nicole Richie was the evening’s charming host. Mrs. Richie showed of her exemplary style by having multiple glamorous wardrobe changes in between hosting duties. 

The evening celebrated the accomplishments of top designers, athletes, costume designers, stylists, models, photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists and more.

This year's winners included: 

• Designer of the Year: Zac Posen

• Model of the Year: Kate Upton

• Most Stylish Athlete of the Year: Victor Cruz 

• Photographer of the Year: Patrick DeMarchelier 

• Hairstylist of the Year: Frederic Fekkai 

• Costume Designer of the Year – Film: Trish Summerville (The Hunger Games) 

• Costume Designer of the Year – TV: Janie Bryant (Mad Men) 

• Stylist of the Year: Rachel Zoe 

• Menswear Designer of the Year: John Varvatos 

• Most Visible Brand: Victoria's Secret 

NYFW Makeover: Old Hollywood Ombre by Celebrity Stylist Adam Livermore at Muze Salon

Celebrity Stylist Adam Livermore and me

This season for New York Fashion Week I had the tremendous honor of getting an Old Hollywood Ombre makeover by legendary Celebrity stylist Adam Livermore at Muze Salon in New York. Adam was highly recommended by my good friend Stephen Marinaro, ‘TheSalonGuy’. You can imagine my excitement when I heard back that Adam would be willing to take the time out of his busy schedule to collaborate with me for this special feature!

In ten short years, Adam Livermore has become a driving force in the hairdressing industry. After working behind the chair as a master stylist and education director at Spalon Montage in Minneapolis, and as an educator with Wella Professionals and Kevin Murphy, Adam relocated to New York City and began traveling the world as an educator with Oribe Haircare, and working side by side with Oribe himself behind the scenes at fashion shows in Paris, Milan, and New York.

When he's not working behind the chair at Muze Salon in New York City, or working on the education platform, Adam is collaborating with top photographers to create inspiring new imagery. His creative work has been seen in countless magazines, including Vanity Fair, Elle Asia, Beauty Launchpad, Modern Salon, American Salon, Creem, and Ozon.  

I was both excited and nervous to meet Adam as he’s worked with the world’s biggest celebrities and style icons like Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Molly Sims, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meg Ryan, and Cher. 

The New York Botanical Garden Conservatory Ball: My Real Life Fairy Tale Experience

Ann Johnson, Chairwoman for the NYBG Conservatory Ball and me
Photo Credit:  Robert Benimoff 

The New York Botanical Garden Conservatory Ball was one of the most opulent and coveted society events of the season.

With ticket prices starting at $1,500, the evening brought out the crème de la crème of New York and Greenwich, Connecticut society.

The theme of the Ball was "An evening in the Italian Renaissance Garden of Padua" which was inspired by Europe's first botanical garden that was created in 1545 at the University of Padua, in the Venetian Republic. It was a breathtaking sight that could only be rivaled by the guest’s extravagant gowns and jewels.

A total of $1.5 million was raised that evening to benefit NYBG’s plant research, conservation and education.

The New York Botanical Garden is a museum of plants, an educational institution, and a scientific research organization. Founded in 1891 & now a National Historic Landmark, it is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world. 

Visit nybg.org to learn more about the gardens. 

The Fashion Institute of Technology 2013 Gala

Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff

The Fashion Institute of Technology gala brought out the most glamorous and charitable individuals in addition to fashion icons and celebrities.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the FIT Foundation honored longtime supporter George Kaufman (chairman, Kaufman Organization), Kay Krill (president and chief executive officer, ANN INC.), and Stefano Tonchi (editor-in-chief, W magazine) at this year’s annual gala at Cipriani 42nd Street.

My look for the evening was inspired by Elizabeth Taylor meets a classy Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I wore a red form fitting THEIA dress which I paired with sparkling jewels and matching red lipstick. It was honestly one of my most favorite dresses to wear so far in my fashion career. It was the perfect fit and had the most beautiful draping that accentuated all the right parts of the body. 

FIT Gala Chairs included Pamela Baxter, president and CEO LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics; Joy Herfel Cronin, group president, Menswear and Childrenswear, Ralph Lauren; Julie Greiner, chief merchandise planning officer, Macy’s, Inc.; Yaz Hernandez, trustee, FIT Board of Trustees; Jane Hertzmark Hurdis, global brand president, Estee Lauder; and Liz Peek, trustee, FIT Board Chair.

The Gala Honorary Committee included Reem Acra, Giorgio Armani, Dennis Basso, Edmundo Castillo, Maria Cornejo, Francisco Costa, Peter Dundas, Tom Ford, Monique Lhillier, Gilles Mendel, Narciso Rodriguez, Ralph Rucci, Angel Sanchez, Jill Stuart, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, and Vera Wang.

This year the FIT annual gala raised over $1 million dollars to benefit the FIT Educational Development Fund, which provides scholarship, technology, and student services support, among other priorities. 

Chabad's Children of Chernobyl 2nd Annual Beer Garden and Date Auction

Photo Credit: Robert Benimoff

This Summer I had a chance to be one of the bachelorette’s in Chabad Children of Chernobyl’s 2nd Annual Beer Garden and Date Auction at Ainsworth Park in New York.  

Prior to the event I noticed that CCOC was looking for bachelors and bachelorettes to be ‘auctioned off' for a date. I immediately reached out for consideration as it looked like a fun way to help a cause that hits very close to home for me. I’m originally from Ukraine and grew up a few cities away from where the Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986. The Nuclear Reactor explosion caused people in the region to suffer physically, mentally, and financially. By 1990, the radiation from the explosion reached epidemic proportions. The land, air and water throughout the Chernobyl ecosystem were completely contaminated and as a result the food, drinking water, and air that the children in the area were exposed to were greatly affected. 

That same year, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, advocated for these many helpless children, and Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl was established.

The primary goal of CCOC is to rescue the children of Chernobyl, relocating them to Israel, the only country in the world that accepts them on a permanent basis. In addition, CCOC also provides the kids with critical medical care, new homes and an excellent education.

To date, Chabad Children of Chernobyl saved 2,835 children on 98 rescue flights... and counting.

Visit ccoc.net to learn more about their rescue efforts and opportunities to donate.