What's Happening, Vegas?: Fashion in Black & White:Getting Ready for the Black & White Party

Monday, September 03, 2012

Fashion in Black & White:
Getting Ready for the Black & White Party

by Julie Kasperson

I received an e-mail notification about a free event being held on a Thursday night recently at the Halo Bar at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. This truly is one of reasons I love living in Las Vegas. All you have to do is RSVP to an event, and you can take advantage of all kinds of free or low-cost things. In the case of Fashion in Black & White, the first 20 people showing up would receive a commemorative Black & White Party poker chip, and everyone would receive free hors d’oeuvres from Cabo Wabo, and free cocktails from the Halo Bar. My kind of event!

One of my out-of-town friends, a designer named Anton, was in town for the MAGIC convention (Men’s Apparel Guild in California). He showed up as my guest, and we enjoyed free food and drink, while he relaxed after four hectic days attending seminars and networking with other professionals in the fashion world.

According to Angel Williams, SCMD, Director of Community Relations & Business Development at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, this was a first-time event. They plan to partner with other non-profit agencies in the future for more events. This particular event was a pre-event leading up to the 26th Annual Black & White Party, which is one of AFAN’s (Aid For AIDS of Nevada) biggest fund-raisers of the year. At the Black & White Party, you must dress in all-black, all-white, or in black and white.

The fashion part of the Fashion in Black & White AFAN event was provided by models atop pedestals, wearing clothing from Miracle Mile stores such as bebe, French Connection, GUESS, GUESS by Marciano, H&M, Original Penguin, S.Y.L.K., Club Tattoo, Stash Men’s & Women’s, and True Religion Brand Jeans.

We received a handout that listed stores in the Miracle Mile shops that offered discounts on clothing, bath products, and jewelry to prepare ourselves for the Black & White Party, should we choose to attend it. Some nice managers from Ultra Diamonds, one of the sponsors, gave us free jewelry cleaner and we filled out drawing tickets to win men’s and women’s watches. Other stores had drawings for gift certificates for clothing.

While I enjoyed the free food and drink, I was thinking the fashion part of the event would be more like models on a runway, instead of standing still on raised platforms. I think they should have at least announced what the models were wearing, over a mic so we would know what we were looking at. The event itself could have gotten more publicity as well. There were other guests there, but not as many as there could have been. Overall a fun, free, fashionable event.