No matter how many runway shows are held in New York during September Fashion Week, guests who attended the inaugural Chinese Fashion Night Gala can guarantee that not a single garment shown will come close to the breathtaking elaborate creations that were the centerpiece of the inaugural Chinese Charity Beauty Fund event.
Drawn from the Legend of the Dragon collection of Guo Pei, the queen of China’s haute couture, gowns encrusted in actual gold, painstakingly embroidered with elaborate matching headpieces and coordinated sky-high platform shoes were shown by models on a centerpiece stage and later featured in an astonishing runway show set up amidst diners in the Pierre Hotel ballroom.
Besides ogling the magnificent garments, guests enjoyed shrimp on a bed of cold soba noodles, Chinese style sticky beef ribs or lemon grass poached salmon, and red bean swirl cheesecake. We listened to a special performance by Chinese American opera star Hao Jiang Tian and applauded Vivienne Tam, first successful Chinese designer in the United States who was the evening’s honoree.
Organized by glamorous Chinese power force and entrepreneur Yue-Sai Kan, (Photo of Yue-sai) the evening’s proceeds are designated for the CCBF’s Scholarship Fund at the Fashion Institute of Technology to enable talented designers from China to study at FIT. To boost that fund, items were raffled and auctioned, and two lucky guests purchased their own Guo Pei creations to take home: an elaborate gold evening gown and a hundred butterflies embroidered shawl.
The event attracted an eclectic crowd of notables. Among them was Dr. Ruth Westheimer, artist Anh Duong, model Karolina Kurkova and several members of the FIT Couture Council. Here are some snapshops of the guests. www.friendsofchinabeauty.com
