Macy’s & American Express Passport 2008
Santa Monica, California

Benefiting various HIV/AIDS charities, Macy’s & American Express Passport did not disappoint, organizing a wonderful night with a New York City subway theme, with Keith Haring’s works and fashion, art, music, and dance for everyone of all walks of life to enjoy. The cocktail party began as we walked through the subway entrance (no Metrocard required) into a space inspired by Keith Haring’s art and the great Gotham City. With finger foods from salads to imported cheese to yummy cupcakes, it was the perfect beginning to open the path to people’s hearts — through the belly first! Then it was off to the main event, the Macy’s & American Express Passport 2008.

Beginning with a heartfelt speech by Dame Elizabeth Taylor (it started a little slow, but Dame Elizabeth comically admitted to forgetting her glasses), introduced by supermodel Kathy Ireland, Dame Elizabeth spoke about the horrors of HIV/AIDS, including the fact that two people are infected every hour of every day in America alone. With these figures, you wonder if America has forgotten about AIDS prevention and education. With these facts and figures to digest, the auction of six wonderful packages (such as a custom five-piece drum set covered with British flags, played by Adrian Young of No Doubt, and a round of golf with him too, and a Christian Audigier-designed SmartCar) began with the feisty Sharon Stone. As she does every year, she wowed and awed the audience with her fast-talking, femme fatale style, and managed to spellbind the audience into donating money to charities helping impoverished children, HIV/AIDS research, and treatment. In these hard economic times, when you don’t know if you might have enough money for yourself in the next few months, the most generous came forward and donated more than $100,000 total that night.

The festivities began with a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show, with models strutting in classic American looks in plaid and other fall staples. Mr. Hilfiger himself also made an appearance at the end of his show. The next segment was an ode to the Punk/Goth movement, made famous by Siouxie & The Banshees, with models sporting the timeless Mohawk and donning black ensembles by D&G, Marc by Marc Jacobs, La Rok and others.

For the boys, or rather the men, menswear designer Alfani had dancers in classic suits performing to jazzy music, including “Puttin’ On the Ritz” by Rufus Wainwright.

Every year, a group of talented young children take the stage and perform a hip-hop dance routine wearing the latest kids fashions. This year, they were joined by a dance troupe known as Jabbawockeez and a live DJ. It was adorable! Even my three-year-old son was captivated!

Soon after, the British took over the stage with a high energy Ben Sherman fashion show, with Adrian Young of No Doubt performing on the drums that were up for auction. The collection was based on music’s heavy influence in fashion, from every era from 1960s mod, 1970s Punk, 1980s new wave, 1990s Brit Pop, to the current era of a mix of everything from the past. With the Union jack flag in every pastel color, Ben Sherman gave a wonderful show displaying great craftsmanship and classic British style that can be interpreted into everyday living.

Calvin Klein’s fashion show gave a subtle futuristic feel, with mesh screens sandwiching the models and then revealing them at the last moment with precision timing. It was a new way of watching models on the catwalk. Calvin Klein has always been very wearable and safe. The collection proved the same. When in doubt, Calvin Klein will be your safest bet for a modern, elegant, and chic look.

Levi’s Jeans, another classic American piece of history, told their runway story by way of the NYC subway, by paring jeans with different accessories and tops to create the look you want. As part of the event, Levi’s revealed their Keith Haring black and white print jeans worn by dancers “riding” on the NYC subway train. I really enjoyed that segment, as each subway stop revealed another look. It was very creatively done.

With professional salsa dancers for I.N.C. and perfectly shaped men for 2(x)ist underwear rounding out the night, the grand finale arrived with the Ed Hardy fashion show, with designer Christian Audigier. With skulls and tattoo insignias proclaiming “Love Kills Slowly” emblazoned on every piece of clothing, from tank topsto hoodies to men’s suit jackets, it’s no wonder why LA’s rock crowd adores Ed Hardy. With celebrities like Madonna wearing Ed Hardy, you know it is here to stay, at least for a while. Even Marilyn Monroe (a look-a-like) had gotten Ed Hardy-ized! From cars to dresses, Christian Audigier had certainly made his mark on the LA fashion scene, and he knew it as he walked humbly down the runway at the end of this unforgettable night.

Photo credit: Babak Bina

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