Nineteenth Annual RMHC Saratoga Fashion Show
Photos by Matthew J. Campbell and Arthur Gonick
A RUNWAY ROOKIE NO MORE!
Lisa Champagne
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Saratoga Gala season has been a whirlwind! I’ve had the pleasure of covering numerous events; each unique in their own way, and all have raised money for very worthy causes! Our team at Planet Arthur has this coverage thing down to a science… We dress-up, show-up, read the room, mingle, snap photos and return to (as Arthur likes to put it) “Mission Control.”
Mission Control, in my case, is a downstairs office equipped with an iPad and a glass of wine, where I diligently write to deliver all you fabulous followers the skinny and my very own perspective on said event. Other than consuming my time or the occasional interruption from one (or all) of my four genetic replicas, covering these events and writing about them is pure pleasure.
That said, my coverage for the 19th annual Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Fashion show played out much differently than previous events I’ve covered. When Arthur informed me that I’d be a participant IN the fashion show, and walking the runway with more than 50 lovely ladies including blogging beauty, runway rock star, and one of my besties, Carrie Rowlands-Johnson (also a veteran of this event,) I knew my “perspective” as a newbie would be fun to share!
The 19th Annual RMHC Fashion Show and luncheon was a spectacular event! As many of you know, it is coordinated and presented by superwoman Natalie Sillery, proprietor of Saratoga Trunk Lady’s Finery. For those of you unfamiliar with Natalie – let me throw out a few adjectives to describe her: sophisticated, smart, kind, generous, gracious, well-connected and powerhouse!
I’ll also add “welcoming” to the mix! I recently met Natalie for the very first time at The National Museum of Dance Gala. I introduced myself and she couldn’t have been kinder. Just a few days earlier, our editor (aka Arthur) called her to ask if it were possible that I participate in this year’s fashion show along with my blogging partner. Without ever meeting or laying eyes on me for that matter, she agreed! Who does that? Natalie does!
Later that week, Carrie and I arrived at Saratoga Trunk for our fittings. It was decided that both of us would wear dresses by THEIA. Natalie suggested we wear two: My first, a beautiful silky strapless gown in deep emerald green, and my second: a sexy number with black and silver beading and shimmery sequence. BOTH were amazing! THEIA gowns are high-end gorgeous. Don O’Neill is the designer, and an incredibly talented one at that. Think Oprah, think Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift or Khloe Kardashian; these are just a few of the celebrities photographed in his dresses. Now I may be no Taylor Swift or Khloe Kardashian, or any other celebrity for that matter, but I felt like one at this Saratoga fashion show!
When we arrived at the ‘At The Rail Pavilion’ at Saratoga Racecourse, energy was high. A sea of women walked the grounds. Most seemed to know each other. They sipped champagne, smiled, laughed and chatted with one another. Was this a party? The scene quickly calmed my nerves. There was so much camaraderie, and why wouldn’t there be? Many of these ladies have been walking this catwalk for years.
Old friends, new friends, loyal customers and certainly a few professionals showed up that day – primarily for two reason: Natalie; and to support a great cause. The event started early, so most (including myself) took the day off from work to participate. Well worth the vacation day I might add.
Feeling slightly nervous, I made my way to the tent where the gowns were being held. This was our “changing room” – where I was instructed to locate my numbers, which informed me what order I would be walking.
The model’s names were listed on a board, I was #41 + #52 which meant I would have to race to the tent, make a wardrobe change and hightail it back to the show in my second dress. I was hoping the 11 women in between would walk VERY, VERY slowly! Thank God we had the benefit of doing a practice run!
Our Instructions were to stop at the “X” which was taped to the runway floor, turn, turn + walk to the end of the platform. Oh yeah, and smile! Trust me – times like these make it tough to smile. Nerves make “resting bitch face” a simpler option.
Our next order of business was to visit hair stylist Julie Potter. Julie was amazing and if you saw the transformation with a few of these ladies, you’d know what I mean. As we waited in line, I watched Julie work her magic and decided to have her choose which way to style my hair. I was open to anything: up, down, twist, side bun… she is a veteran of this event and knew what would work best. Julie made the executive decision to keep my hair down.
