New York, NY – alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is proud to announce that last night, Tuesday, April 28th 2015, marked the debut of the first collaboration in a three-year partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) that will help support the organization in its efforts to promote young talent within the fashion industry.
The brand’s partnership with the CFDA is twofold. Each year, alice + olivia will work with a new artist to create a one-of-a-kind piece to be auctioned off with 100% of proceeds going to the CFDA. Renditions of the one-of-a-kind artist pieces created for auction will then be produced in the form of a capsule collection that will be available for purchase at all alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet stores and other retail partners with 50% of the proceeds donated to the CFDA.
For the first CFDA capsule collection has partnered with celebrated artist Domingo Zapata, a Spanish-American who has studios in New York, Miami, and Hollywood. Zapata creates neo-Expressionist paintings and also sculpts. “As an artist, my purpose is to share with the world those things that speak to my heart”, says Zapata. His pieces created for the partnership include a hand-painted ball gown, hand-painted full-length skirt, and custom two-piece skirt with a matching leather bustier featuring piping in a print painted by Zapata.
Paddle8 is hosting the auction of these three one-of-a-kind signed pieces that is now live at the following link: www.paddle8.com/auctions/aliceandolivia. The auction will run for two weeks, closing bids will be on Wednesday, May 13th 2015. 100% of the proceeds from this auction will go to the CFDA.
The rendition capsule collection, also available today for preorder, offers an ideal alternative for those looking to support the initiative via a more wearable purchase. The limited edition capsule collection, consisting of the three styles shown below, features a gown ($898), floor-length skirt ($598), and a minidress ($298), each in a print rendered from a mural painted by Zapata exclusively for this partnership. The collection is available in limited quantities at www.aliceandolivia.com
Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA says, “Stacey Bendet has been a valued member of the CFDA for a long time and we could not be more appreciative for her work to help us in our cause to advance up-and-coming fashion designers. The extraordinary support we will be receiving from the brand thanks to this initiative is invaluable to our organization.”
Stacey Bendet, CEO and Creative Director of alice + olivia, says, “This partnership is exciting for me as it is very reflective of my brand and our continued collaboration with artists. It is also wonderful to be able to raise funds for the CFDA, in their ongoing support of our industry and its new talent.”
The collaboration with the CFDA was celebrated at a private dinner party hosted by Stacey Bendet and Domingo Zapata at Zapata’s New York studio yesterday evening (Tuesday April 28th 2015) in New York City with guests including Abby Elliott, Kelly Rutherford, Mary-Louise Parker, Rachel Roy, Jennifer Morrison, Tali Lennox, Amirah Kasseem, Sabine Heller, Alix Brown, Amy Fine Collins, Ashley Smith, Cleo Wade, Dani Seitz, Diane von Furstenberg, Sara Sophie Flicker, Genevieve Jones, Gigi Burris, Phoebe and Annette Stephens, Logan Horne, Hari Nef, Lisa Smilor, Ian Jones, Jackie Swerz, Laura de Gunzburg, and more.
ABOUT ALICE + OLIVIA BY STACEY BENDET: Launched in 2002, alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is a brand that allows customers to express their personal style. With clothing that juxtaposes the whimsical and flirty with the sexy and sophisticated, a+o epitomizes the personality and perspective of its founder, Stacey Bendet. The brand was born from Stacey’s personal quest to create the perfect pair of pants, and has since grown into a full lifestyle collection including ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, tech accessories and handbags. The brand is a Hollywood favorite with celebrity fans including Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift. alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is available at the brand’s free-standing boutiques located in New York, California, Chicago, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kuwait, Dubai, Singapore, Taiwan, Shanghai, Doha, Taipei and ataliceandolivia.com and at over 800 select department and specialty stores worldwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Lane Crawford, Isetan, Hankyu, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Galeries Lafayette, as well as prominent web retailers including Net-a-Porter and Shopbop.
ABOUT DOMINGO ZAPATA: Domingo Zapata is a Spanish-American artist born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Currently, Zapata maintains studios in his Gramercy Park townhouse in New York City, the Design District in Miami, and Hollywood. In these private ateliers he produces Neo-Expressionist paintings as well as sculpture. He paints in both oil and acrylic, often incorporating mixed-media, collage and graffiti. For over 20 years Zapata has built a body of work, which varies significantly in motif, though consistently explores themes of sexuality, opulence, and vitality in his signature style. Known for his signature "Polo" series, which first gained him critical acclaim, more recent work focuses on themes including his native Spanish culture, American Pop icons, and the state of the contemporary practice. Recently, The New York Magazine deemed him, "in a league of his own," while the New York Post proclaimed Zapata to be the "new Andy Warhol, with starlets begging for a sitting." This year the artist is preparing a poignant, commemorative mural for the lobby of Freedom Tower in Manhattan. Additional commissions include a panel for the newly restored Colosseum in Rome as well as the lobby of the landmark Plaza Hotel in New York.
ABOUT THE CFDA: The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc, (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962 that leads industry-wide initiatives and whose membership consists of more than 480 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. The mission of the Council of Fashion Designers of America is to strengthen the influence and success of American Fashion Designers in the global economy.
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