Shopping and Giving

January 22, 2007

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

We all like to help out where and when we can, don’t we? And if I can do that by going on a full day shopping spree, trolling down some of NYC’s hippest streets on a gorgeous afternoon, spending someone else’s money on great clothes??? Then I am so in! Well thanks to a great charity that’s exactly how I spent my Saturday a few weeks ago ... and oh what a day it was.

I was contacted by Denise Rich and the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research, an organization that was created in 1996 by Denise Rich in memory of her daughter Gabrielle Rich Aouad, who passed away at the age of 27 after a long and valiant struggle with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). The foundation is the product of Gabrielle's wish; that a foundation be created to help spare others the suffering that she endured. They were hoping that I would be able to contribute something of mine for the cause, and of course, I couldn’t refuse.

They came up with the idea of auctioning off a “One-on-One Fashion Consultation” with yours truly, and though I was hesitant at first to go in blindly (I had no idea what to expect!), I knew it was for a good cause and just hoped that I would at least get ONE bid! Nevertheless, the stars were aligned and a very generous mother with a fashion-crazed daughter in need of some wardrobe tweaking was the lucky one to snatch me up … all in the name of an amazing cause.

Long story short, I met Vanessa, a gorgeous and vivacious 24 year-old law student studying in D.C. who was desperately in need of some proper age appropriate business attire, as well as a little sophistication infused into her post-college wardrobe. Oh, but I must admit that my nerves were a bit more calmed after catching this particular tidbit from one of her emails great “… I'm 5'4 and always wear heels…”

…somehow I just knew we would get along perfectly.

I had also invited someone along for the excursion, my good friend, sometimes crazy, freelance fashion character and Teen Vogue Fashion Assistant, James. I knew that we would make the most efficient, focused team for this girl in need, and through our combined forces we would not let her or the fashion gods down and DISAPPOINT! So the budget was set at $1,500 (plus if we found a pair of Manolo’s we could get those as well … a present that was never used, a reward for getting into law school last year), and with a basic work wardrobe at home that lacked oomph, going-out clothes that said “college co-ed” more than “young professional” and a full day ahead of us, we set out with high aspirations and a full wallet.

READ MORE > >