Catwalk for Charity hosted their annual “fashion meets philanthropy” charity event with celebrity fashion designer RACHEL ROY as the featured designer of this year’s fashion show.
The brunch began with a champagne reception and silent auction. Artist ‘Anastasia the Great’ finished her donated piece while guests sipped, mingled and posed. Other distinguished guests for the event, Miami Dolphins football player Mike Pouncey, Actress Stacey Ann Rose, Miss Peru Valeria Piazza.
Following a delicious three course brunch, the fashion show began with ABC News Anchor and reporter CALVIN HUGHES and Miss Universe first runner-up RAQUEL PELISSIER as hosts.
Rachel Roy founded her collection in 2004 and built it into a globally recognized and award-winning ready-to-wear lifestyle brand. Rachel is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship and philanthropy and has shared her story across the world, including the White House. Rachel founded Kindness Is Always Fashionable as a philanthropic platform to help artisans create sustainable income for their families and communities. Rachel is also a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The event benefited Prodev Haiti Schools, an organization that provides approximately 10,000 children with access to quality education, as well as the Breakfast with Santa’s “Joy of Giving” an annual toy distribution that benefits over 5,000 children.
After the show, we had the pleasure of briefly chatting with Rachel about fashion, functionality and the working woman.
What are the influences behind your current collection? Were there any Haitian influences?
Haiti is a beautiful country I went there a few years ago. Actually, the collections always start from working women and what do they need when they are on their feet all day and their quick from waking up at this point until no going to bed until super late. And what’s fresh for them. And so, for summer it was defiantly nature I wish I could say Haiti specifically but it was more so just that feeling that you know when It starts to become summer and even though your day is completely busy there is some sort of relief that you will have a vacation or you will have some sort of inspiration in your life to recharge. It’s the clothes for that moment and for my girls that sometimes can’t take a vacation because they are working so hard or they can’t afford it at that moment it’s to feel that way. And so, what I’m proposing with a kimono during the day is that you can go to work this way you can wear your slacks, you can wear a tank top like I’m doing you can wear a blouse t-shirt but its proposing a new type of suit for work and other things I like to do is a screen saver with a place of inspiration. Its my way of giving you that feeling why you are working.
What are you top 3 favorite trends for summer?
That’s such a good question it interesting because although I am a designer and in the business of creating newness, I’m very much into classics and so I like to relook at my closet and figure out where to I keep heading in terms of silhouettes for my body and why and then give that to my customers because there’s longevity and she won’t have to spend quite as much. So I’m super into length and that means skirts dresses and then wearing pants under them. I may have gotten that from India. The men do that the women do that. For me its function and so I have a great tie die long skirt but the slits very high for sexiness if she wants to go out at night. During the day I do have to wear it with tight white denim underneath because I’m moving and sitting. So, I’m proposing somewhat functionality and its inspired by the gorgeousness of the third world where I’m from.
Who is your favorite designer right now?
You know I lived in New York for almost twenty years and I have a lot of friends that are designers so Georgina Chapman Keren Craig because they are such supportive, wonderful women and they get to make these creations that are magical Marchesa designs. Vera Wang I love, she’s a strong woman she designs; her jackets are my favorite actually I wish there were more of Vera’s jackets. Who do I go to when I go online? You know I’m a girl who loves fashion and when I grew up in northern California in the harder part of town I used fashion to dream a better life so there’s not just one designer fashion just make me happy.
Any specific words to the working girl the up and coming the strong women?
What I would want to say to my working girl is pick a career pick a genre that you love because at the end of the day its not about how much money you make its about how you spent your time every single day in and day out can you look back and say ‘I love flowers and so I worked in gardens or a florist shop or were you perusing money and you actually work in a career that you didn’t necessarily care for so I would say please pick something that you love because we spend so much time at work we might as well love it.
Catwalk for Charity honored Dr. Ranley Desir & Carine Desir, Dr. Angelo Gousse, Dr. Rudolph Moise, Dr. Munir Mourra, Kristopher Lemke and Brad Horwitz. honorees were recognized for their decade long support of the organization and for their deep commitment to improving the lives of children from Miami’s Little Haiti as well as those living in some of Haiti’s most challenging rural and urban communities.
The organizations bring their missions as champions for quality education for Haiti’s children to South Florida to garner support and help provide all children in Haiti access to quality education. We sincerely believe education is the only solution to eliminate extreme poverty in Haiti and to ensure that the next generation is self-sufficient.
This year’s sponsors included Moet & Chandon, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Royal Caribbean, Private Cask Imports, Congregation B’Nai Israel, Ritz Carlton South Beach, Boca Raton Hotel Resort and Club, Dr. Ranley Desir and Carine Desir, Dr. Di. Geronimo, Dr. Angelo Gousse, Dr. Rian Maercks, David Abellard, Dr. Marie I. Morel, Trilogy International, Veuve Clicquot, Pandora Jewelry, Famous Haitian painter Philippe Dodard, Le Chic Events, Joel Patrick Events, Kilos Vodka, Toyota, Artist Anastasia the Great, Griselda Lechini, Havi Art, Valmas-The Caribbean Best Cremas, Zico Coconut Water, Sama Sunglasses, BHFS Florida Realty, FRS Caribbean, Colfax Realty Group, Anton Kolovrat Fitness, Deborah Mitz, Gerry Briere, Padrino Limousine Services, Center for Communication and Hearing, just to name a few.
