Wine, Women, Shoes and Lucky Rice

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

photo credit: World Red Eye

Wine, Women and Shoes...  

…three great things that are all the greater together- especially when combined to benefit the worthiest of causes.  Such was the case at the gorgeous home of Dan and Tina Carlo on Friday evening, for the official kick-off of Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation’s 3rd Annual Wine, Women and Shoes (WWS) event, presented by Roger Vivier. The elegant and sophisticated gathering took place in the Carlo’s pristine garden (in which we felt as though we were back in one of the castles in the Loire Valley), surrounding the majestic pool, where 150 well-heeled (pun intended) VIPs got a dose of Tina’s southern hospitality- as servers in hand-made raw silk jackets served seemingly endless exquisite dinner bites and cocktails from Le Basque catering. Lucy Morillo-Agnetti, President and CEO of Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation welcomed the stylish guests and thanked the gracious hosts for their warm welcome. Immediately afterward, event chairs, Criselda Breene (who was celebrating her ten year wedding anniversary with husband, Jonathan) and Carola Pimentel spoke about the expectations for the upcoming WWS event and announced that it is officially at capacity- despite being three months away! This came as no surprise, as the luncheon is truly one of the most fun and interactive events of the social season.  They also acknowledged WWS High Heel Presenting Sponsor, Roger Vivier and introduced Marie Ecot, the brand’s Director of Public Relations,who was in attendance. Guests stayed at the Carlo residence late into the evening, enjoying the company of a stellar group of philanthropists.  Read the rest of this entry »

Norman Wedderburn, Shareef Malnik, Gabrielle Anwar, & Robert Hill

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

On Saturday, November 2, the InterContinental® Miami was transformed into a night of magic and Vaudevillian shows for the celebration of Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida’s 19th Annual InterContinental® Miami Make-A-Wish Ball.  Nearly 1,000 generous A-listers joined celebrities in raising $2,020,421 for Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida. Actress Gabrielle Anwar served as celebrity auctioneer for the evening’s live auction while Grammy-nominated recording artist, and upcoming Glee star, Adam Lambert entertained guests with an energetic, hour-long performance.

Guests were in awe upon entering the reception which featured Vaudevillian vignettes with details and characters so well-conceptualized, that we felt as if we’d stepped into a parallel world, filled with magic and illusion.  We’re talking sword swallowers, traveling bands of minstrels and misfits, bars stocked with mysterious potions, a full-blown burlesque show and a “human” gorilla in a cage above the ballroom entrance.  As if this alone was not enough to  cause sensory overload, the Ball’s much buzzed-about, decadent food stations included a raw bar filled with oysters, lobster, shrimp, king crab and stone crabs and a full sushi bar.  And this was just the beginning. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Three little words that every socialite and business owner in Miami long to hear are, “Season is Here!”  Such was the sentiment last week at one of the most elegant events in quite some time.  In a setting that could have been mistaken for a set from The Great Gatsby, international jeweler Fawaz Gruosi, Founder and Creative Director of De Grisogono threw a glitzy and glamorous 20^th anniversary party to celebrate the inauguration of de Grisogono boutique in Bal Harbour Shops, on Thursday night at the waterfront estate of über developer, Ugo Colombo and wife, Sara. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

A Night on The RunWade 

Three-time  Miami HEAT Champion Dwyane Wade hosted a fashion fundraiser: A Night on the RunWade presented by Neiman Marcus, to benefit his Wade’s World Foundation on Thursday, September 26, at the Moore Building.  The evening featured a fashion show presented by Hublot featuring looks from Neiman Marcus Coral Gables and was emceed by fashion correspondent Jill Martin and Deco Drive’s Louis Aguirre.  Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception, food from some of Miami’s top restaurants, including, Zuma, Milos, Sugarcane, and Chef Adrienne’s (to name a few) silent and live auctions and music by DJ Irie.   No stranger to fancy moves involving a hoop, Wade descended onto the runway from three stories above, harnessed in a hoop- ala Cirque du Soleil.  Once on the runway, he showed off his dance moves to Jay-Z’s “Holy Grail,” to kick-off the fashion show. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Miami Rail’s Carnival Fun-Raiser 

On a perfect fall afternoon, Gallery Diet owners, Nina Johnson-Milewski and husband, Daniel Milewski welcomed hundreds of artists and art lovers to their beautiful 1920s home (complete with a pool with Titanic-inspired mosaics) to party, bounce, dunk, drink and feast at the Miami Rail’s anniversary Fun-Raiser, an “adult” carnival all in the name of art and culture (oft one in the same).  The fun, fashionable crowd gathered in support of The Miami Rail, the sister publication to The Brooklyn Rail, a non-profit literary journal, in its sixth edition with its seventh due in December—just in time for Art Basel (online at miamirail.org).   Nina describes the publication as one that, “is for people who are culturally invested in the arts, it offers a broader, in-depth perspective than other papers and magazines. We have artist-to-artist interviews, writer-to-writer interviews, poetry for each issue, reviews of galleries and museum exhibitions, architecture.” 

  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 took over Lincoln Center for seven days of runway shows and presentations.  Dozens of top names in fashion presented a variety of looks that, despite having been created for “spring” would be considered “year-round” fashion in sunny Miami.  As expected, resort wear ruled the runways- floral and artsy prints, pastels and patterns prevailed, as did sleek, structured pieces. Most designers celebrated the bare midriff, showcasing at least a few, if not several, crop tops. Black and white and monochromatic looks dominated Jill Stuart, Ralph Lauren, Cynthia Rowley, Rag & Bone, Victoria Beckham, and Altuzarra’s shows, to name a few.  

The shows were presented with fun and flair this season.  Diane von Furstenberg’s show seemed like an all-out 1970s-inspired dance party; Cynthia Rowley presented in a 19th century Gothic landmark, adorned with colorful, whimsical decorations; Prabal Gurung filled the room with the scent of roses for his show and Opening Ceremony took over the Super Pier to showcase clothes from models in luxury cars.  Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite shows this season. Read the rest of this entry »