By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Lea and Roy Black at The Blacks’ Annual Gala 2013

Lea and Roy Black have a magical way of bringing together “A-list celebrities, social icons, business titans and top legal minds” every year for their annual gala.  What began as a party for 450 at the Blacks’ home nearly 20 years ago has grown into one of the most highly anticipated events of the social season, with nearly 700 guests in attendance this year.  The Blacks’ Gala took place at the Fontainebleau on Saturday night to benefit The Consequences Charity and its programs with Teach for America, Breakthrough Miami and Big Dreams for Kids, for which they gala has raised roughly $12 million over the past 19 years. Part of the magic is that this event is actually a “fun gala” (not an oxymoron) which combines giving and celebrating by encompassing all of the elements that make for a perfect party:  hundreds of stylish, interesting and/or beautiful people; one-of-a-kind auction items- at a bargain; top notch entertainment; gourmet food and free-flowing cocktails to get everyone in a celebratory and spending mood.  The best part? It’s all for kids in need. 

The star-studded charity event began with a Grey Goose cocktail reception, and silent auction, followed by a gourmet dinner, performance by American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks and a live auction which featured a walk-on role in an upcoming Michael Bay movie, a one year lease on a 2013 all-new body style Range Rover, Jeffrey Rackover jewelry and Hublot watch to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore Haute Living magazine kicked off Art Basel with an event Vogue called one of the most anticipated of the week. The dinner party hosted by Daphne Guinness, Dom Pérignon and Roger Dubuis in celebration of Guinness’ collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis called The Velvet Collection, which was Haute Living’s Basel Issue Cover story. Sixty guests gathered in the courtyard of the posh Villa Azur restaurant on December 5, at a table covered with violet roses to matched Guinness’ Haute Living cover shot taken by Nick Knight. Even Martha Stewart could resist snapping a few photos of the table. The elegant party was crawling with celebrities, VIPs and A listers as guests included Martha Stewart, Karolina Kurkova, Russell Simmons, Ray Allen, Lea Black, Marysol Patton, Stephen Dorff, IWC President Gianfranco D’Attis,street artist, Alec Monopoly, DJ Irie and, of course,Ms. Guinness herself. Dom Pérignon showed off a bottle with a glowing label by fellow creative soul, David Lynch. Earlier in the day, Diane von Furstenberg’s launched her limited edition Evian bottle at a lunch at Soho Beach House alongside guests Russell Simmons, Chelsea Handler and Andre Balazs.

Juanes, Karen Martinez, Juan Luis Guerra , St. Jude Patients Victor, Stephan and Carlos

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The stars came out en masse for the tenth annual FedEx/St.Jude Angels & Stars Gala on Saturday, May 19. Actress/supermodel Daisy Fuentes, and Latin power-couple, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Juanes and TV host/actress Karen Martinez, served as the celebrity chairs and were on-hand to mingle with guests at the JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami. More than 800 guests enjoyed a Grey Goose cocktail reception, seated dinner and live performances by gorgeous Spanish, Grammy Award-winner, David Bisbal and Vicente Garcia.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra got a standing ovation when he was presented with the Al-Rashid Hope Award for his tireless commitment to providing resources for needy children in Dominican Republic and Latina America, particularly in the areas of health, sports and education.

“I am honored to receive this award during such a special year like the 50th anniversary celebration of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Guerra. “While I am passionate about music, I care even more about providing children with the best care, so they can live happy, healthy lives.”

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By: Maryanne Salvat

 15^th Annual Brunch for the Animals

Dogs and their owners are invited to attend the 15th annual Brunch for the Animals on Sunday, December 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event, hosted by TV personality Louis Aguirre from Deco Drive, will take place at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel at 1601 Collins Avenue. Co-Chairpersons are Louis Aguirre, Selene Arvesu, Gingi Beltran, Irene Korge, Ann Rubino and Maggie Villacampa. Two-legged guests will enjoy a scrumptious holiday brunch while sipping on cocktails and taking in the magnificent view from the lawn of the hotel. Our four-legged attendees will dine on a home cooked meal from the Loews Loves Pets Room Service Menu. Owners are encouraged to dress their dogs in holiday wear.G uests can start their holiday shopping early at the exciting silent auction and merchant booths that will be set up, including an exciting vintage booth called Scrappy’s Vintage Corner. Admission is $150 per person (dogs are complimentary). Children ages 3-10 are $35 per person. Valet parking is available for $25 or there is a public garage across the street on 16th Street. Seating is limited so RSVP early. Call Laurie at 305-749-1815. 

