On The List & Off The Record

It’s New York Bridal Fashion Week this week, NYFW’s frivolous, high maintenance younger sister, which means a week of running around (even more than usual!) to cocktail parties and runway shows, and subsisting on a diet of caffeine and gourmet wedding cake.

I’m starting off the week at Ricca Sposa party at their East Village boutique. Upon arrival I immediately spot three of my favorite fashion photographers and four of my favorite stylists. New York Fashion Week is my Super Bowl, but I do enjoy the more relaxed, low-key nature of Bridal Fashion Week. It feels less like the Fashion Olympics and more like a week long cocktail party with all my most fashionable besties.

I am very excited about my look tonight: a dress that feels more like a piece of art than a piece of clothing. It’s straight off the runway (literally….I think I’m wearing the same sample the runway model wore) from Laurel Blue’s presentation at Kid Super’s The People’s Runway, Spring/Summer 2027-a showcase that spotlights some of the most exciting emerging talent in the industry. The collection is Forms of Water. Laurel is a scuba diver and her designs are inspired by how her experiences underwater have completely changed the way she sees the world. This collection in particular aims to translate the movement and physical properties of water into something wearable.

Tonight’s look features frothy fin shaped slices of fabric creating a texture I’ve never seen before. The craft and artistry behind the design is evident, with each fin having its own unique melange of blues and whites, that all together really does mimic the waves of the ocean. The effect is altogether ethereal and unlike anything I’ve ever worn…which is my absolute favorite thing to wear.

The dress is sheer with delicate painted “fins” strategically placed. I pair with a vegan leather Ella clutch and throw on a pair of 8 inch white leather heels to sex it up a bit. My boyfriend mentions that a see through dress might not need any sexing up but I can’t hear him over the sound of my Dyson Airwrap and my Charli XCX playlist.

As I arrive at Ricca Sposa, the girl working coat check tells me I look like an exotic mermaid and it goes right to my head. I fawn over Laura, a bridal stylist, who is wearing a spiky snippet of mesh wire around her waist (HomeGoods! She laughs when I ask her the designer) that she has adorned with brooches and medallions, many of them vintage.

I share gossip and a hand rolled cigarette with photographer Leo of The Visualist Magazine, trade air kisses with stylist Willfree Vazquez and teeter off in my 7 inch heels and see-through dress to catch the L-Train back to Brooklyn.

The week flies by in a flurry of mini cupcakes, air kisses and tulle. I attend the Sareh Nouri show at Lotte New York Palace for a flawless display of tulle gowns in an ornate ballroom. Atelier Arielle is a completely different vibe: a hipster’s take on chic bridal couture where they pass out poems to all the guests. For Soul Mates debut presentation, I make my way to a townhouse on the Upper East Side where I’m greeted by a man in a crisp tuxedo holding a fluffy Corgi. Upstairs, models swan about the townhouse in glowing white fabrics with intricate lace detailing. There is a banquet laid out: purple grapes, prosciutto, champagne, meringue pastries shaped like swans. It’s all very unnecessarily over-the-top and I absolutely adore it.

I also stop by the 1 year Anniversary Party for Alberto Luzzi, a very chic Italian jewelry brand with a Soho storefront. I’ve been friends with co-founder Nic Canal since their launch and it’s been so exciting to see their incredible growth over the past year.

In between bridal week shows, I meet with designer Elene Henning to pick out some looks for the week ahead. She is perky and sweet with a contagious energy and I like her right away. The first thing she tells me about (and my personal favorite thing about her work) is the incredible quality of the materials and fabrics she works with. Buttery 100% repurposed leather, suedes and rich, gorgeous deer hide, all ethically sourced. The knee-high, deer-hide boots are likely the most beautiful shoes I have ever worn in my life.

That evening, I’m down in FiDi, somehow having managed to finagle myself a front row seat to the Kleinfeld x Pnina Tornai runway show. The designer brings the glitz and glam of a closing NYFW show from The Blonds. It’s gorgeous, a bit whimsical and very fanciful, which in my opinion, is what every bridal runway show should be. Ballerinas swathed in pink tulle dance down the runway en pointe and Pnina receives a standing ovation at the close of the show.

I’m wearing a leather set by Elene that very much gives cool girl energy. And the soft leather feels (and smells) amazing. To complete the look, I’ve chosen another headpiece by Michelle Palmer. It’s the same piece that Julia Fox wore in her Tush Magazine shoot, cut from black lace and constructed with wire for a very editorial look.

I also swing by two presentations to meet the designers and view the collections. I have the pleasure of meeting both designers and I’m delighted to find that at both, the collection is a manifestation of the designers energy and aesthetic. Hayley Paige presentation is flirty, glitzy and ultra-feminine. Watters, hosted in the Bard Room at Hotel Chelsea, embodies ‘cool girl’ energy, with sleek styling, just like the Style Director, Sydney Watters.

Finally, it’s Thursday and I’m pregaming the DKMS gala with a Celsius and a snack sized bag of Doritos. The look tonight is very Midsommar meets Audrey Hepburn. I look like I could be a chic and fabulous cult leader complete with a flower crown. My dress, another Elene New York design, is cut from flowing pink silk. I’ve accessorized with two pieces from Vintage Fusion Jewelry, a jewelry brand created by Elizabeth Clar. Elizabeth transforms vintage and sentimental treasures into one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories. Her work celebrates the beauty of the past while giving it a new story. For tonight’s look I’ve chosen a white headpiece adorned with three white flowers. I wear a sparkling silver headpiece around my neck. The overall effect is whimsical and imbued with vintage glamour.

