Tuesday, June 3, 2014

St. George’s Society 2014 English Ball

I was honored to receive an invitation to St. George’s Society English Ball. This year the coveted society ball was held at 583 Park Avenue.
The English Ball, at which guests wear formal attire with decorations, is the Society’s major annual fundraiser with proceeds going directly to its charitable programs.

Since it began in 1770 as a banquet to celebrate St. George, the patron saint of England, it has been with rare exceptions held every year since and is now established as the premier English social event in New York.

In 1995, the Society established the Medal of Honor, to recognize a person for exemplary service to British interests and/or the international community at large and it was decided that this honor would be awarded every year at the English Ball. Previous distinguished recipients include Sir Win Bischoff of Lloyds Banking Group, Bob Diamond of Barclays, Angela Ahrendts of Burberry, Mark C. Pigott, KBE of PACCAR; Lionel Barber of The Financial Times; Sir John Rose of Rolls-Royce; Martin J. Sullivan, OBE of Willis; and Sir Howard Stringer of Sony Corporation of America.

This year the Society honored Wilbur Ross, CEO of WL Ross & Co. LLC. A well-known private equity investor in the U.S., Mr. Ross was designated one of 50 most influential people in global finance by Bloomberg Businessweek.

 “I am honored to have been awarded the St. George’s Society’s Medal of Honor and to associated with the organization, which has an extraordinary history of helping British and Commonwealth nationals in the New York area, said Mr. Ross.

The Honorary Chair of the 2014 English Ball is Hilary Geary Ross, with co-chairs JoAnne Davidson and Ceasar N. Anquillare JP.

The Society’s Royal Patron is HRH The Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO, who takes an active interest in the charity’s work.

St. George’s Society of New York was founded in 1770 by English settlers for the purpose of offering advice and relief to fellow Englishmen in need or distress. Its mission today is to assist disadvantaged people of British and Commonwealth heritage living in the New York area. The Society provides two major forms of assistance, a Beneficiary Program helping elderly and disabled people, and a Scholarship Program at Lehman College (part of CUNY) supporting outstanding students with university tuition.

Visit www.stgeorgessociety.org to learn more and donate.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Lighthouse International 2014 POSH Gala


Lighthouse International’s POSH gala was a decadent affair that brought out both fashion and society's elite. This year the gala was held at the historic and lavish Metropolitan Club on 5th ave. 

Posh Gala hosts included: Hamish Bowles, Amy Fine Collins, Alex Hitz and Lorry Newhouse.

This year’s honorees were: 

Jonathan Adler, Founder & CEO of Jonathan Adler Enterprises-POSH® Lifestyle Visionary

Thom Browne, Designer, POSH® Fashion Visionary 

Sheila Nevins, President, HBO Documentary Films- POSH® Artistic Visionary  

POSH® Vice Chairmen: Muffie Potter Aston, Andrew Bolton, Michael Bruno, Mario Buatta, Margo & John Catsimatidis, Chele Upton Chiavacci & Richard Farley, H.R.H. Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Simon Doonan, Somers Farkas, Cornelia Guest, Sharon Handler-Loeb, Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD & Jean Denoyer, Carolina Herrera, Grace & Chris Meigher, Richard Plepler, Marc Rosen, Remo Ruffino, Chairman/Moncler, Allison Sarofim, Julie Wainwright.

Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision + healthcare organization with a longstanding heritage of serving the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired, as well as those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions.

Visit lighthouse.org to learn more and donate. 

Sunday, June 1, 2014

CANY 2014 Gala at the Edison Ballroom


Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY) held their annual gala at the beautiful Edison Ballroom this year. I was thrilled to be invited to cover such a special and tremendously important gala fundraiser. Through the use of drama therapy and creative expression in a group setting, CANY helps children and adults expand their self-concept, imagine new life possibilities and build the social and emotional tools they need in order to live meaningful lives.

In honor of the occasion I wore a vintage hot pink petal THEIA gown. Actress Katrina Bowden wore the same dress a few months earlier to an event. I loved the theatrics of the look with its ever so delicate flower petals that transitioned into a show-stopping hot pink ombre. 

My makeup/hair was done by Valerie Starr from Caravan Stylist Studios. Valerie created the most brilliant movie star-esque updo/ makeup using Sexy Hair, Kryolan makeup, MD Complete Skincare and iKonic Styling tools

Valerie made me over into a modern day version of Audrey Hepburn with an immaculately sculpted side-swept updo and feature enhancing make-up. It was the most perfect look for the THEIA dress and of course the theatre themed evening.  

For over thirty years, Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY) has been offering drama therapy programs to traumatized children and adults in the New York Metropolitan area, helping them to build new life skills and realize their potential through the art of drama. Working in partnership with 20 leading social service agencies and health care institutions, CANY serves almost 1,500 children and adults annually in residential centers for children and youth, special schools, veterans mental health centers, and domestic violence safe shelters.

Check out www.cany.org to learn more and donate!