CHICAGO –
Preparations are underway for the 54th
Annual Gold Coast Fashion Award Show, the
signature fundraising event of The
Children’s Service Board, an affiliated
organization of Children’s Memorial
Hospital.
This year’s event is scheduled for
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at the
Hilton Chicago.
This year’s
show will include individual store-sponsored
segments from prestigious Chicago retailers
and a competition segment where emerging
designers compete for the coveted Gold Coast
Fashion Award. Guests will be treated to
fashion through philanthropy as they view a
fabulous display of elegant and high-end
fashions in an array of categories from
sportswear to evening wear.
Turner
Construction is the corporate sponsor for
the show.
This year’s
designers include: Christian Cota, Ina
Soltani, Cesar Galindo, Romona Keveza,
Venexiana, Angel Chang, Robert Rodriguez and
Thuy. Retail presentations of fall fashions
will be presented by Dennis Basso, Chalk
Boutique presenting kaufmanfranco, Escada,
J. Mendel, Michael Kors, The Lake Forest
Shop presenting Michael De Paulo, Mark Shale
presenting the men’s segment, Neapolitan
presenting Andrew Gn, Neiman Marcus
presenting Fendi and Saks Fifth Avenue
presenting Yigal Azroel.
Fashions from
both the designers and retailers are
presented in a fast-paced, live runway show.
The competition segment opens the show and
allows audience members to view the
designers’ fashions before casting a ballot
for their favorite. The designer who
receives the most votes returns the
following year to receive the Gold Coast
Fashion Award and to present his or her fall
collection. Last year’s winner, Norman
Ambrose, will open the show with his fall
collection and is scheduled to be at the
event to accept the award. David Yurman will
host the Grand Staircase entrance during the
cocktail hour with displays of fabulous
jewelry. Gold Coast Fashion Award winners
from previous years include Oleg Cassini,
Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Donna Karan, Pamela
Dennis, Angel Sanchez , Maria Pinto, Sully
Bonnelly, Heidi Weisel, Monique Lhullier,
Dennis Basso and Gustavo Cadile.
The 54th Annual
Gold Coast Fashion Award Show will take
place in the International Ballroom of the
Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Avenue on
Wednesday, September 9, 2009. A cocktail
reception begins at 11:00 a.m. followed by
the luncheon at noon and the fashion
presentation at 1:00 p.m. Individual tickets
are $150. Tables of 10 may be reserved at
the Benefactor Level for $5,000, which
includes premier seating or the Patron Level
for $3,500, which allows preferred seating.
For tickets or more information, call
773-880-8214 or visit childrensmemorial.org/fashionshow
Proceeds from
the show will go towards The Children’s
Service Board’s commitment to support the
Division of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s
Memorial, the largest provider of general
pediatric surgery in the Chicago area. Last
year’s show raised more than $585,000.
Co-chairs for this year’s show are Janette
Acton of Lemont and Jeniece Higgins of Lake
Forest.
Children’s
Memorial Hospital, Chicago, is recognized as
one of the top pediatric hospitals in the
country by rankings published in U.S.
News & World Report and
serves as a
major regional referral center.
Its physicians
are on the faculty at Northwestern
University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
The hospital is currently engaged in the
Heroes for Life campaign to raise a
minimum of $600 million to help create Ann &
Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of
Chicago and support its medical and nursing
professionals, programs and research.
As a
not-for-profit organization, Children’s
Memorial relies on philanthropy to help
provide care to 126,000 patients and their
families every year.
For more information, please visit
www.childrensmemorial.org or
www.heroesforlife.org