COSTUMED FOR CURE FOUNDATION
Ever since childhood, I’ve had a major thing for dressing up, which naturally leads to a predilection for Halloween. So you can imagine the annual exhilaration when all that costume charisma is harnessed by esteemed evenings like the inaugural Costumes for CURE Icon Event at Espace 3550, benefiting the CURE Foundation’s fight against breast cancer.
For your dressed-up, glammedup pleasure, voilà — the reveal of this new dazzler on the masked fall lineup.
The event was powered by committee powerhouses including chairperson Fojan (Cher) Ansari Guerrera (with husband, Sajo’s Jonathan Guerrera), Cristina (Tina) Ventura Harden, managing consultant, Accenture; Nadia (Ziggy) Niro, senior director, e-commerce and administration, Stuart Weitzman Canada; Laura (Jackie) Campanelli, Atelier Flora; Lauren (Britney) Brownstein Benjamin, LBMTL spray tans; Lindsay (Beyoncé) Sacks, vice-president, Luxe Rentals; Elizabeth (Yoko) D’Amico, owner/makeup artist, Elizabeth D’Amico Makeup; and Tania (Beyoncé) Tassone, president, TassONE Events.
GLAM GOOD GRUB: Given the on-trend committee gals, it’s no shock that the eve’s nibbles and flow were impressive on a nirvana level, spoiling till the wee hours. They came courtesy of Beatrice, Tuck Shop, Lucille’s, Bord’elle, Danduran Galleon, Pranzetto, McDonalds, Bretzel, Doughnats, La Frenaie, Roxi, Yes Please, Yum, À La Table food stylists and Brahm Mauer Bar Services. THRILLINGLY GOOD ENTERTAINMENT: You know you’re at a heckuva solid party when there’s just the right amount of entertainment and it erupts at just the right time, enhancing the rhythm of the event rather than hindering it. On the agenda for this firsttime benefit soirée was a Manina World-produced Thriller act that not only captured the Icon theme (nodding to iconic king of pop Michael Jackson) but was timed to perfection, amping up an already amped-up dance crowd (kudos to DJ Alex Naim) and receiving thunderous applause for its skyhigh performance quality. Equally stirring: the silent auction with loot from luxury heavies like SSENSE, Stuart Weitzman, Isaac Mayer and Nannette de Gaspé. GHOULS AND GALS: A-list supporters of the stylish event (which sold out in just 12 days!) took the call for Hollywood Icon dress seriously. They included Darren (Gianni Versace) Carmosino, first vice-president, CIBC Wood Gundy (the diamond-level sponsor), who attended with wife Vicky (Donatella) Triassi; Chris (Wolverine) Harden and bro Tyler (Ace Ventura) Harden, executive vice-presidents at platinum sponsor Harden; Kim (Holly) Madigan, vice-president, human resources at platinum sponsor CN; Brett (Cher Horowitz) Sugarman, senior director, marketing and communications, Canada for platinum sponsor Michael Kors; Tatiana (Beatrix) Londono, CEO, silver sponsor Londono Realty Group, with husband, entrepreneur David (Tony Montana) Alter; CURE Foundation executive director Robyn (Holly) Dalton; Katherine (Cardi B) Garbarino, social media influencer and inspo @KGMTL with husband Kris (Offset) Avakian, founder, Black Suede Studio; Jon (Borat) Chaimburg, owner/ head trainer, Adrenaline Performance Center, with love Maddy (Jane Fonda) Jovadi, trainer, Adrenaline Performance Center; M sur la Montagne Real Estate president Carlo (Karl L.) Bizzotto with wife Angela (Monroe) Russo; M sur la Montagne Real Estate partner Tony (Gianni Versace) Miceli and wife Diana (Holly) Miceli; Samcon president Diana (Cher) Ferrera and husband Sam (Sonny) Scalia, founder/president, Samcon; and Nadia (Kiss member) Saputo, with the band. TALLY TIME: Clearly, this new Halloween event had it going on, benefiting the non-profit famous for its National Denim Day (which has raised over $1 million annually for the fight against breast cancer since its launch 22 years ago). But what shines brightest about the event — which spotlit the CURE Foundation at the close of Breast Cancer Awareness Month — is the $150,000 raised for the foundation’s community program, providing much-needed financial support to low-income women and families affected by breast cancer.
Thanks to invaluable support from guests, committee members and event partners — including diamond title sponsor Darren Carmosino Wealth Management under the CIBC Wood Gundy umbrella, platinum sponsors CN, Fuel Transport, Harden, Michael Kors Canada and Luxe Rentals (VIP lounge suppliers), gold sponsor Steve Madden and silver sponsors — the fight for a breast cancer-free world continues. Cheers to Icon fever!