By: Jessica Balder
Fashion 4 Development (F4D) hosted its 12th Annual First Ladies Luncheon on Tuesday, September 24th, during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Evie Evangelou, F4D President and Founder co-hosted with Yue-Sai Kan, Chinese American television host and producer, entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian, who was announced as F4D’s 2024 Visionary Award recipient. The afternoon featured their signature “green carpet” with a cocktail reception, awards ceremony, and fashion show showcasing Global Runway by Mirela Nurce, Sandriver Cashmere and Wang Feng Couture.
The annual luncheon is an opportunity for First Ladies and Royals from around the globe, as well as diplomats, philanthropists, fashion VIPs, and other key influencers, to celebrate the unprecedented cooperation between international diplomacy and fashion.
The First Ladies Luncheon began with green carpet arrivals and cocktail reception where guests were served luxury bubbly rose Aphrodise (an exclusive wine sponsor of the event) upon arrival. The celebratory reception was an opportunity for peers and associates to mingle and network. Exhibitions on display included Education Above All’s (EAA) Weaving Hopes from Silatech Beneficiaries in Morocco, celebrating Moroccan identity and rich culture with traditional products made by Moroccan youth beneficiaries from one of Silatech’s projects in partnership with Al Amana Microfinance Institution projects. Others spotlighted included Moroccan Kaftans by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Thani, Founder of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Art, Kaftans by Siham ElHabti and Berber jewelry and vintage pieces by Kenza Melehi in collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gautier.
Artist Libby Klein showcased a selection of her hand-painted tequila bottles, paying homage to the culture and ideals of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.
First ladies in attendance included First Lady of Albania, First Lady of Angola, First Lady of Bahamas, First Lady of Bosnia, First Lady of Bulgaria, First Lady of Colombia, First Lady of Guyana, First Lady of Vietnam, First Lady of Kosovo, First Lady of Fiji, First Lady of Malta and more. Additional notable attendees and honorees included Fern Mallis, women’s advocate and entrepreneur Julia Haart, Preeta Sinha, designer Helen Yarmak, Jean Shafiroff and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Glenda Bailey, former FL Sophie Trudeau, Nia Thompson, Dayle Haddon, Barbara Winston, Keiko Ono Aoki, Nicole Miller and Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian.
Evangelou welcomed all guests and introduced a short video spotlighting F4D’s 4th annual Sustainable Goals Banquet, which took place the previous evening.
Following the video, Evangelou introduced F4D’s Global Runway (GR) fashion show, where models showcased signature pieces representing regions from around the world by Mirela Nurce exclusively designed for Global Runway. Regarding the designs, Evangelou commented, “Global Runway is an international initiative that brings together 100 nations through fashion as well as art and culture. In process is a 450-page art book published by Skira Publishing and art directed by LDF Studio in Milan with a pilot documentary in the works. The fashion show will open at the UN in 2026 as a symbol of tolerance, reconciliation and global unity among nations. The book is written by Stephanie Dillon, a renowned artist and writer. Global Runway is not just about fashion; it’s about creativity overall, and one of our partnering artists, Libby Klein, who hand-painted tequila bottles from all different regions of the world, is part of today’s exhibit. We are celebrating the world coming together, and it is a good time to do it while the UN is in session.”
Evangelou next introduced Yue Sai-Kan, the recipient of the F4D Visionary Award, to give her remarks and introduce a video about Sandriver Cashmere. She noted, “Founded by my friend, Juliet Guo. Our theme is fashion for development, and Sandriver is a great example of fashion for development. Juliet has revived the ancient Mongolian hand-felt technique. Working with herders and local women in very poor remote areas to preserve these skills and empower women by providing them with job opportunities and a chance to improve their lives. Juliet’s vision of slow fashion, focuses on quality, traditional craftsmanship and sustainability.” A beautiful display of Sandriver cashmere designs was then showcased on the runway show, featuring coats, ponchos and more.
Juliet Guo, the founder of Sandriver Cashmere, then took the floor to receive the F4D Fashion Award. Since its inception in 2002, she has trained and empowered women in the Himalayas to earn vital salaries to support their families.
Julia Bodner, Partner and Talent Manager at Envisionary Management introduced a short video from Brandy Hellville before presenting the academy award-winning film’s director Eva Orner with the F4D Impact Through Film award.
