MACY’S PASSPORT FASHION SHOW 2009

This was the absolute best fashion show I’ve ever seen in my entire life!!!  And I’ve been in many myself, first as a teen-age model, then in celebrity-charity ones while hosting my TV show, Karen’s Restaurant Revue.  And, with all that, the Macy’s Passport show was still a revelation.  More deets later.

First some background on the event.  The purpose is to raise money for AIDS organizations.  But I loved that they didn’t hit you over the head with it.  They had Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Taylor take care of the pitches, which were unbelievably classy and low-key.  More on that later, as well, because you know I have linear thinking, so I must go in order.

The event was held at the Santa Monica Airport Barker Hangar, the home to some of the best events year-round. The evening started off with a two-hour food-and-cocktail-fest outdoors, with lots of upscale, yet comfortable seating and unbelievably well-dressed folk. (Except for my shoes, which fell apart as the night rolled-on. This is the first time I wish I was still doing my show because the gory details unfold like a Lucy episode! Too long for print, but great for video.)

Several eateries each served a dish or two, with my favorite being the lasagne from Angelini. The absolute highlight was the See’s Candy table, where you filled a bag to your heart’s content! Better than wedding favors. Sprinkles had a mobile truck there, but as usual, their cupcakes tasted like sawdust. Still can’t figure out how the “Emperor’s New Clothes of sweets” is still in business.

As the moon began to shine, we entered the humongous theatre area, with a stage that made all thousand or more attendees feel totally included. The festivities began with the donation pitches, which were actually fascinating. It was something else to watch Sharon Stone mellifluously encourage people to join her onstage to donate huge sums for such a worthy cause. I was surprisingly excited to realize that one of the handsome men who enrolled in the highest-donation “team” was Davy Jones of the Monkees! That just added to the allure of the evening.

Then came the actual fashion show. And show it was–not just the usual blank-staring toothpicks stomping angrily along to a painfully pounding beat. (And I say that as a former dance club promoter!) Each section was more thrilling than the one before. They had everything–great attainable fashions by very varied designers (Levi’s to Calvin Klein!), wonderful dancers, circus acts, cute kids, and even an opera soprano in a mobile gondola arriving in a cloud of mist!

But Lucia and my outright favorite was swimsuit models coming through actual rain on the stage, especially, of course, all the soaking wet twelve-packed guys. There was never a dull moment the entire time, and it just flew along.

As if all that wasn’t enough, as we exited the hangar, we were directed back to the food area to have desserts and receive our fun goodie bags, which included always welcome MAC make-up.

All this while helping-out a very deserving charity. The evening was so spectacular that I doubt that anyone even noticed my quickly-evaporating clown shoes.