What a night! Cocktails, dinner and a fashion show– all to benefit a great cause!
The RUNWAY Gala was held at the InterContinental Hotel Boston. It was a night of fashion in support of breast health care, benefiting the Faulkner-Sagoff Centre at Faulkner Hospital.
About The Faulkner-Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Centre:
The Faulkner-Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Centre provides a patient-centered approach to breast cancer detection and prevention, making it one of the leading centers for breast health care in New England and in the country. In the decades since its establishment in 1971, the Centre has cared for well over 100,000 women. What makes the Faulkner-Sagoff Centre unique, however, is not the number of patients seen, but the exceptional care they receive.
My date for the evening was my good friend, Jen.
The event started with a cocktail reception in the foyer outside of the main ballroom.
I opted for a glass of Chardonnay, but don’t these rock candy martinis look so fun!?!
There were also TONS of yummy-looking passed appetizers.
After my experience at The Vintage Press, I mindfully paced myself and selected the best-looking appetizer of the bunch instead of just grabbing the first one that I saw.
I decided on a wonderful tuna-seaweed-wonton with a wasabi mayo sauce. Delish!
Chomp!
Displayed around the reception area were all sorts of gorgeous dresses.
A bunch of celebrities from the fashion world attended the event, including Gretchen Monahan (below), a style expert on the Rachael Ray Show and co-host of Tim Gunn¹s Guide to Style and Project Runway alum Emmett McCarthy and Kevin Christiana. It was cool seeing them in person!
After mingling during the cocktail hour, we headed into the ballroom for dinner. The room was gorgeous!
I loved the sewing-theme center pieces. Adorable!
Pin-cushions!
The meal started with a salad:
CRISP Bibb and Red Oak Salad ACCESSORIZED with Stilton, Poached Pear, Tossed Pecans, Sundried Cherries, Blueberries, and DRESSED with a Port Reduction Vinaigrette.
And some white wine.
While eating our salads, a live auction took place on stage. Charles Bailey-Gates auctioned-off the most amazing prizes, including a vacation package to New York City during Fashion Week via private jet!
The evening honored Men with Heart, a group of men committed to fighting breast cancer. They are husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers who are doing something constructive rather than resigning to helplessness in the fight against breast cancer.
I chatted with a guy from Men with Heart, who did the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and carried a backpack full of every possible supply imaginable that a woman might need for the walk. He and a bunch of other men wore special backpacks that let women know that they could get supplied from them. He also said the walk was one of the most inspiring things he has ever done.
And then… MY CAMERA DIED!!! GAH! I’m the worst blogger ever!!!
Thankfully, I had my iPhone with me, so I continued to snap photos. They’re not pretty, but hopefully, you get the idea!
The entree:
FASHION FORWARD FILET of Beef Tenderloin, topped with STYLISH Shiitake Mushrooms and Sundried Tomato Potato Herb Biscuit and FRESH Vegetables.
After dinner, it was time for the fashion show, which previewed the works of 5 of Boston’s up and coming young designers from the School of Fashion Design. I liked most of the designs, but some of them almost seemed too over-the-top and costume-y to me. But, I really don’t know anything about fashion!
At the end of the show, the celebrity judges provided feedback on each of the collections and voted for the best one.
Dessert was, of course, my favorite part of the meal!
COUTURE cupcakes provided by Sweet, inspired by the School of Fashion Design student creations.
Jen and I had a blast!!!
Thanks, Colleen, for inviting me! I really enjoyed myself! What an amazing event for a wonderful cause!