Runway is "All About the Kids"

 

Even with my bad knee injury I've managed to limp through several Spring Runway shows. I decided to document some of them in my journal/blog since one day as I'm older and gray(er) I figure my kids (or cats) might want to know about some of the colorful things I've done in my life.

This particular show last March was for the charity, "It's All about the Kids" - that helps 600 disadvantaged youth in San Diego. My teaching for several years in poorer areas of SD definitely has made me aware of just how disadvantaged these kids are in comparison with so many of their peers - although they all have top of the line cell phones and IPODS that I don't have - shoot.

With a Brazilian Carnaval theme, the party took place at millionaire Jonathon Schiff's ocean side mansion in La Jolla. Being in a home, we did not have a normal catwalk, but had to model down a flight of stairs (ugh - how DO beauty pageant gals DO that without looking down??!!) and then onto a small elevated square room that was open on 2 sides so the crowd gathered to watch us.

 

A Brazilian-themed party meant teeny/tight swimtrunks for...thank GOD - the boys -- and not us women (phew!) Seeing the smoothly-waxed Wade and Scott strutting it without a care in the world brought back memories of when I brought my ex-Italian boyfriend Mik - lover of his own physique and teeny speedos - to LA to watch me in a runway show and he ended up being cast in it last-minute by the same gay producer, Leonard Simspon, who did this show. Leonard made Mik (who didn't flinch) strip to his bikini undies to study his body (oh yes he did-gay snap!) and after having him turn around and stared a bit he cut him from the speedo portion of that show (to Mik's chagrin) because he wasn't tanned evenly and he wasn't waxed - la la ha ha! Poor Mik, he's actually not that hairy, but one doesn't want to see soccer-short tan lines, nor nipple or under-belly-button hair on the runway. :P

 

My smooth-voice friend, Stephanie June, a host and producer of ShindyTV was there and got great coverage of the show. To check it out, click on link here.

And click below for slide show of runway pictures!

"It's Alll About the Kids" Runway

Hot Mamacitas walk the Runway for Mama's Kitchen

 I have one thing to say: "Chanel! Chanel! Chanel!" whew! This Fall I did a show benefiting the organization Mama's Kitchen (which delivers meals to those affected by AIDS). Staged by the superb fashion guru, Leonard Simpson it was held on a hot, but gorgeous day on the rooftop of the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego.  As usual, Leonard got us top of the line designer clothes to wear, as well as great accessories, hats, giant poodles and another breed of dog I can't even pronounce. There was even a trio of ballet dancers from California ballet company. Lots of fun and fabulous - it's hard not to feel great in his shows and benefiting yet another local cause. "Work it out!"

Mama's Kitchen Charity Runway show

Click above on photo album for more photos AND click on link below for a short video clip of the show - - go to "what's Hot playlist", scroll down and click on "Mama's Kitchen" and then click on 'Glimpse of the Fashions' Icon. Can you guess which one is me in black? Hint: the hips, ya'll dem Messican child-bearing hips are a giveaway...
http://www.letsplaydowntown.com/LPD_front_page/Navigation/Link_Nav_San_Diego_frameset.html

"Pretty in Pink"- Runway for a Cause..

Been working a lot of Fall runway shows lately. In September I was hired again this year (see blog from last year here) to do the Charity Runway show for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer/La Jolla MD Spa gala. Held again at the lovely La Jolla hotel, La Estancia, we again showcased Danish designer, Isabell Kristensen based in Monaco.Unlike last year - she wanted us to also do a bathing suit and lingerie (eek!) portion of the show. Well, after much hub-bub and me trying not to eat carbs for a week (I already barely eat carbs), I was chosen to only have to wear 1 bathing suit and no lingerie... the rest were regulated to the younger models from ages 17-24.
Even better - the day of the show, they took me out of my 1 bathing suit and gave it to an African American model with better.... um..assets.Plenty of money was rasied for a great cause and I wish I could have seen the look on all the umm, mainly Caucasian older affluent crowd, when the show started and some girls with thongs came out. Whew!

Click below to see yours truly "work it out" and open the gown segment of the show :)
http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=157252
AND to see some more footage including some familiar faces from elsamart's blog and some of the bathing suits and lingerie please click on link below and click on each icon box to view the short video clips.
http://www.letsplaydowntown.com/SanDiego/SDFashion/PrettyinPink/media_Frameset_PrettyinPink.html

Boys To Men Fundraiser

Last Saturday night some gal friends and I were hired to help out at the annual fundraiser for the charity of Boys to Men. Yolanda, Lauren, Alison, Marcelle, Lisa and I had the distinct pleasure and easy job of mingling, eating, chatting and basically keeping the high-rolling money bags happy so that we could get them to open up their wallets and donate to this needy cause :)

As a little background, I think if a person were to poll a cross section of Americans the vast majority would agree that our society is headed in the wrong direction. The statistics on rape is out of control and our prison systems are overwhelmed with violent criminals. Here’s where BTM comes in, one of the current hot topic in the headlines right now is fatherless homes. Three out of every four men in prison were raised in a home without a father. In 1960 our society had 8% of our children coming from fatherless homes, and today that number is approaching 24%!!!!

Boys To Men takes these at-risk adolescents and brings them through a process that shows them that there are men in society that actually do care about them and love them. Then we teach our model for manhood and that is to live a life of integrity, truth, and honor. After an intense weekend out in the wilderness where they are nurtured, role modeled and brought through a right of passage into manhood, the boys are then matched up with a man who can mentor them for the next few years of their adolescence. During the dinner they brought forward about 15 boys varying from 13 through mid-20s who are either going through the program now or are graduates and mentors now. It was so moving to hear 2 of them speak and especially when they showed video footage of them bonding and opening up in the camp, a few of us (ME, of course!!) were brought to tears.

Since the vast majority of my students come from broken families and poor socio-economic households, I certainly have seen on a daily basis how badly some youth are when they are not taught responsibility, right from wrong, and even just good manners. I really was moved by this organization and its leaders. They spoke so eloquently and break the barriers and anger down in these boys. And they teach them it's okay to express their feelings and even to cry. I would say my only complaint is that I didn't note a single minority kid in the program outside of 1 African boy from Chad in the video who now lives in the USA. They definitely need to work on that. The program is currently being done in Canada and the USA but they are going to start implementing it in Africa soon. Amazing! Thus it was a good night for a great cause. The best part of all was watching some of the young boys flirt with 20-somethings Alison and her blond friends Marcelle and Lisa. We made 2 of the boys' year when we made them dance together! Afterwards they came up to us and asked us to email the photos - you know they are going to be Big Men on Campus now!! I wagged my finger at them (they had enough sense to stay away from my 35 year old arse) and teased them, "These better NOT end up on MySpace!!!"