Steps to the Cure

I don’t often watch reality shows on TV – except for research, of course.  I got thoroughly sucked into “Dancing with the Stars” while I was gathering background material for Hannah’s latest adventure, Dead Man Dancing, but how was I to know that I’d soon be swept completely and thoroughly into the one reality show of which I am an enormous (and closet!) fan – Bravo’s Project Runway.You know the show. Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, twelve contestants mentored by Tim Gunn compete to create fashions, usually to a theme, and with restrictions on budget, time and materials.  Judges include show regulars Klum, American designer Michael Kors, Elle editor-at-large Nina Garcia and a fourth ‘wild card’ like a fashion designer or a celebrity.  The field is narrowed to three (sometimes four) finalists, who prepare a complete fashion collection to be presented at prestigious NY Fashion Week in Bryant Park. 

But only one can be the winner. 

Last year’s winner of Project Runway was Christian Siriano. And it was Christian -- an Annapolis, Maryland native, by the way, who started out designing hair at the Annapolis Bubbles Salon -- who the Larry and Lori Lickstein Foundation tapped as MC for their inaugural fundraiser, Steps to the Cure.

Shattering the image of a traditional fundraiser, this progressive, arts-driven event benefited the distinct needs of Maryland breast cancer patients, thousands of whom are helped every year through the Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, Fuchsia Foundation, Kids Konnected, and The Red Devils.

I was one of 29 survivor/models who claimed the catwalk at Baltimore’s amazing American Visionary Art Museum one recent October evening, wearing a unique gown created for me by designer Gabrielle Jolly, one of the students hand-selected to design for the event from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Here's a picture of me with Gabe and the other model she designed for, Amy Funk.

My day as a model began with makeup and a new hairdo courtesy of The Edge Studio, a trendy spa on Bank Street in Baltimore.  An hour later, as is often the case with the models on the TV show, I was being sewn into my gown.

Nevertheless, when I struck a pose behind the Project Runway silhouette screen  

awaiting my 28 seconds of fame on the runway – walk-walk-pause-hip-hip-turn -- I felt like a movie star!

 

Note the necklace.  On loan from Radcliffe Jewelers of Pikesville, the two gorgeous strands of perfectly-matched south sea island pearls, garnets and diamonds bore a $35,000 price tag, more than my new car.  As Christian Siriano remarked as the last of us disappeared backstage after our final fashion parade, “There’s a security guard back there, waiting to take back the jewelry.”

Happily, I get to keep the gown.         

Fabulous food, an open bar, an amazing goody bag, and free shoes from Oka b topped the evening.

For the curious, here’s more about Steps to the Cure from B and from the Baltimore Sun.

Photos courtesy of author Kate Charles, who looked equally smashing at the event, wearing an original jacket by Annapolis designer, Ahni. 

 

 

 

Comments

[Ronli]

Good for people to know.