Academy Ball Fashion 2019

Academy Ball Fashion 2019

 Saturday night’s Academy of Music Anniversary Ball was one of the best. I really enjoyed the theme of the evening “Cornerstone of Culture”, where those on stage discussed the history of the building, where the proceeds from the balls over the years have gone, the HVAC system, new seating, general maintenance of the building,

Dame Helen Mirren: Dress by Escada (est $6,595.00 ), hair by NYC Stylist Marco Santini and make up by Philly’s Tammi Toliver

but one of my favorite moments was when special guest Dame Helen Mirren looked to the balcony, thanking the young concert goers for attending and reminding them it was up to them, the next generation to pick up the baton and continue to attend this grand traditional event which will ensure the funding of the restoration of the Grand Dame of Locust Street.  Every year for fun I choose the Best Dressed of the Academy of Music Anniversary Ball and Dinner. Although I took over 400 people at the 7 hour event, I know I missed a lot of folks who looked fabulous, and everyone really looked amazing, but these are my favorites, and thank you to all those who have heard my pleas for color, color, color.

Ron Blackburn and Jaime Blackburn.
Jaime is a wear black all the time, but she’s changing it up in 2019 and I think
she looks stunning in her blush Marchesa
Dripping in elegance and glamour
Shelly Power, executive director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and Angel Corella, the ballet’s artistic director, at the 162nd Academy of Music Anniversary Concert and Ball on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019. Dandy and Dapper
Joy Tate wearing black, but I love this simple, elegant dress, and boxer Bernard Hopkins

Sarah Marshall wearing Marchesa with jewelry from Bernie Robbins with her mother Linda Saxer wearing Oscar de la Renta

Jody McNeil Lewis with her daughter Ellie, who is wearing a Nicole Miller Philadelphia Eagles inspired dress, now sold out.

Congrats to Brandon Morrison (LR2) and Stacey Kracher (Pamella Roland)

I was heading into the auditorium to get into position to photograph the concert, when I saw Richard Jones, and wife Sharon Jones who was wearing a beautiful Monique Lhuillier floral gown, and I just had to stop and grab the shot. Just stunning!!

Another floral gown was worn by Anne O’Malley
whose daughter Annette Ryan wore pale pink with a fur stole.
Accompanying them are Bert O’Malley and Matthew Ryan.

Erika Siegfried and Cory Siegfried

Catherine Cahill, President and CEO of the Mann wearing a gorgeous dress she bought from Bloomingdale’s earlier the day, and it’s spectacular – Save the Date for the Mann Music Gala – it’s 6/24 when Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin makes his debut in the park, and Leslie Miller wearing Naeem Khan an Indian-American fashion designer based in New York.
Emalee Welsh and John Welsh
Susan and David Lipson, Anne Hamilton, Lynn and Jim Dever

Another beautiful floral gown:
Priyanka Gupta and Rohit Gupta, MD

Allie Bucci and Stephen Iacobucci
Married under a year, I found this fun nugget in their wedding announcement in the NY Times
The bride is a descendant of Gov. William Bradford and of William Brewster, both of the Plymouth Colony, and is also a descendant of John McLean, a Supreme Court justice who dissented in the 19th-century Dred Scott decision.

Jenny Lofard proving you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to looking fabulous, fabulous as Jenny picked up her beautiful red gown from TJ Maxx and it was under $100, and Ned Campbell. Janice Wright Waitkus, Store Director of LAGOS wearing Marchessa Notte, from Neiman Marcus, my jewelry is LAGOS, and shoes by Stuart Weitzman.
and husband Bob Waitkus

Marjan Vafaie wearing BHLDN and Anna Mahmud Tasnuva wearing SAKS 5th Ave

Lozenge Imasogie is wearing a custom Mayen Couture dress, accompanied by her husband Osagie O. Imasogie, Esq.

Chris Topolewski and Katie Topolewski

New parents Amber and Pedro Goins

Another dress under $100, and one Jamie Lee Curtis wore to the Golden Globes last month. Not only is Dr. Thanuja Hamilton a life saver, see yesterday’s post, but she’s a abstemious fashion plate, who embraces winter white to brighten up this Society Photographers life. Nicholas Perugino in Joseph Banks.
Lynsie Solomon.
Wearing Lucian Mattis at Gabrielle in Bala, just breathtaking, and it looks fabulous on her.
Thank you Sheila Hess for being my date Saturday night, here wearing a little something glamorous she picked up at Macy’s, who by the way is having a 50- 75% off of a lot of their fashions this week, I was warming myself in their store yesterday. And Moi in my Men’s Wearhouse (MWH) Fashion. If you were at the Academy on Saturday, you’ll recall that Dame Helen Mirren mentioned Men’s Wearhouse from the stage, saying that all them were emptied tonight of their White Tie’s and were now sitting in the audience. I mentioned to my friends at the MWH on Chestnut Street of her quip, and they told me that her husband had rented his White Tie from them, and she returned it on Sunday walking in alone. She told them she had mentioned them to her friends, but the sales clerks were perplexed by her statement, and didn’t recognize her until she was out the door.

What a joy it was to partner with the Academy Ball for the last 7 Years, promoting the event, as well as focusing on the Young Friends of the Academy of Music, which has an amazing membership program, cultivating the importance of philanthropy!!

Check out photos from this event
CBSPhilly
Philly Voice
Philly Style Mag
And in April in print in Philadelphia Magazine