
Jenny Wilensky, Josh Fein, and Jillian Sanz
The Design Center for the Americas (DCOTA) was aglow in purple light on Thursday, May 19, for the highly anticipated, inaugural, Flare for Design, (intentional spelling) which merged the elements of high fashion and design to benefit the Southeast Florida Chapter of The Lupus Foundation of America. A chic crowd gathered at the center to bid on one-of-a kind auction items, sip cocktails and Veuve Clicquot champagne, nibble on gourmet food by Lyon & Lyon and Blade Sushi and enjoy an animated fashion show narrated by Haute Living’s National Fashion Director, Jilian Sanz, who looked “pretty in peach” in a floor-length, Luca Luca gown. The fashions, modeled by people living with Lupus, included designs donated by 100% Capri, Alice & Olivia, Elie Tahari, Luca Luca, Malo, Max Mara, Noble Experiment, Trina Turk and Valentino that were sold at a silent auctioned following the event. Guests were also treated to a musical performance by Rees Bridges from the Grammy Award winning band Dirty Vegas. Jenny Wilensky of Creative Fashion Agency Istylie, who lost her mother to Lupus last year, founded A Flare for Design in an effort to educate our community about the disease. “The highlight of the evening for me was the gift of giving these models living with Lupus the chance to shine for a night and to look and dress fabulous,” said Wilensky. “After they finished their finale down the runway, some of the girls broke down in tears of joy. Just to have given them this night and a chance to look and feel healthy and beautiful was extremely rewarding and fulfilling for me.”
A Flare for Design brought together the design community, philanthropists, business professionals and notable members of the media, including Josh Fein, Jose Ortiz, Brandon Phillips, Jason Clark, Joe Fava, Kamal Hotchandani, Luis Rigual, Aaron Glickman, Manny Hernandez, Nic Roldan, Peter & Kelly Gold, Sabrina Vela, Tony Cho, and Victoria Shapiro to name a few.
photo credit: Manny Hernandez and World Red Eye
Happy Anniversary, Mercadito
On Wednesday, May 18, Mercadito Midtown marked its one year anniversary with a party where guests enjoyed authentic bites and handcrafted cocktails. Like any true fiesta, a mariachi band put on a fantastic performance. Notables in attendance included Mercadito partner and chef, Patricio Sandoval, Belkys Nerey, Dana & Gary Shear, Alexia Echevarria, Lissette Gonzalez, Ashley Turchin, Jon Lin, Marysol Patton, Natalie Kalb and Yves Stoopen and a few hundred fans of the fabulous Mexican restaurant.
Five Years of Acqualina
Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach celebrated its five year anniversary on Monday, May 16, with an exclusive invitation-only, star-lit soiree hosted by Miami starlets, Claudia Brod, Allison Feldman, Christina Getty Maercks, Laura Buccellati and Acqualina General Manager, Sase Gjorsvoski. In celebration of the occasion, best-selling authors Amanda Goldberg (daughter of Leo Goldberg, creator of Charlies’ Angels) and Ruthanna Hopper (daughter of Dennis Hopper) signed copies of their latest novel, Beneath a Starlet Sky. The private cocktail reception was held on the resort’s gorgeous beachside front lawn and featured sparkling wine, cocktails and delectable passed hors d’oeuvres. DJ Shlomi kept the crowd dancing until the party’s end. We couldn’t help but remember the night of Acqualina’s grand opening, which seems like just yesterday, when we danced the night away in the company Dr. Sanford and Dolores Ziff (named “Power Couple of the Year” that year), who just adored the Pucci-designed sofa cushions set up for the event.
Rik Rak Springs into Beauty
On Thursday, May 12th, Rik Rak Salon & Spa and Gilt City held the Spring into Beauty event at Rik Rak’s newest location, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. Rik Rak’s trendsetting owners, Rik and Raquel Watters welcomed guests into their latest state-of-the-art, 4,000 square-foot, salon and spa –where guests admired the facilities and looked out onto downtown Miami and Biscayne Boulevard through the salon’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Those in attendance enjoyed a wide spectrum of miniature luxury services, wine, and sweet treats from Butter Cream Cupcakes & Coffee as well as assorted mini cheesecakes specially provided by the Cheesecake Gallery.
photo credit: Orlando Garcia