Orner said, “The reason that I initially wanted to make this film was because I thought I had been buying sustainable clothing for the last 10 years from companies that did not abuse and exploit their workers and that didn’t contribute to environmental damage. Then I learned about greenwashing and that most of the sustainable clothing I was buying was not sustainable because there is not much global regulation in the fashion industry. The last line of the film is, “We simply need to buy less.” At the end of the day, we all need to look at our closets and our lifestyles, cut our consumption down, and buy things made of natural fibers that we will wear forever.”
Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, who serves as the United Nations Special Representative of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Violence against Children, next presented Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer of The Bicester Collection and Founder Brides do Good, with the F4D Medal of Honor for her commitment to empowering women and children wherever they are born.
Khoueiry said, “This recognition is not just for me—it belongs to every girl, every woman, and every community whose stories have shaped what I do. I am who I am because of my roots. Growing up with my Lebanese and African heritage, I learned early the power of resilience, community, and generosity. I’ve been incredibly lucky—given opportunities that many girls and women from where I come from don’t have. That’s what drives me to give back, to ensure that the doors opened for me are opened for countless others worldwide.”
Evangelou then took the stage to present FEED’s Lauren Bush and Sharon Bush with the F4D Family Philanthropy Award. Sharon spoke about taking her children to soup kitchens and homeless shelters, noting that it was her lifelong goal and ambition to raise her children to be philanthropic. She noted, “Life’s worth is measured not in its length, but in its goodness.”
FEED’s Lauren Bush Lauren, Sharon’s daughter, then took to the podium, “FEED is a social business with the mission to create good products that help feed the world. After traveling the world as a student in college, traveling to Guatemala, I saw childhood hunger and had to do something about it. Kids might wake up each day not knowing where their next meal will come from just because of where they were born. The idea for FEED came from the power we have as consumers to wake up every day and make choices about what we want to wear, what brands we want to support, what our values are and in doing so to help feed kids.”
Evangelou then introduced the Regeneration video featuring the premier Regeneration Festival in Uzbekistan, organized by F4D’s Goodwill Ambassador for Preserving Culture, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, followed by a surprise announcement of F4D’s official fragrance, The Harmonist collaboration of an accessories collection with South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu, which is now sold at Bergdorf Goodman. The Harmonist perfume travel sets were generously included in guests gift bags.
The last award of the afternoon, the F4D Eco Award was presented to Amy Green, CEO & Founder, of The Green Vision; Global Ambassador; Environmental Advocate, Philanthropist, and Journalist and Founder of the Footprint of Life Gala.
Amy Green said, “One person can’t change the world, but together, through collaboration and true connection, we can create magic. I’m honored to be working with some of the most extraordinary scientists around the world and individuals with the Planetary Guardians, who are developing the Planetary Boundary Health Check. This device will track the state of the planet and help us create a roadmap back to safety. As a global ambassador for Tusk, I’ve been deeply involved in anti-poaching efforts. It’s when we work together and use our natural resources wisely that we can create real change. The magic ingredients are collaboration, connection, and an open heart.”
The luncheon featured a beautiful executed Chinese menu created by Master Chef Guo and concluded with a stunning runway show by Wang Feng Couture and a ceremonial ornate blanket display of Chinese calligraphy representing happiness for all by Yiling Li.
F4D Awards created exclusively by Toye, Kenning & Spencer, founded in 1685 and with a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Toye, Kenning & Spencer is the leading and most diversified craft skills employer in the United Kingdom. To learn more about F4D, please visit: http://www.fashion4development.com
About Fashion 4 Development
Fashion 4 Development (F4D) is a private sector global platform founded by Evie Evangelou in January 2011 in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and “Every Woman, Every Child”. F4D builds upon the core leadership principles of the 4E’s: Educate, Empower, Enhance and Enrich, and activates partnerships that promote the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Industries, advance economic and social development activities, preserve culture and empower women. In 2015 F4D committed to support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and place a significant focus on sustainable lifestyle practices for a healthier world. Fashion 4 Development’s tagline – “Giving Back is the New Luxury” – and its message to promote positive social change are being received with open arms around the world, with initiatives in over 20 countries.
Published By: Aize Perez
