On an unusually sunny Monday afternoon (taking into account the weather we've had in the past few weeks for "summer"), the Marylebone Hotel hosted the launch of Joseph Ribkoff's Autumn / Winter collection and a meet and greet with Miss America, Teresa Scanlan. The event was beautifully organised and bore the air of an afternoon tea held in a country estate.
No sooner had I entered the door, was I greeted by Miss America herself, Teresa and had it not been for her bedazzling smile, I would not have known it was her. She was so down to Earth and polite - nothing like the preconceptions we have about pageant-winners - she took me by the hand and conversed with me as though I was the only one there and made me feel right at home!
Asked about how she felt being the brand ambassador for Joseph Ribkoff she replied "It's amazing, and you know what? The clothes NEVER have to be ironed so they fit RIGHT in with my busy schedule! I love it!" She wasted no time at all, talking me through the finer points of her responsibility as Miss America and also showed me around the collection.
Ribkoff's collection showcased designs and that were easy to take from day to night and shapes and materials that would flatter any form. I noted that the collection was very versatile, not only in the sense that the outfits could work for any occasion but also because they would work for any woman of any age - from the sexy Jessica Rabbit to the more refined, present-day Raquel Welch. All of the garments were made of silk jersey materials that required little or no ironing and truly allowed the woman to wear the dress and be ravishing rather than the dress wearing the woman. After all, every woman wants to be noticed for her being - not the dress on her being!
"Did you know that the four points on my crown have a meaning?" she asks me with the widest and, might I add, amazing hazel eyes and I reply, in awe of her "I wasn't aware that they had a meaning". She proceeded to explain that they stood for Style, Scholarship, Service and Success. Style would represent the individual flair that the winner of Miss America presented to have gained the crown; scholarship for the scholarship funds gained through winning the competition; service for the year's worth of work that Miss America would be doing for the cause she represented and success for what she would go on to achieve in her life after the pageant.
I went on to realise that Miss America was much more than a pageant - it was a provider for that one lucky girl and would enable her to go on to college and gain a degree in her field of interest. "Being the middle child in seven, my mom and dad wouldn't have been able to put me through college and so this has literally been the biggest blessing!"
So young and so far-sighted, Teresa (Miss America) hopes to go on to study and then work in politics. "You've got to be nice to everyone," she laughs "because you never know what they'll pull up! I mean, I don't want to be speaking in public and have someone say she ignored me in high-school?" This may seem a tactical decision made by someone schooled in media but she radiated the most beautiful and warm beams of kindness. A true gem.
Grazie to Task PR for accommodating myself and my assistant. Grazie to Teresa Scanlan and a huge congratulations to her also. We wish her well on the rest of her touring year and hope to see her running for senate or even presidency! Finally, a gargantuan congratulations to Joseph Ribkoff on a beautiful collection that surpasses age and occasion to truly accommodate the modern woman!
If you want a piece from Ribkoff's collection, it is being stocked in Robina (on New Bond Street) and Fenwick department store as well as many other retailers throughout the UK!
Hope you had a good day!
Ciao belissimi!
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