I had never been to the annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares event before even though it’s been going on for 15 years now and I have to say that it is truly unique! They have plenty of stars aboard from both the fashion and entertainment worlds but have arguably the best items available at any charity event when it comes to both their silent and live auctions. 
VIP Guests included Gus Kenworthy, Jordan Roth, Peppermint, Titus Burgess, Leigh Lezark, RJ King, Timo Weiland, Christian Bendek, Joey Zauzig, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Eric Goldie, Henriques ‘Kiko’ Francisco, Chella Man, Marti Gould Cummings, Bevy Smith, Robbie Gordy, Christophe Sanchez-Vahle and Andrew Shirk. Gold medal winning Olympic skiier Gus Kenworthy was actually one of the hosts and needless to say, he has the outgoing personality, sense of humor and good looks to easily charm everyone he met as he made his way down the red carpet and into the party.
The minute I walked on board the USS Intrepid Air & Space Museum the first thing that caught my eye after perusing who was sashaying on the red carpet by the front entrance was a remarkable Keith Haring porcelain coffee service. It was one of the truly cool items in the silent auction and it blew me away. The bidding started at $1500 so it was a little rich for my blood so I moved on to the MAC Cosmetics VIP box of products (products being given were kept a mystery), chic bags by the likes of Tom Ford and Kenneth Cole and stays at swanky hotels in Florida, The Hamptons and LA. 
Halfway into the evening, the live auction began in the large area of the USS Intrepid that is perfect for hosting a fashion show for 400 guests. Jeffrey Kalinsky (founder of the Jeffrey store as well as the Jeffrey Fashion Cares charity) came out and spoke briefly about the success of this event year after year and also promised great live auction items. I loved auctioneer/host Marti Gould Cummings whose lively personality kept the bids coming in fast and steady. She was dressed to the nines in a black and gold lame gown. 
To say that the live auction items were luxurious is an understatement. They included front row seats at one of Lady Gaga’s much hyped upcoming Las Vegas concerts as well as a suite for two nights at a luxe hotel on the Strip and airfare for two on Jet Blue. This went for $16,000. A trip to LA to go to Elton John’s much lauded Oscars party that included a stay at The Standard on Sunset Strip and Jet Blue plane tickets went for $16,500. All this money goes to great causes including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Al Fourney Center and Lambda Lega.
The runway show is also a blast and considered the centerpiece of the Jeffrey Fashion Cares annual event. “The most gorgeous male models in the world” were promised by Jeffrey himself and he delivered. All models donated their time and efforts. Their were plenty of high end fashion from the likes of Burberry, Balenciaga and more legends of both Euro and American fashion. Some brands of underwear and swimsuits made the catwalk as well–and there were plenty of catcalls from the crowd.
The evening ended with fashion and haircare geared swag bags a postparty down at the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District but as an old lady I did not have the energy to go. All those male models in one place nearly gave me a heart attack and took my breath away.
If you want to learn more about this event and find out when next year’s event is happening, go to www.jeffreyfashioncares.com. You can learn about the charities that are benefited as well and you might want to considering making a donation.