Just before the show, Natalie gathered all the ladies outside so she could say a few words and give a toast. This has become a very special tradition for her – a ritual she performs every year. In the meantime, there were 500 guests seated inside…all waiting for Saratoga’s finest fashion show to begin.
Show Time: One by one each beautiful model sashayed down the runway. Whether it was a design by THEIA or etcetera or Daniel Mozzes, each and every lady looked absolutely stunning!
When it was my time to walk, I stepped up to the platform where I stood side by side with our host. Natalie introduced me to the audience by making a play on my last name. It’s easy to do with a name like Champagne. A curse and blessing at the same time.
On this occasion it made perfect sense. Throughout the entire venue the bubbly could be found. And what better way to celebrate an event of this caliber than with the finest of sparkling wine. As I took my very first steps, I heard our host begin to describe my gown. She spoke to the entire room through a microphone but I could faintly hear her voice. I was preoccupied.
My number one priority for the next 60 seconds was to stay vertical!
I made my way down the runway, my confidence increased with each step. I think I may have even have smiled once or twice. Not bad for a runway novice. The audience was clapping, and I could hear a friend cheering my name. I sensed the crowd appreciated my Theia gown and the stylish fascinator Natalie had delicately placed on my head before the show began. In an instant, I was off the platform, and was quickly racing around the corner to make a second wardrobe change.
Back at the tent, a couple of girls helped me change. Zippered and ready, I headed out. I moved quickly, but apparently not quick enough. As I made my way back to the show, one of the models pointed towards the doorway and said “You’re on!” Crap, I thought. When you’re late for a fashion show, and you’re the next model walking, what do you do? You run, you run as fast as any girl can run in four inch heels. Though my timing could have been better it could have been much worse also. Who would imagine my athleticism would come in handy at an event like this? Mildly winded, I stepped on to the platform and sauntered down the runway as if nothing had happened. Our kind host seemed unfazed by my tardiness and even joked about it. Once again, I made it to the end of the platform in one piece. All was good in my world of runway fashion.
The 19th Annual RMHC Fashion show was a joy to participate in, and I’m so grateful to Natalie for including me! I’m blown away by the quality of this event and the hard work it requires to pull it off. It took the collaboration and coordination of so many: Donors, designers, dresses, models, venue, volunteers, and more…
Everyone and everything came together, once again, because of one petit powerhouse. We all know who she is 😉
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HOPE IN MY HEART
Carrie Rowlands Johnson
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Lips parted slightly, I watch as color frames and fills the near-heart shape. I smile. The lips immediately turn upward, their reflection perfectly captured in the mirror on the makeshift makeup station.
Lips parted slightly, I watch as oxygen is pumped into the teeny clear plastic tube feeding into the tiny mouth. A sob escapes my own lips.
Lips move in synchronicity with the sound emanating from them, the microphone expertly placed nearby, amplifying the words for recognition by a crowd of 500. Hesitantly confident, I strut past, beaming from within.
These and other vignettes from The Ronald McDonald House Fashion Show (held inside the At The Rail Pavilion at the Saratoga Race Course every year, the Thursday before the Travers race and festivities) flick through my brain as I sit in my home office, laptop open, replaying the day in my head. This is my fourth consecutive year walking the runway in the show, fifth time total, and at least third year writing about the event.
Isolated in thought, I search inside my brain for words to type into my laptop. As a Saratoga Society Reporter, I have covered countless fundraisers and events over the past several years, this year for saratoga.com. Every event is unique in its own way. Every event supports a deserving charity. But this, The Ronald McDonald House Fashion Show, is extraordinary in so many ways. This event deserves words that spill from my heart. I take a deep breath, attempting to ease the self-created tension. Quickly I relax, with the knowledge my blogging partner and one of my besties, Lisa Champagne, has covered the dirty details in her own segment.
