I was honored to be featured in this editorial piece in the May issue of Modern Luxury DC Magazine walking through my day-of rituals as I prepared to host the 2019 St. Jude Heart of Fashion at CityCenterDC! Thank you so much DC Magazine – shout out to Kristen Schott for doing the piece so beautifully and bringing awareness to a cause so near and dear to my heart, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! And to Greg Powers – you’re an amazing photographer!
XOXO
~April
For this past weekend’s Hope for Annabel event, The Magic WAS Real and we raised over $800,000 for Annabel which will help her fight her battle against Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) and find a treatment to cure this rare and severe neurological disease!
I opted for this beautiful Chiara Boni La Petite Robe gown in a gorgeous Barolo wine color – the perfect fall evening gown color and surprisingly coordinated perfectly with the backdrop. :o)
Paired the gown with these beautiful Dolce & Gabana earrings from Net-a-Porter, Manolo Blahniks and Saint Laurent clutch.
It’s always refreshing to break away from pairing everything with the traditional black – go for something new and fresh like a nude or monochromatic to mix up your looks and get more wear out of your gowns! :o)
XOXO
~April
I’m thrilled and honored to be apart of this committee to support my dear friends Simon and Nina Frost in their journey to help end their sweet Annabel’s battle with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC), a severe and rare neurological disease.
Through the past few years of sleepless nights spent tending to Annabel’s terrible symptoms (seizures, paralysis, choking in her sleep, to name a few) while simultaneously conducting research behind the screen and traveling overseas, Simon found the doctors and the actual treatment, via gene therapy, which is necessary to cure her AHC but they need close to $3million in order to create the cure!
This treatment will not only cure Annabel but also help rewrite the future for thousands of other children whose lives could be transformed by gene therapy.
So please join us at this one-time gala, The Magic is Real, to help FUND THE CURE!
Saturday, November 9th || St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School || Washington, DC
For tickets, sponsorship information and to find out how you can help visit: www.themagicisreal2019.com
If you can’t attend, you can still support the event by clicking on the DONATE box. Every dollar counts.
Thank you in advance for your support and I hope to see you there!
XO
~April
Last week I had the pleasure of going on-air with the ladies of Great Day Washington at CBS Studios talking about the St. Jude Heart of Fashion alongside one of my fellow Co-Chairs, Stef Woods. It was so wonderful to be able to share all things about my journey with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and share the exciting details for the 2019 Heart of Fashion taking place this Friday, May 17th, on the gorgeous, open-air Plaza of CityCenterDC.
Many of you have been asking so I’m telling – my black dress is the Leather Belt Pencil Dress by Karen Millen. It’s completely SOLD OUT but you can request to be notified via email of when it’s back in stock and once it is – buy it! It’s truly one of my all-time favorite black dresses.
XOXO
I hope to see you there!
Scoop your tickets today before they sell out:
http://www.stjude.org/heartoffashion
Contact me for sponsorship info at stylistaprilyvonne@gmail.com
XO
Last month, I had the pleasure to style for Washington Life’s Balls & Galas issue and was thrilled to take on Andrea Rinaldi and Ginger Dietrich, Co-Chairs of The Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker Tea Party. Two people I adore coupled with one of my FAVORITE events of the season! :o)
Since the Tea Party falls right in the middle of the festive holiday season, I wanted to include jewel-tone colors, so I put Ginger (left) in one of my favorite formal gowns of the season, a stunning emerald green Jason Wu gown from his Fall ’17 collection paired with Jimmy Choo black glitter heels. The gown is simply gorgeous and something I can see her wearing at a holiday gala this winter, but the best part is that it’s even functional – it has pockets! (Nothing I love more than to have a place to stick my iPhone and lipstick.) For her hair I decided to have her do large barrel curls in a side-swept style along with a bold lip and lashes – old Hollywood glam!
The shoes! Red Gianvito Rossi satin ankle-wrap pumps & Jimmy Choo black glitter pumps
For Andrea, we chose to go with a flirty black Tadashi Shoji dress she already owned and I decided to pair it with an amazing pair of ruby red Gianvito Rossi pumps to add a POC (pop of color) to her look, but, the icing on the cake – the satin ribbon that tied up her leg just like that ballerinas do in their point shoes! So fitting for this shoot! Her hair was pulled back in a loose up-do with a couple strands of bangs to frame her face then we added a bold lip to make her eyes really pop!
Both of the ladies were adorned in Tiffany & Co. diamonds and the shoes and the Jason Wu gown came from Saks Fifth Avenue.
BTS pic I took during the shoot.
Mark your calendars now – December 10th – for what will be another amazing Tea Party taking place this year at the National Museum of Women in the Arts!
See you there!
XO
Sunday night’s Oscars showed us that old Hollywood glamour continues to dominate best-dressed picks on the red carpet! I love the timelessness of these looks and below are a few of my favorites as well as misses from the night.
As you can already surmise, Taraji P. Henson (above) was my pick for best dressed of the night, not only for her dress but for the complete head-to-toe package, she simply nailed it! The sultry Henson donned an off-the-shoulder, velvet custom Alberta Ferretti gown with a thigh-high slit showing off her incredible physique in all the right ways. Henson completed her look wisely with a diamond encrusted neck, sexy hair style, flawless make-up, and open toe heels. Simply put, she was en fuego (on fire) and gets an A+ in my book!
Next up, Kirsten Dunst in a regal custom Dior Haute Couture black gown, which was just everything to me because I do adore Dior and this dress in particular scored extra points in my book for the pockets! Head-to-toe Dunst nailed it with a side-swept, loose curls up-do paired, smoldering eyes, red lips and warm cheeks combined with the simplicity of a diamond choker and earrings to match made her look another on my best-dressed of the night list!