The DKMS gala is at the industry standard of gala venues: Cipriani Wall Street. Everyone is glamorous and well dressed, from your standard gala attire to beautifully styled custom pieces. I’m shuffled down the red carpet to make way for Hilaria Baldwin and Coco Rocha. It’s a whole scene and I adore it.

Best Dressed List

Stylist Kristopher Fraser attends Ricca Sposa Celebration. Jacket by Print All Over Me. Shirt by Rowing Blazers. Pants by Patrick Church. Shoes by Nera. Photo by Slavik Lyzhov.

Giselle Diaz attends DKMS Gala wearing a vintage fur piece.

Guissepe Penaloza, Creative Director of Guissepe Signorrini. Wearing Guissepe Signorrini, attends Alberto Luzzi 1 Year Anniversary Party. Photo credits: Samantha Samant / Snap It With Sam.

Photography: Phillip Van Nostrand; Slavik Lyzhov; Chia-Ta Tsai; Samantha Samant / Snap It With Sam; Vital Agibalow; Sean Zanni; South of Indigo; Astrid Stawiarz & Bryan Bedder / Getty Images.

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Red Carpet Recap: DKMS Annual Benefit Gala

On Thursday, October 15, Cipriani Wall Street did what it does best: it filled with black tie, red carpet and people who came to help. The occasion was the 20th annual DKMS Gala, the yearly benefit for the world’s largest non-profit dedicated to fighting blood cancer and blood disorders. For two decades the evening has brought New York’s creative community together around one simple, ambitious goal: to “delete blood cancer” for good.

Twenty Years, One Belief

“Twenty years ago, we came together in New York with a powerful belief: that every patient battling blood cancer deserves the chance to find a matching donor,” said Katharina Harf, Chairman of DKMS Global. “As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the DKMS Gala, I am deeply grateful to the extraordinary community of donors, patients, families, and supporters whose compassion has made so many second chances at life possible. Tonight reminds us not only of how far we have come, but of all we can still achieve together.”

Harf co-chaired the evening with Dr. Peter Harf and Viktoria von Wulffen.

The Story at the Heart of the Night

This year’s gala centered on Ezra, an 11-year-old from California, and the stranger who saved his life.

Ezra was diagnosed as an infant with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), but his childhood was relatively normal until the fall of 2024, when persistent illnesses set in. A specialist consultation that December found Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a rare and aggressive form of leukemia.

His match was Dallas Wilson, a Nashville-based country and pop songwriter-producer who had joined the donor registry more than 15 years earlier, as a college student. The call from DKMS came just three weeks before his wedding. Wilson said yes immediately and was ready to postpone his honeymoon to make sure the donation happened. Ezra received his transplant in May 2025.

Le Freak, C’est Chic

Then came the music. Nile Rodgers & CHIC, led by the multiple GRAMMY® winner and inductee of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® and the Songwriters Hall of Fame®, took the stage.

“I’m so honored to be part of this momentous anniversary for such an essential, lifesaving organization,” Rodgers said. “For decades, DKMS has transformed lives and given hope. We look forward to celebrating the donors, patients, and supporters whose generosity and commitment make this vital work possible.”

The program also featured a performance by Joseph Gordon, Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet.

A Gala With a Long Guest List

The DKMS Gala has a habit of drawing big names. Last year the organization honored supermodel Coco Rocha for her years of support, with a live performance from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Past honorees include designer Vera Wang and Republic Records founder and CEO Monte Lipman, and past performers range from Ariana Grande and Rihanna to Jon Bon Jovi and Boy George. Beauty company Coty, whose logo shared the step-and-repeat with DKMS, has long supported the organization and helped spread its mission.

Where the Money Goes

Proceeds from the evening go directly to DKMS’s work: registering new stem cell donors, giving patients in low- and middle-income countries access to transplantation, and funding research into blood cancer treatment. Through financial assistance, investment in medical infrastructure and education, DKMS works to give patients a fighting chance wherever access to transplants is limited. It also invests in clinical trials, research and laboratory technology to improve outcomes.

Dr. Peter Harf founded DKMS in Germany in 1991, in honor of his wife, who lost her battle with leukemia. Thirty-five years later it is a global organization with more than 13.5 million registered donors and offices in Germany, the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, South Africa and India. DKMS has provided blood stem cell donations to patients more than 136,000 times, making it the global leader in facilitating unrelated blood stem cell transplants.

Blood cancer knows no borders, and twenty years in, neither does this party.

To learn more or register as a potential donor, visit DKMS.org. Gala information: DKMS.org/gala.

About DKMS

DKMS is the largest non-profit organization in the world fighting blood cancer and blood disorders. Founded in Germany in 1991 by Dr. Peter Harf, DKMS has worked ever since to give as many patients as possible a second chance at life. With more than 13.5 million registered donors, it has done that more than 136,000 times by providing blood stem cell donations to those in need, and is the global leader in facilitating unrelated blood stem cell transplants. The organization has offices in Germany, the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, South Africa and India, and works to provide access to treatment for patients in low- and middle-income countries and to advance research that improves survival and recovery.

Photo Credit: Astrid Stawiarz & Bryan Bedder / Getty Images

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