Heart Truth Fashion Show to shine a light on women’s health
This Valentine’s Day is not only about chocolates and romance, but also about the importance of women’s hearts.
On Saturday, The Heart Truth Fashion Show will grace the beautiful architectural walls of Eighth Avenue Place, shedding light on the importance of women’s heart health with 100 per cent of the evenings proceeds going directly to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Heart and stroke disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canadian women.
Top Canadian fashion designers have created custom gorgeous red dresses — the national symbol of women’s heart health — to be worn by amazing Canadian female influencers who will strut them down the runway: Zahra Al-Harazi (CEO id8 Strategies, UNICEF Canadian Ambassador) wearing designer Jovalene Fox, Caroline Gault (writer, editor, brand fashion journalist and brand director of content & community, Poppy Barley) wearing designer Nicole Campre, Manjit Minhas (CEO & co-founder of MINHAS Breweries, Dragons’ Den CBC Network) wearing designer Lauren Bagliore, Wendy Belanger (owner of Influence Salon and award winning platform hairstylist) wearing designer Natasha Lazarovic, Kiki Buttignol (Heart attack survivor — ambassador) wearing designer Angela Dale, Ellen Dilawri (Dilawri Group/ philanthropist) wearing designer Malika Rajani, Beth Reimer-Heck (Board director/Queen’s Council — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) wearing designer Marina Ortman, Michelle Salt (Canadian Paralympics — snowboarding) wearing designer Tracey Ward Kerr, Kathy Heffernan (Director of general services — Zedi) wearing designer Lara Presber, Lisa Murphy (Vice-president of Alberta Private Client — ATB) wearing designer Nicole Rita Tomney (NRT), Nadine Brown (Gift giving cabinet of the Canadian Women’s Foundation/philanthropist) wearing designer Chantel Traub, Danielle Lappage (Team Canada, wrestling — Summer Olympics, Rio 2016) wearing designer Maria Orduz, Allison Grafton (president and owner, Rockwood Custom Homes) wearing designer Malika Rajani, Ebony Lewis (account executive CSI Leasing Canada, Ltd) wearing Marsina King, and Sarine Mustapha (senior vice-president, BMO Nesbitt Burns) wearing designer Mackenzie Jones.
Buttignol, event ambassador for 2017 and Sophia Models talent model, experienced her heart attack at the very young age of 31. She did not have heart disease, but rather refers to it as an “incident.”
At the time, she had recently moved to Calgary and was caring for her eight-month-old daughter while constantly being on the go.
“I was over stressed. I burned the candle at both ends and something gave. Now I have the chance to share with other people, ‘You just need to take it easy’,” Buttignol recently told Global News Morning Calgary.
Angela Dale, known as a leading tech clothing designer, has created the Beating Heart gown for Buttingnol with a heart-shaped fascinator that will light up in honour of the ambassador’s heart beat, reminding all of us to be grateful to our own heart beat.
Ellen Dilawri of the Dilawri Automotive Group, who is also a philanthropist, walks in honour of her husband, Tony Dilawri, who at age 40 had triple bypass surgery for three blocked arteries.
“I am very passionate about bringing awareness to the issue of the heart,” she says.
“So many of us take for granted the role the heart plays in keeping us going without really looking at the stress we put on it through dietary choices, lack of stress management and sedentary lifestyle. I really hope to present the message in a fun way, a different way, so maybe people will hear it. It is an issue we all need to be cognizant of.”
Talented designer Malika Rajani, a legacy designer for the event, has not only created a masterpiece for Dilawri, but also for Allison Grafton, president and owner of Rockwood Custom Homes. Rajani plays with length as well as patterns so that each piece is different.
“Malika is an incredible talent and I have been thrilled to be matched with her for the fashion show, says Dilawri. “Being one of her biggest fans, and loving her leather designs, I can tell you she is a kind hearted, immensely creative and community-minded woman. She has donated her creative talents and expertise every year to the heart and truth. It is an honour to represent someone who is so generous with supporting her community.”
A great addition to this year’s event is the release on Feb. 9 of the limited edition Heart Truth Clutch with the event’s hashtag, #HeartTruthYYC, stamped on the inner leather panel with its outer shell a bold leather red.
Only 30 have been made by the luxury footwear company Poppy Barley and 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.