Pink Inspiration

Almost two weeks ago (sorry for the delay, it’s been a busy fall so far!), a flurry of pink took on Central Park. No, there was not a festival featuring gobs of cotton candy, nor did a little girl’s princess party run wild. Sunday, September 13^th was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 5K run/walk to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer.

As you may recall, I took part in this year’s Race for the Cure as part of Team Caroline, a team put together in honor of my friend Caroline, who’s been bravely fighting breast cancer since this past winter. Our team—Caroline included—met in front of the Museum of Natural History on the morning of the race, feeling invigorated by the gorgeous, sunny weather and the huge crowd that had already arrived.

There were over 25,000 people participating in this year’s race, and everyone appeared to be in the best of spirits, bright and energized and excited to be out in support of such a worthy cause. And there was pink everywhere—pink hats, pink shirts, pink spray-painted hair, pink motorcycles, even a pink dog, as everyone did their best to don the color that represents breast cancer awareness.

As for our team, we were thirteen members strong, and we were ready to get started. After introductory remarks from a group of notables that included Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Paterson, Uma Thurman, Cyndi Lauper, Judge Judy, and Stephen Colbert, the runners began, followed by the walkers.

I and several other team members headed out with the runners, while the rest of the team set out with the walkers. As I ran, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it was that so many people had turned out in support of their friends, family members, and the millions of women who have been affected by breast cancer. Particularly inspiring were the breast cancer survivors, shining brightly in pink survivor t-shirts and hats that showed us all that they had fought breast cancer and won. And I found myself getting chills each time I passed a runner or walker wearing a tribute bib in honor of a friend or loved one who was either currently fighting the disease or who had sadly been taken away by it.

But nothing was more moving than crossing the finish line and then cheering Caroline on as she made her way across. Despite the ordeal she’s been through over the past few months, she crossed the finished line looking fit and fabulous and wearing a huge smile on her face—and that was worth more than all the money raised that day.

I’m proud to say that Team Caroline raised over $2,000 toward the fight against breast cancer. But the Race for the Cure isn’t over yet! Donations toward the race are being accepted until October 31, so please click here if you’d like to donate.

Fashion's Night Out

If you were anywhere in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue last night, you may have noticed that the area was a bit more crowded than usual. Or maybe you noticed that there were glasses of champagne flowing out of nearly every store and live models posing in entryways. What were all the festivities? Last night was Fashion’s Night Out, a global initiative coordinated by Vogue to promote retail and celebrate fashion. And quite a celebration it was, with over 700 retailers and fashion designers in New York taking part—and partying.

From 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., participating retailers were open to the public and essentially hosting a party, with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, desserts, DJs, and live models. Some stores offered special discounted prices, while others featured guest appearances by celebrities and designers, encouraging shoppers to come out in droves. And that they did. There were young folks and old folks, super trendy design types and business casual office workers, people in flip-flops and jeans and others in cocktail dresses and suits.

I jumped into the mix right at 6 p.m., when I dropped in on Banana Republic. Upon entering, I was informed that all full-price items would be 25% off until 11 p.m., at which point I bypassed the complimentary wine and appetizers and made a beeline for the new fall collection. There were plenty of beautiful items and great deals to choose from, but I decided to refrain from purchasing anything and instead scooped up a few guacamole-covered hors d’oeuvres before heading to Cartier to meet a friend.

At Cartier, the red carpet was rolled out, and guests were greeted by waiters handing out complimentary Cartier-branded champagne as soon as they entered the front doors. I gladly helped myself to a glass and began to browse the dazzling jewelry collection. In addition to the waiters at the door, more came around offering generous refills, while others carried trays of brightly colored macaroons in flavors like chocolate, passion fruit, caramel, fig, and pistachio. We helped ourselves to several before heading back out to explore what other stores had to offer.

In Fendi, there was more complimentary champagne, as well as a sales associate who encouraged us to try on furs that cost more than my parents’ house. Bottega Veneta was a bit quieter, while Escada felt like a dance club, with bright lights, blaring music, and cocktails.

DeBeers had a wonderful selection of finger sandwiches and miniature desserts, and Prada was packed with shoppers taking pictures of the store’s new wolf-themed display, which I found more frightening than fashionable. Next, we attempted to go to Bergdorf’s but were deterred by a line that wrapped all the way to the park. What kind of desserts were they serving in there? we wondered, before discovering that the line was due not to tasty treats but to Victoria Beckham, who was inside signing autographs.

We skipped that line, opting instead for Tiffany’s, where iced tea, coffee, and lemonade were being served alongside delicious petit fours that looked like the store’s signature blue box. On the third floor was a candy bar, where shoppers could fill their own goodie bags with more robin-egg-blue treats.

Beginning to crash from the sugar high that several glasses of champagne and piles of petite desserts are sure to induce, I decided to call it a night after Tiffany’s. But as I left Fifth Avenue, I could tell that, for many shoppers, the night was just beginning. I have no doubt the celebration continued until 11 p.m.—and possibly long after.

And I hope that the success of this year’s event means that they’ll do it all over again next year.