Elyse Glickman
The rainiest, coolest Los Angeles winter in years did not keep music industry talent, executives, or producers away from the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills’ Garden Terrace. In fact, event producer Roger Zamudio of Red Carpet Events LA was all smiles as he personally greeted several invitees into the Style Lounge Gifting Suite in honour of the Grammy Awards 2017. The event itself was quite intimate. La Blanca reintroduced the one-piece swimsuit that put the brand on the map back in the 1980s, while the Frankfurt, Germany-based Lassal previewed its sharp autumn–winter 2017–18 collections in an interactive way—allowing taste-making divas to purchase and wear their pieces on the spot, as well as the red carpet and the stage.
The primary charitable sponsor, African Millennium Foundation, had two of its young ambassadors, Bibiana and Tindi, on hand to discuss and provide living proof of how the strategic non-profit and non-governmental organization facilitates the social and economic empowerment of the people of Africa, especially women. AMF seeks to target poverty, hunger and disease at its very root by providing African women and children with the necessary tools for achieving self-sufficiency. In 2015, African Millennium Foundation enabled Bibiana and Tindi to travel to Los Angeles, where Bibiana received a new, state-of-the-art prosthetic leg (in the wake of an attack) and the sisters received tutoring that would enable them to enter school full-time. In their spare time, the sisters travelled around the United States sharing their story to bring awareness about attacks on people with albinism in their native Tanzania.
Other positive presences at the suite included Earth Mom, a non-profit that encourages celebrities, small companies, and manufacturers to harness the power of their customer or client base and social media channels to share information on environmental causes, ethically made products, and newly instituted eco-friendly policies that change the way they do business. Placement of the logo by a company not only ensures consumers that a product is ethically and environmentally sound, but they have committed to better business practices.
Representatives of Dr Dain Heer were also on hand to distribute copies of his book, Being You, Changing the World, which also appears to be a rallying cry for people feeling out of place in a culture that (in the wake of the US election) leaves many people feeling isolated or disenfranchised. It suggests that individuals can be the proverbial change they want to see in the world by not only “owning” what makes them different, but shifting negative thoughts into problem-solving ideas.
Hair industry favourite Denman released a snazzy line of Anarkitty brushes. While the designs created by Northern Irish artist Anarkitty brighten up the perfect everyday brush, there’s a lot of history behind it. The designs are also a tribute to the legendary Vidal Sassoon whose signature asymmetrical bob and Rococo swirl cuts adorn the girls on the brushes.
Korean-made, US-based beauty brand Cailyn was also front-and-centre with its ‘one-day game changer’ vitamin C-enriched V11 serum and Double Dare OMG! masks for hair and face. The serum gift boxes flew off the display with its nutrient-based mix of rosehip, green tea, pinus pinaster, letinus edodes mushroom, and 11 per cent vitamin C composition—even with a predominately male VIP crowd.
New Jersey-based company Mellisa B not only showcased its affordable eponymous daily skin care but also its new Keep Your Ink Naturally line, designed for those with body art. Needless to say, Mellisa and husband Ray had a lot of interested customers among the guests. Parfaire Medical Æsthetics in Pasadena found some good candidates for their beauty and wellness services as well.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor
Elyse Glickman
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