Wes Gordon Makes Back-to-school Run

In advance of being honored by the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon planned to visit children during the facility’s after-school program Thursday afternoon.

Gordon planned to meet with about 30 youngsters to chat with them about fashion, design inspiration and how it is a form of self expression. “What is fashion?” “How do we use fashion to express our individuality?” and “How do we develop our own personal style?” were a few of the discussion points that were planned for the after-school meet-up. As a primer of sorts, Gordon’s game plan included having the youngsters create illustrations and mood boards by making collages, showing them how to create their own style using mood boards. Gordon’s schedule included visiting other classrooms to meet with other students too.

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Located in the Hunts Point/Longwood area of the South Bronx, the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education was first established in East Harlem in 1934 by Claire and Elizabeth Sullivan and Sister Mary Imelda to provide nutrition, housing, child care and educational support to the Spanish-speaking community, many of whom had come from Puerto Rico. The center has since expanded its outreach to support all people of color through the arts, culture, education, and recreation. Fifteen years ago the center unveiled a six-floor, 90,000-square-foot facility for galleries, dance and music studios and performance spaces.

Given the Latin American heritage of Carolina Herrera, the house’s collaboration with Casita Maria was a natural, according to a spokesperson for the company. On Oct. 21, Gordon and the philanthropist Lucy Doughty will be honored at the organization’s “Fiesta!” gala at The Plaza hotel, as well as the gallerists James Borynack and Adolfo Zaraleguiof Wally Findlay Galleries International.

This year’s 90^th annual benefit is being chaired by Jacquline Weld Drake and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia. The event’s cochairs include Ben Rodriguez-Cubenas, George Corton, Sissi Isabel Fleitas-Refaie, Darlyn Portes, Jean Shafiroff and Mary Snow.

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