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| Looking east from 42nd and 10th Avenue. Photo: JH. |
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| Wednesday, June 11, 2014. Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy warm day yesterday in New York. The weather was perfect late afternoon when the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy hosted its Sunset Garden Party at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. |
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| It was also great weather a couple of days ago in Kenya where my friend Joy Ingham is visiting the giraffes with her daughter Stephanie and her children ... |
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| Which leads to a little catching up: two Mondays ago at Cipriani 42nd Street, The Nature Conservancy held its “Nature Matters” Gala to celebrate the ways that nature matters locally and around the world. More than six hundred attended, and they raised a bit more than $2.1 million. Dan Harris, co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline” and the weekend edition of “Good Morning America,” hosted the evening. |
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| These funds will support The Nature Conservancy’s mission to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. This is irrelevant and even unknown to many of us. Although gathering 600 people willing to give as much as was given, tells us something contrary. So why does “Nature Matter?” All of us are connected to it in our everyday lives—from the air we breathe and the food we eat, to the water we drink and the places where we play. Our growing needs, however, for food, water and energy are now straining the natural systems on which we depend. Working on land and in oceans, lakes and rivers, the Nature Conservancy’s global staff of more than 3,600—including 600 scientists—are on the ground in more than 35 countries to find and develop solutions to protect the planet and our livelihoods. One crucial solution is making everyone aware of the situation. Mother Earth doesn’t need us. We need her. |
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| This year’s Nature Conservancy Gala recognized two conservation leaders: The Butler Conservation Fund and The Walt Disney Company. The Butler Conservation Fund, and its founder Gilbert Butler, is dedicated to supporting the conservation, restoration, and protection of the environment as well as providing opportunities for outdoor education, especially for the younger generations of today. Environmental stewardship and nature conservation are a rich part of Disney’s history. Disney has been collaborating with the Nature Conservancy for more than 25 years, working on innovative approaches to protecting important lands and waters. |
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Two nights ago, also over at Cipriani 42nd Street, The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the FIT Foundation honored trustee and foundation chairman (and former Kohl’s president) Dr. Jay H. Baker; Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo; and jewelry designer, philanthropist, and FIT trustee Joan Hornig at its annual gala.
Then George Hornig surprised his wife, honoree Joan Hornig, by announcing a $100,000 scholarship in her name to be given to a Jewelry Design student who has demonstrated a commitment to giving back. Alber Elbaz presented the award to Linda Fargo. “Linda,” he said, “is a dreamer, but Linda is also a doer .... You push all of us designers to design with no fear because you love original design.” Linda is the quintessential New Yorker. A woman from the Midwest who came to the Big Town to make a big life. Focus and serendipity guided her spirit to Bergdorf Goodman at just the moment Bergdorf Goodman was going to be in need of a guide. You’ve read here about their windows numerous times. Because they are always changing and always beautiful and intriguing and compelling. This is one of Linda Fargo’s achievements. I’ve never worked for her or with her, but I’ve got to know her well enough to know that she’s still that girl with those solid Midwestern values that are the foundation of her gifts to New York. You can see it on her face in that picture I took of her just outside Cipriani this past Monday night. |
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| This was a real New York Fashion event. Co-chairs were Pamela Baxter, Joy Herfel Cronin, Victoria Elenowitz, Yaz Hernandez, Jane Hertzmark Hudis,Joshua Shulman, and Liz Peek. The décor was created by Devin Bruce and included mannequins transformed by FIT students into fanciful birds. Anong those from the industry and its supporters: Amsale Aberra, James Aguiar, Dennis Basso, Erika Bearman, Hamish Bowles, Alex Bolen, Maria Buccellati, Lucrezia Buccellati, Alina Cho, Jeisa Chiminazzo, Jennifer Csengody, John Demsey, Ken Downing, Richard Ferretti, James Gager, Caroline Geerlings, Prabal Gurung, Carolina Herrera, Naeem Khan, Steven Kolb, George Kolasa, Jacqui Lividini, Federica Marchionni, Tamara Mellon, Josie Natori, Cristina Ottaviano, P.J. Pascual, Stefano Tonchi and David Maupin, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Adrienne Vittadini and Gigi Vittadini, and Diane von Furstenberg. |
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| Among those also attending: Patty Baker, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, President of FIT, Noreen Buckfire, Joy Herfel Cronin, Caren Brooks, Catherine Petree-Biron, Gabriel Rivera-Barraza, Victoria Elenowitz, Joele Frank, Jim Gold, Yaz Hernandez, Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Michele Gerber Klein, Lisa and David Klein, Jessica Joffe, Richard Lambertson, Alexandra Lebenthal, Larry Leeds, Kamie Lightburn, Julie and Billy Macklowe, Dawn Mello, Elizabeth Mussmano, Liz and Jeff Peek, Barbara Regna, Peter Scotese, Kelly and Michael Stanley, Kara Stanley, Joshua Schulman, Jean Shafiroff, Dr. Valerie Steele, and Barbara and Donald Tober. |
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| Also Monday night, at the University Club, The International Women’s Health Coalition was celebrating its 30th Anniversary at their annual gala where they also honored UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who was the keynote speaker. Dr. Ninuk Widyantoro, Co-Founder of YKP Women's Health Foundation, was presented with The Joan B. Dunlop Award. Ms. Dunlop, who died two years ago at age 78, was a founder of the IWHC, devoting her life to expanding women’s rights to control their own bodies. On her last day at work at the IWHC in 1998, she was presented with a volume of letters from women around the world describing what she had done for them. “It’s almost better than an obituary,” she was quoted in the New York Times, “because you’re not dead.” |
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| Most of at least half the human race (male) don’t know or don’t understand the issue of “reproductive rights” and “freedom to choose,” and not a few don’t want to know, basing their arguments on their beliefs. What the IWHC has done is to gather and educate women around the world in promoting the facts and the situation to making a healthier society. Ms. Dunlop originally became interested in the issues while working on population issues. |
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| The evening was chaired by Marlene Hess, who had the Secretary-General at her table. Among those attending: Wendy and Henry Breck, Jim Zirin, former New Jersey governor Tom Kean, Peter and Barbara Goergescu, Kathleen and John Gerard, Geoffrey Hoguet, Melinda and William vanden Heuval, Anna Bulgari, Nancy and Joe Missett, Samantha Topping Gellert and Michel Gellert; Kathy Lacey, Marnie Pillsbury, Michael Meehan, Sheila Labreque, Wendy and Bill Luers, David Knott, Susan and Peter Nitze, Ambassador Ib Peterson, who presented the Secretary-General with his award; Annalu Ponti; Lisa and David Schiff, June and Paul Schorr, Angela Thompson, Ann and Thomas Unterberg, Susan Solomon, Candace and Jonathan Wainwright, Lauren and John Veronis, Maureen White. |
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Photographs by Patrick McMullan.com | Contact DPC here. |