Photo Credit: Jay Clendenin/LA Times
Next up, Hailee Steinfeld opted for a whimsical look in an ethereal flower-garnished sheer gown by Ralph & Russo. I loved this for Steinfeld because she chose to go big and ballgown-y but it didn’t look juvenile, it was just right. Plus, the silhouette was so flattering with the halter neck line showing off her killer arms and back and the waistline hit in just the right place to highlight her tiny frame.
— Misses —
The first on my list of misses belongs to Felicity Jones in Dior. While I get the look she or her stylist was going for here, I’m simply not a fan of this dress on Jones for many reasons. First and foremost it does not flatter her tiny frame but rather widens her waistline and her pale skin blends in to the color of the dress completely washing her out.
Photo Credit:Photo Credit: Jay Clendenin/LA Times
Another miss of the night was Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton. There’s simply too much going on. The large necklace competes with the cap sleeves, the intricate neckline and the tiered ruffles at the bottom of her dress. Also, the cut of the dress is not flattering on her figure. And I have to say, the hair is nothing to write home about…something more sleek would’ve been more appropriate for this look.
Photo Credit: Jay Clendedin/LA Times
— Oscars After Party —
For me, some of my favorite looks of the night came from the after parties! Celebs like Jessica Biel – whose red carpet gold Kaufman Franco gown left me on the fence about her being on the best or worst-dressed list – brought the sexy back in a Ralph Lauren cape gown. For this look, I like Biel’s sleek hair and the make-up…it works here.
Kate Hudson was sizzling in a nude-colored Cavalli Couture lace gown and had her hair and make-up on point as well! The color of this dress complimented her sun-kissed skin and the plunging neckline looked exquisite on her. Hair and make-up, on point!
Viola Davis looked uber chic in a Brandon Maxwell white pantsuit accompanied with some cool kicks. I thought this was a very good choice to show she cared enough to dress up but wanted to do a pantsuit and high-fashion sneakers after donning that gorgeous red gown to the Oscars main event.
Jennifer Aniston looked ravishing in a beaded Versace dress, accompanied with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. I would’ve preferred her bangs swept to the side or a loose up do with large curls cascading down one side, especially because she was rocking a 100-carat $9.5 million pair of emerald cut Lorraine Schwartz earrings, which you could barely see! Come on now, show off those bad boys!
(Previous photos sourced from LA Times.)
XOXO
~April
Looking back to a few years ago when I hosted an amazing event with Dior (before they moved to City Center) a Midsummer Champagne Toast, which goes down as one of my all-time favorite events to date. :o)
With Donald Trump’s Inaugural Ball less than 2 weeks away, here are some suggestions from Yours Truly on how to look your best at a most historic DC Presidential event!
First up, this gorgeous winter white, open-back gown by Stella McCartney from Net-a-Porter. You could do it as shown with large earrings in gold or choose a pop of color (POC) like a mint green or jade and a coordinating clutch. The cut of the dress if figure-flattering and donning white head-to-toe, coupled with the subtle sexiness of the open-back, will give you an effortless and appropriate wow-factor!
The next dress is by one of my favorite designers, Roland Mouret, a two-tone, strapless gown from Net-a-Porter. The navy and black together and peplum flare at the waist make for a very classic and flattering look. I would keep it simple with this one and pair with with a black clutch and a navy or black fur cape to keep you warm and toasty.
For a beautiful gown without high-end designer prices, Self-Portrait has been making a splash in the fashion scene from Kate Middleton to Kerry Washington and this next dress is one of my favorites from the fashion house. The Mia dress – it also comes in white – would be perfect for the Inaugural Ball. (This line runs very small so I recommend going up 2 sizes from your normal size.)
Everyone knows I adore most anything Alexander McQueen and this next embellished dusty-pink gown is absolutely divine! It’s unique, elegant, romantic and simply breath-taking. If I were attending the Ball, this would be my pick! 🙂
If you really want to look like the Belle of the Ball, this blue-gray glitter gown by Marchesa will fit the bill.
Miami-based designer Rene Ruiz, who recently opened up a store in Georgetown, created this next stunning off-the-shoulder embellished navy blue gown available at Saks Fifth Avenue. I had the pleasure of meeting Ruiz last month and viewing his gowns in person and I will say they are beautiful! Not only that, he knows how to create a gown that truly flatters a woman’s figure regardless of her size.
XOXO
~April
I would like to cordially to invite you to join me this Thursday, December 22nd at Intermix Georgetown for a Holiday Shopping Soiree benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Come out and shop for some fabulous frocks for your holidays party and/or pick up something gorgeous for your friends and family and 10% of every purchase will go directly to St. Jude! Fashion and philanthropy going hand-in-hand, what better way to shop!
Oh, and I will be there to provide styling tips to all who attend!
If you can’t make it in to the event, no worries, we’ve got you covered! Simply head in to the store anytime between Dec. 15th and the eve of the event to pick out your pieces and they won’t ring you until the 22nd which means your purchase will go towards the overall grand fundraising total! :o)
St. Jude has a mind-blowing $2.2 million per day operating cost which is why events like this play such an important role in ensuring they can continue to lead the way in the way the world understand, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other pediatric diseases. And since the majority of funding comes from generous public donors, every dollar counts, which means your purchase – no matter how big or small – matters!
For more info on St. Jude visit http://www.stjude.org
I hope to see you there and for a wonderful evening filled with amazing women to support an amazing cause.
XOXO
~April