GEE Beauty Hosts Lea Black’s Sudden Youth Skincare Debut Fete and Pop-Up Shop 

GEE Beauty, the modern makeup and skincare studio, welcomes Real Housewives of Miami star and Sudden Youth Skincare founder, Lea Black, for the launch of her new line with a pop-up store at Bal Harbour Shops. Kicking off the unveiling with a cocktail fête on Thursday, December 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Lea will mingle and treat guests with the Sudden Youth Skincare mini facial experience. The pop-up shop is open from Thursday, December 8, through Sunday, December 11. Lea will also be on-hand Friday, December 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information call 305.868.3533. 

Chef Daniel Boulud and Mixologist Xavier Hérit Present: Amuse-Bouches for Her & For Him 

Chef Daniel Boulud and Restaurant DANIEL’s renowned mixologist Xavier Herit are making their way to Miami on Monday, December 12, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., to welcome cocktail aficionados with a sultry evening of delicious concoctions paired with Boulud’s legendary cuisine – served in small bites. The celebration takes place in the Bar and Lounge of Miami’s favorite new restaurant, db Bistro Moderne, and now also Downtown’s hottest drinks destination. Guests will depart with a signed copy of “Cocktails and Amuse-Bouches: For Her & For Him”, the chef’s charming new two-volume boxed set published by ASSOULINE. Event cost is $95 per person (includes a signed copy of book). For more information or to buy tickets contact 305.421.8800.

Jason Taylor Foundation Hosts 3CiNTERACTIVE  

While Miami Dolphins All-Pro Jason Taylor is preparing for his team’s upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jason Taylor Foundation is preparing for one of its most popular events, the 3Cinteractive JT’s Ping-Pong Smash 8 – Presented by Publix, the original celebrity, doubles table-tennis tournament.  Proceeds from the event, which will take place on Monday, December 12 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, will benefit the Jason Taylor Foundation, whose mission is to support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life. This one-of-a-kind event will once again pair community members with some of the Sunshine State’s most recognizable personalities from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including Taylor, as well as many current and former Miami Dolphins players.  The duos will compete in a round-robin style ping-pong tournament while raising money for local children’s charities. The fun-filled, electric atmosphere will also feature DJ Laz of Power 96 filling the arena with today’s hottest music, in addition to the LuckyFan Fun Zone, where those in attendance can enjoy a Best Buy gaming station, haircuts, interactive games and more! Prior to the action that evening, JTF will put on the fourth-annual Ping-Pong Smash Kids Clinic – Presented by the Miami Dolphins.  Nearly 100 deserving children will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the world’s fastest sport from former Puerto Rican Junior National Table Tennis Champion and two-time JT’s Ping-Pong Smash Champion, Juan Ly.  The Kids Clinic will take place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., also at Hard Rock Live. Doors open for the 3Cinteractive JT’s Ping-Pong Smash 8 – Presented by Publix at 5:30 p.m. Admission to the event is a $5.00 donation to the Jason Taylor Foundation.  For more information, call (954) 424-0799 or visit www.jasontaylorfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/jasontaylorfoundation.

Celebrate the Holidays with Exciting Events at Zoo Miami

This holiday season Zoo Miami is hosting a myriad of exciting and fun activities for everyone. At Zoo Miami, guests can enjoy beautiful animal-shaped lights as they stroll zoo walkways during the 8 nights of Zoo Lights, have Dinner with Santa, and watch the animals open their specially-prepared gifts during Holiday Gifts for the Animals.

The zoo’s glorious grounds come to light for 8 brilliant nights during Zoo Lights, December 16 through 23 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. (ticket booths close at 9:30 p.m.). Guests can enjoy dozens of bright animal-shaped lights along walkways, listen to wonderful holiday music, sip hot chocolate, munch on delicious cookies, and take a ride on a camel, the wildlife carrousel or the hippo slide (the world’s largest inflatable slide). Included with admission is a pair of 3D glasses, which will make the Zoo Lights experience even more engaging and amusing. General admission is only $5 per person plus tax. Food, beverages, camel rides, carrousel and hippo slide are all available at additional costs.

Dinner with Santa will take place on December 17, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Bring the kids to meet him before he has to rush back to the North Pole! Enjoy a delicious holiday dinner with the family, photos with Santa, a holiday plush gift and holiday craft-making for the little ones!

