Hello!
It was a stellar night as legions of supporters gathered, at the Bowery Hotel, for The Humane Society of the United States and the Art Institutes Fifth Annual Cool vs. Cruel Awards Ceremony. In its fifth year, The Humane Society of the United States Cool vs. Cruel competition educates the future generation of designers enrolled in The Art Institutes' fashion programs about the cruelty of the fur industry, and encourages these designers to explore fur-free, animal-friendly fashions as a viable alternative. Among the crowds were not only several of the evening's finalists, but several designers as well as the event's judges and host committee members.
Early in the evening we spotted Paper Magazine's Editorial Director Mickey Boardman, Editor-at-Large, and anti-fur advocate Peter Davis, Paper Magazine Founder David Herskovits, Designer Charlotte Ronson, and Beth Ostrosky among several others. However, the real draw was the incredible display of works from the sixteen finalists. Noteworthy looks came courtesy of: National Finalist Beatriz Lopez of the Miami Int.'l University of Art & Design, and Christine Porter of the Art Insitute of Dallas. The high-point of course was the creation***of Grand Prize Winner Ingrid Bergstrom-Kendrick of the Art Institute of Vancouver, who successfully used layering of the dress fabric on the sleeves to explore the concept and volume of animal fur.
Guests enjoyed the sounds of celeb DJ Samantha Ronson over specialty Stoli cocktails, with whimsical names that kept the cruelty-free theme in mind. Just beyond the elaborate fashion display were large colorful poster boards, thank you's to various generous benefactors matched to specific animals: Sunny and Brad Goldberg (Canadian Lynx), Mary and Peter Max (Racoon Dog). Designers were in abundance, as were representatives from The Human Society of the United States; it was truly an evening to both enjoy, and educate oneself on both fashion and animal rights.
Awards were given out later in the evening and notably included:Charlotte Ronson (2009 Compassion in Fashion Award), Mickey Boardman (2009 Compassion in Fashion Award), and Ingrid Bergstrom-Kendrick (Grand Prize Winner).
For more information on The Humane Society of the United States, please visit www.humanesociety.org
*photos courtesy of Astrid Stawiarz/Wire Image
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