(From L to R: Jenny Wilensky Zalkin, creator of event; Jilian Sanz, National Fashion Director of Haute Living Magazine; Andres Franco and his lovely wife, Jennifer Heegard of Jeje Consulting & P.R.)
The fashion fundraiser benefiting the Lupus Foundation of America, S.E. Florida Chapter was held on Thursday, May 19, 2011. The event was created by Jenny Wilensky Zalkin whose mother sadly passed away from the disease last year. Jenny founded www.istylie.com.It is a wardrobe and styling service where they review and highlight your personal style, wardrobe and shopping needs. Lyon and Lyon and Blade Restaurant from the Fontainebleau Hotel catered the event for the VIP areas and opulent leather home furnishings by Carriage House Furniture Design, www.desede.ch and Fava Design Group, www.favadesigngroup.com.
As guests were treated to goodie-bags from scents by Jo Malone, everyone else was excited by the not-so-expected fact that the runway models have Lupus themselves. Designers featured were Alice + Olivia and Trina Turk. They so gaily strutted their “stuff” down the runway withsuch exuberant smiles and confident attitude that the disease was nowhere to be found.
(Willard Shepard from NBC6 emceed the event, pictured with Yevgeny Senkevich)
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. For more information about Lupus, please visit: www.lupusfl.org
My own cousin and good friend have Lupus and were both diagnosed as children. It is rewarding to see so many guests attended for a great cause!
(One of three bright and bold, Fashion-themed paintings adorned one of the VIP areas)
Guests were given $25 Gift Cards by one of the featured sponsors, Gilt City and the highlight of the evening was when Grammy Award Winning Drummer, Rees Bridges of the band Dirty Vegas made the place shake, rattle and roll! Other key sponsors were Ocean Drive Magazine and Haute Living magazine.
(And raffled away was this Ultra-Luxe chair designed by Adriana Hoyos)
For more information, please visit:Â www.adrianahoyos.com
(Janelle Cedeno, one of the organizers of the event from the Lupus Foundation)
(Jenny Wilensky Zalkin and Jilian Sanz)
(Lucia Gonzalez from Adriana Hoyos and me, Cecilia Paz)
(Kristina Eljaiek, Willard Shepard, & Valerie Rodriguez)
