A Return to Something Restorative

Rebecca Matchett, Aldon James, Veronika Ullmer, Chrishaunda Lee, and Alex Garfield amongst Dress For Success staff and supporters.

Last Wednesday night at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park, the club presented Dress for Success® Worldwide (www.dressforsuccess.org [1]) with its distinguished Citation of Merit.

The occasion marks the first time the National Arts Club’s Fashion Committee recognized a charity for its contributions to the community. Among those attending were Joi Gordon, CEO, Dress for Success Worldwide; Veronica Ullmer, VP of Global Communications, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Andrew Rosen of Theory, Rebecca Matchett of Rebecca & Drew Manufacturing, Aldon James, President of the National Arts Club, and Chrishaunda Lee, NAC Fashion Committee Chair.

Dress for Success® Worldwide works to provide thousands of disadvantaged women with professional attire, a network of support, as well as the career development tools needed to help them thrive in both work and life. On behalf of the Fashion Committee, members of the National Arts Club will be donating women’s business attire to the charity.

Rebecca Matchett, Aldon James, Veronika Ullmer, Chrishaunda Lee, and Alex Garfield

To celebrate, Dress for Success® Worldwide paid tribute to the numerous corporate donors in the fashion and beauty industries who have made this achievement possible. Special recognition was made to Bobbi Brown of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Andrew Rosen of Theory, Rebecca Matchett of Rebecca & Drew Manufacturing and Alex Garfield.

Dress for Success® is an international not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and a network of support to help them thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success® has expanded to more than 90 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland and the U.K. To date, Dress for Success® has helped more than 450,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.

Aldon James and Chrishaunda Lee

Vania Wynter and daughter

Chrishaunda Lee and Rebecca Matchett

Veronika Ullmer

Vania Wynter, Aldon James, and Chrishaunda Lee

The New York kickoff for this year’s Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala was held at the studio of fashion designer Naeem Khan, at 260 West 36th Street. Naeem and Ranjana Khan hosted the cocktail reception along with Gala Co-Chairs Princess Yasmin Aga Khan and Allen Brill.

The evening was in anticipation of the Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala, themed “After 25 Years…A Sparking Silver Celebration,” which will take place on Tuesday, October 28 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel.

The annual Rita Hayworth Gala is one of New York City’s most successful fundraising events. Last year, they raised more than $2 million. In the past 24 years, the Rita Hayworth Galas in New York and Chicago have raised more than $50 million for Alzheimer’s Association care, support and research programs. Princess Yasmin established the Gala in memory of her mother, Rita Hayworth, who suffered from the disease for many years before her death.

Lily Safra will be the 2008 Rita Hayworth Award recipient and the Hearst Corporation, Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is the 2008 Corporate Award recipient. Rolex Watch USA, Inc. is Underwriting the Gala.

For Gala ticket information, contact the Gala Benefit Office, at (212) 843-1712, fax to (212) 843-1730 or e-mail alz@hgnyc.com.

For press information, contact Mitchell Manning Associates, at (212) 980-1711, or fax to (212) 980-1615.

Ranjana and Naeem Khan

Paula Bacchini and Chele Upton Chiavacci

Alexandra Lebenthal, Somers Farkas, and Princess Yasmin Aga Khan

Elizabeth de Kergorlay and Barbara Bancroft

Ingrid Connolly and Dr. John Connolly

Ranjana Khan, Stephen and Louise Kornfeld, and Donna D'Cruz

John and Margo Catsimatidis

Deborah Grubman

Lonnie Wollin, Lynne Carey, and Harry Johns

Barbara Tober

Jay McInerney and Anne Hearst McInerney

Khaliya Aga Khan and Prince Hussain Aga Khan

Allen Brill and Princess Yasmin Aga Khan

The New York Botanical Garden was the setting two weeks ago for the Rose Garden Dinner Dance. The dinner dances at the New York Botanical Garden always have the additional element of natural beauty surrounding.

The Rose Garden Dinner Dance celebrated the beauty of the rose and the Garden’s stunning display in its autumn bloom. It’s a fundraiser and it draws a certain kind of philanthropic point of view. Beauty counts and runs deep. They raised $700,000 on this night.


	The Garden Terrace Room table setting

They honored Eliot and Roly Nolen who are long standing supporters of horticulture, plant science and education benefiting the Botanical Garden. The Nolens’ relationship with the NYBG goes back a quarter century. Without knowing the Nolens, that tells you something important about them.

This year’s dinner dance also commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden which now features more than 3000 plants and 600 varieties of roses. Brand new beds of floribundas grace the center aisle. Spectacular new varieties add depth to the collections that were started last year. Along the back border new Delbards and Barneys, which have never been available in the United States before, are now on view. Drift roses from France and Veranda roses from Germany add to the international diversity of specimens.

The dinner dances at the NYBG are just that – in the old fashioned sense. The women dress for the occasion and the men are in black tie. You know the room is filled with people who love the environment of a garden and this one is brilliant. It’s a festive affair with a good dinner and a great dance orchestra and a lot of dancing, a return to something restorative.

The chairmen of the evening were Jean and Harry Burn and Dotty and Lionel Goldfrank. Honorary Chairs were Sharen and James Benenson and Anne and Thomas Hubbard.