COMMON, DAPPER DAN, JUNE AMBROSE AND MORE TO SPEAK AT ESSENCE FASHION HOUSE

The 25th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival is set to debut the ESSENCE Fashion House, a premier destination focusing on owning our style, culture, and impact.  Happening Friday, July 5th through Sunday, July 8th at Gallier Hall in New Orleans, fashionistas will experience a cutting-edge curation of runway shows, trunk shows, and pop up shops brought to you by household names and rising Black designers.

Attendees will hear from fashion industry icons Bevy Smith, Common, Dapper Dan, Ebonee Davis, Ethan Miller, Joan Smalls, June Ambrose, Karl Kani, Misa Hylton Brim, Quincy Brown, April Walker, Zerina Akers, Ade Samuels and more.

Follow the fashion fast-lane down to New Orleans as models rule the runway in exquisite pieces during a fashion week style designer showcase, shop an extensive collection of runway-worthy apparel and accessories plus get to know the creators behind the design and reinvent your very own look with new wardrobe staples for the upcoming season!

To purchase tickets and for more information visit:  https://www.essence.com/festival/fashionhouse/

SOLEDAD OBRIEN & BRAD RAYMOND’S STARFISH FOUNDATION HOST A WEEKEND OF EVENTS

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Soledad OBrien and Brad Raymond

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Soledad OBrien and Bevy Smith

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Ubah Hassan

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Soledad OBrien and Mindy Grossman

Award-winning Journalist Soledad OBrien along with her husband Brad Raymond hosted the annual fundraising event, “New Orleans to New York City Gala,” with guests Bevy Smith, Ubah Hassan, Geoffrey Fletcher and more. The celebration was the biggest night of the year for the Starfish Foundation, created to provide promising young women a bridge between obstacles and opportunities. Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception followed by the evening’s festivities which included a special music performance by members of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.

The Starfish Foundation Industry Roundtable Powered by Build N Blaze gave Starfish scholars a behind the scenes look inside running the Home Shopping Network (HSN). HSN CEO Mindy Grossman was on site for a Q&A with Soledad OBrien and to take the young women scholars through a day in the life at the network.

ABOUT THE STARFISH FOUNDATION: After witnessing the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, OBrien and Raymond began privately awarding scholarships to young women who didn’t have the resources for success. As their efforts grew, they officially formed the Starfish Foundation to expand their reach and help even more young women. Today the Starfish Foundation provides scholarships to disadvantaged young women in under-served communities and is committed to giving more than just financial assistance to its scholarship honorees. The Foundation creates a customized support program for each participant that reflects that person’s specific needs.