Dinner with Santa admission includes parking, entry to Zoo Lights from 7:00 to10:00 p.m. and a classic holiday menu of fresh roasted turkey with homemade gravy, baked ham, candied sweet potatoes with melting marshmallows, herbed buttery carrots, homemade cranberry sauce, dinner rolls with butter, homemade seasonal pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, strawberry-infused lemonade, and cranberry mint-infused water. General admission is $39.95 per adult and $33.95 per child ages 3-12. Zoo members are $36.95 per adult and $30.95 per child ages 3-12. Children ages 2 and under are free. To make a reservation, call 305-251-0400, ext 84941.

Another fun family activity is Holiday Gifts for the Animals! Every weekend in December, including Christmas Day, watch the animals joyfully open holiday gifts prepared by zookeepers and volunteers. The animals enjoy opening up their enriching gifts and you’ll be entertained watching them. To save time, buy your tickets online at www.zoomiami.org. Zoo Miami’s regular hours are 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; ticket booths close at 4:00 p.m.

Lea Black

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Lea Black worked the room like a “hundred thousand dollar hooker” (her words) during the animated auction at the Blacks’ Annual Gala at the Eden Roc Renaissance on Saturday night –the party of parties- which gets bigger and better every year.  While the event is technically hosted by Lea AND Roy Black – Roy admiringly introduced his wife prior to her taking the stage by admitting that he is just a “Househusband.” Who ever thought we’d see the day?  A beaming Roy looked on as Lea- stunning in a low-cut, sparkly, black Versace gown which showed off her newly trim and toned “everything” worked the room like only she can. And what a room it was…wall to wall rectangular tables covered in silk silver tablecloths, surrounded by Miami’s who’s who, enjoying a gourmet meal served family style.  Recent Celebrity Apprentice alum, Grammy Award winning artist/actress/Diva Dionne Warwick wowed the crowd with a mini-concert of her most famous songs, including “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” which had some guests singing along arm-in-arm.  Warwick departed abruptly, perhaps to get some beauty sleep, the reason for her firing from Celebrity Apprentice.

After dinner, guests were escorted into the Pompeii Ballroom, for the “Nightclub Experience,” where DJ Irie spun great dance music until after midnight, when Grammy Award winning singer/record producer, Pharrell took to the stage to perform and work the crowd into a frenzy. The feisty and seemingly tipsy, Brazilian wild child, Adriana de Moura joined Pharell on-stage, dancing with the rapper, and with Roy Black, who was also up there, with a  gaggle of gals. Read the rest of this entry »

Lara and Fati Rosenberg

By: Maryanne Salvat and Mary Jo Shore

msalvat@miamisocialholic.com

MIYO Home owners, Fati Rosenberg and Stephanie Jourdan, opened their hearts and the doors to their fabulous showroom last Thursday to host a chic event to benefit the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation. The MIYO Home “Chair-ity” joined forces with eight local artists, including Iran Issa-Kahn, Seth Browarnik, Hillary Scrutis, Briggs Solomon, Fernando Wong, Robert Zemnickis and Thom Filicia, each of whom decorated a MIYO Home Chair with his own unique vision, using the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation for inspiration.  The one-of-a kind pieces were auctioned off at Thursday’s cocktail to raise over $30,000 for the foundation.

Well-heeled guests braved the decorative rocks in MIYO’s Zen Garden to admire the creative works such as the Patton Group’s, “Miami Housewives” chair, covered top to bottom with a collage of decoupage newspaper clippings and accentuated by a rhinestone pink flamingo in the middle, signed by the RHOM “fab four:” Lea Black, Alexia Echeverria, Adriana de Moura, and of course Marysol Patton, each of whom spent a good deal of time delighting in their carefully positioned press cut-outs.  Iran Issa-Khan’s chair incorporated her famed coral formations and included a list of well-known actors and artists suffering from the debilitating disorder. Celebrity photographer Seth Browarnik’s creation was positioned on a swatch of red carpet.  How apropos!

Fati Rosenberg, a long-time supporter of the cause said, “The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation is very near and dear to me. It’s the first charitable organization fully committed to furthering the study of early-onset bipolar disorder. I am appreciative to have the support of the artists who’ve contributed their talent and effort to help me draw awareness and educate our community about this debilitating condition.”  Read the rest of this entry »