Badgley Mischka fashion designers honored by Dress for Success Palm Beaches – Sun Sentinel

For decades, celebrities have walked red carpets at awards shows and galas wearing gowns by American fashion label Badgley Mischka. But at the recent Dress for Success Palm Beaches Style for Hope fundraising luncheon, it was the designers, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who took center stage.

Palm Beach residents were honored with the Style Icon Award for empowering women, which is the mission of Dress for Success and its job readiness programs. With 500 supporters in attendance at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, organizers estimate $150,000 was raised to benefit the nonprofit.

The duo sat down for a 15-minute interview with WPTV-Ch. 5 Newscaster Shannon Cake takes a look at how they got their start 35 years ago and how the pandemic has changed fashion.

Badgley Mischka joins a prestigious list of Style Icon winners, including Iris Apfel in 2019, Lilly Pulitzer (posthumously) in 2020, and Josie Natori in 2022, who served as honorary chair this year.

In February, Badgley and Mischka visited the Dress for Success Palm Beaches headquarters in Palm Springs to give Fiona Panton, a single mother of six, some of their expert fashion advice who was choosing an outfit for lunch.

“Badgley Mischka understands the language and impact of clothing and the moment of metamorphosis it can provide,” Dress for Success Palm Beaches board member Caressa Gonzalez Miltz, who co-chaired the luncheon with her fellow student, said in a statement. together Lana Blackman.

“This talented couple define their designs as timeless glamor that ignites confidence and passion. It is a principle in tune with Dress for Success. Although the free work attire we dress our clients in for their job interviews and eventual hiring may not have the glitz and frills of a Badgley Mischka, our clients experience an emotionally transformative and empowering experience that is much like the Cinderella feeling a Badgley Mischka client has when she slips into one of their designs.”

Badgley and Mischka called receiving the Style Icon award a “different honor.”

“Her mission to empower women truly resonates with us, and is a mantra that helps inspire and inform our designs,” they said in a statement. “We are especially excited to be a part of this important fundraiser because it really helps highlight the impact the organization has in the community and all the benefits it provides to women and their families.”

Offered free of charge to women in need, Dress for Success services include intensive job readiness programs, one-on-one career coaching and mentoring, career networking opportunities and other resources.

The next event is the three-day Shop for Success spring pop-up at Dress for Success Palm Beaches, 2459 S. Congress Ave., Suite 204, in Palm Springs. Purchase gently used couture and designer items to benefit the organization. VIP tickets are $50 for opening night on April 13. Admission is free on April 14 and 15.

Visit dressforsuccesspb.org for tickets and information.