The Ronald McDonald House Fashion Show is the delicious combination of summer and champagne and track season and fabulous couture. THEIA dresses, talented designers Don O’Neill and Daniel Mozzes, artist Joni Sarah White, volunteers, a day off work, socializing and kind-hearted fellow models and playing dress up with friends and hair styled by the talented Julie Potter…. and the generous, talented, stylish, tireless, irreplaceable Natalie Sillery (of Saratoga Trunk) who organizes and emcees the entire event every year… and most importantly, the cause.
The Ronald McDonald House is so very dear to my heart, housing my family when one of my infant sons was at the NICU at Albany Medical Center more than eleven years ago; and housing my aunt and uncle while my 9-year old cousin was in surgery for a brain tumor at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital about thirty years ago.
For all of the fun and frilly reasons and for all of the serious and charitable reasons, this is to me the most important event of the entire Gala Season.
Dressed in a hospital gown and slippers, I am helpless, forced to stand by and watch as my infant Jordan struggles for each breath. I reach through the incubator and touch his tiny hand, stroking the sheer skin exposing pulsing veins.
But dressed in a light pink and silver beaded V-neck, floor length gown, I am empowered, walking down a runway. My written words reach out, with hope in my heart that they will touch readers so together, we can raise an obscene amount of money for The House that Love Built.
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PHOTO INTERLUDE: FASHION ON AND OFF THE RUNWAY!
Strap yourself In – It’s Going To Be Awhile!
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CURTAIN CALL ON OUR OWN PRIVATE RUNWAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Well, hello there.
Thank you for venturing to the bottom of this post. I hope your trip has been as pleasant as mine.
There are many reasons why Natalie Sillery and I have gotten along so marvelously over the years. Part of it is the longevity of our relationship. But throughout, one consistent tenet is that we are both lifetime subscribers to the ‘Why be normal?’ club, in which the prime credo is that we think outside the box. Which is why, if you were attending your first, or nineteenth, Saratoga Fashion Show, you will find the experience to be fresh, new and exciting. To say that there is always a buzz on these Thursday afternoon festive fashion galas is damning with faint praise: No, this is a ROAR with a Michael Jackson soundtrack.
But thinking out of the box was needed this year, as I noted that all the good prime spots along the runway were taken by others, including our own Matthew Campbell – all with their big-ass cameras, tripods, video cams, etc. No room at the inn, if you will. And I did not want to block the views of people who paid good money to see a show, not the back of my head. And so, it was time to employ some of that out-of-the-box thinking that Natalie and I cherish so.
One advantage I have over my photog brothers and sisters is the ability to be mobile – my camera weight is a fraction of theirs, but, having purchased it from a local private detective, has a small but mighty reach, as you will soon see. I noticed that my THEIA pals, Pascal and Evelyn, were sending the models on a certain route when they came off the runway, and so i positioned myself at the end of this route, and it was like the Red Sea parting….
Hiya, Melissa! Bam!
Joni! Looking fab… Bam!
Rita Cox! C’mon down… Bam!
Christianne – trademark big, lovely smile please… Bam!
Ms. Kate! Bam!
Benita. Bueno… Bam!
Greetings, Michele… Bam!
Jane, no need to curtsy; only my name is royal… Bam!
{{{“OMG! He’s done it again!}}} Bam!
Sandra Fox! Yes, indeed – Bam!
Marcie! Bam!
Gayle! Bam!
Sparkly Marissa! Bam!
Elaine! Always a perfect smile… Bam!
Amy! Fab, fab, fab – and, indeed – Bam!
The always sunny daily double of Evelyn and Heather! Bam-Bam!
Come to me, Ms…. – Bam!
Laura! Any friend of Carrie’s is a friend of mine… Bam!
Hello Lexi! Bam!
Catherine! Hover over here… Bam!
The emerald vision that is Lisa Champagne… Great job, and BTW – Bam!
The radiant ruby-clad Carrie, who always amazes and makes me think – Ba-Bam!
Yes, yes – It was like shooting gorgeous fish in a barrel. And, what should be noted is that these smiles captured the models’ post-runway relief and elation – they didn’t trip or fall down – they did fantastic! That’s what I saw, and now you do too – Bam!
Great job everyone! OK, go eat…
See you next year!
Bam!
Arthur Gonick
September 1, 2017
