Fashion, VIPs, Celebrities, Royal Families and first ladies all gathered under one roof at on September 23rd at historic The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York. Donna Karan along with Caroline Scheufele, Creative Director and Co-President of Chopard, Debbie Levin, President of the Environmental Media Association, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC and Gery Keszler, CEO of Life Ball/AIDS Life. Rony Meisler, CEO of Reserva, were all honored for their services.
F4D works in partnership with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to implement creative strategies for sustainable economic growth, wellness and independence of communities worldwide through the expression of fashion. Pairing diplomacy and fashion for the greater good of women and children worldwide, F4D’s First Ladies Luncheon will coincide with the Sixty- Ninth Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“As Fashion 4 Development enters its fifth year, I am thrilled to honor a woman that has done so much for the advancement of fashion in this country and abroad,” says Evie Evangelou, founder and President of Fashion 4 Development. “Donna Karan along with our other distinguished honorees including Caroline Scheufele, Debbie Levin, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and Gery Keszler have all affected positive social change and for that we honor them.”
Donna Karan received this year’s Medal of Honor for her work with artisans around the world in helping to promote a Soulful Economy. Through the marriage of philanthropy and commerce, she is helping to grow a sustainable economy through job creation, design and artisanal education and network development for a global marketplace. Scheufele is receiving this year’s Fashion 4 Development Award for her role in launching Chopard’s “The Journey to Sustainable Luxury”, an ethical multi-year program that aims at including environmental, social and ethical practices in Chopard’s jewelry and watch – making processes. And Levin received this year’s Eco Award for her leadership as President of the Environmental Media Association.
Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC, the world’s largest NGO, was honored with this year’s Women’s Champion Award for his outstanding contributions to social improvement. Receiving F4D’s League of Gentlemen Award was Keszler for his incredible efforts in support of AIDS awareness and research. Meisler will serve as this year’s Poster Gentleman for his support of young social entrepreneurs throughout Brazil.
In keeping with F4D’s mission, the event will spotlight couture from regions not often associated with the production and design of luxury, high-end fashion. A fashion runway show exhibited featured designs and products from Stella Jean of Italy and Ali Karoui of Tunisia. Other special presenters include F4D Good Will Ambassador and Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia Franca Sozzani along with last year’s honoree and Founder of The Green Carpet Challenge Livia Firth along with Rida Khan president Style TV. First Lady of the United Nations, Madame Ban Soon-Taek and Crown Princess Mette Marit also attended the event as honored guests.
Last year’s event coincided with the 68th session of the UNGA and was hosted by F4D’s President & Founder, Evie Evangelou, Franca Sozzani, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia and an F4D Goodwill Ambassador and President of Advanced Development for Africa (ADA) Coumba Touré. Emceed by CBS journalist Margaret Brennan, over thirty-five First Ladies from around the globe were in attendance.
Partners for this year’s Luncheon include Unilever and Skin Inc. F4D and Unilever, through its health soap Lifebuoy, have joined forces to amplify the lifesaving power of handwashing with soap. The “Help A Child Reach 5” campaign, which aims to save 600,000 children’s lives each year by decreasing deaths from preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia through the simple act of handwashing with soap, will be presented during the event. Skin Inc has helped to create the F4D-Skin Inc Designer Fund which supports one designer each year, selected by Franca Sozzani, to be featured at the First Ladies Luncheon. This year’s featured designer is Stella Jean. Although her workshop is based in Rome, Jean has partnered with ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative to create sustainable designs produced in Africa. Other sponsors inclu Fashion 4 Development’s 4th Annual Official First Ladies Luncheon is by invitation only. For more information on F4D, please visit http://www.fashion4development.com and www.f4dtv.com