For the second year in a row, this September, GBK, the luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company offered its exclusive list of invited celebrities, VIPs, and media including yours truly TGATP, an opportunity to explore new products and enjoy a luxury environment and beauty services. The array of vendors wass interesting and diverse with gifts and services in every category. Celebrity makeup artists utilized the award-winning brand and each attendee was gifted a selection of the best sellers in the Hard Candy collection. Nail designs were provided by imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails – the revolutionary way to apply polish allowing you to get salon-perfect manicure in seconds with no glue. Simply peel off, press on and you’re done! Also on site to enhance the lounge: Scunci – Can’t commit to bangs? Scunci stylists provided complimentary Scunci faux ponytails and bangs.
Other luxury sponsors included: Presenting Sponsor Pilot Pen, known for offering superlative writing instruments renowned for quality, performance, cutting-edge technology and consumer satisfaction, gave us their Frixion (pronounced friction) erasable pens and their Ageless pen; Izlla, eco-luxury face and body products and a new TGATP favorite, gifted their Fresh Sweet Carrot Facial Day Crème, Urban Elements Defense Serum and Peace Facial Serum; G Wear, unique recycled fashion shirts; New York City Cosmetic and General Dentistry, New York City’s top private concierge cosmetic and general dentistry provider, gave $1500 gift certificates towards exclusive private “on location” concierge dental and medical services; Baan Unrak Conscious Collection : SUK pants, hand woven pants by Thai locals and mothers of Baan Unrak – a community in Thailand that cares for 150 children from difficult backgrounds; MODAY, let us order sexy, classy contemporary slips and camisoles for the everyday modern woman; guests received $50 gift certificates from Beyond the Rack, North America’s premier online shopping club, offering its members the most sought-after designer brand apparel, accessories, beauty, and home décor products at up to 80% off retail; Jada Toys, Inc., gave some and are sending their Cutie Pops, which are trendy Mr Potato-Head style-fashion dolls that come with special “style pops” that allow you to decorate them from head to toe creating the ultimate fashion looks; Caribbean Living Magazine gave each celebrity a one-week stay in the Caribbean (I wasn’t especially impressed with this. I told the rep I would only care about this if she was gifting ME with a trip!) ; and Kspin Designs – a Children’s Couture Clothing Company (with a platform for sun safety and sunless beauty) is gifting Children’s Couture Sun Hat and Sun Safety Accessories.
Fashion accessories and jewelry are always a highlight of GBK lounges where various styles from funky and fresh, to high-end luxury pieces satisfy the many tastes of our trend-setting guests. This year’s Fashion Week Styling Lounge highlighted Misahara Jewelry, inspired by world travel and featuring quality gem stones, will be gifting their unity charm representing their first collection of their ultra luxury jewelry collection; Hot Rock Jewelry.com, gave me a custom gold-plated pendant and chain featuring their flaming diamond logo and message “Your Life Has Meaning” which I am currently wearing every day, a watch collection by Marc Coblen – an innovative, new fashion brand that boasts over 40,000 style combinations all in one watch; handbags from Katherine Kwei featuring her signature Chinese eternity knot-inspired weave; and BLINKZGEAR, Urban+Life Messenger Bags with cool graphic designed zip out front covers (again with all these products I needed to be given one to care about reviewing them!) Artist Candice Shaw complimented the BLINKZGEAR bags with a custom designed GBK logo in honor of this year’s Fashion Week event.
While exploring the selection of gifts and latest fashion finds, guests enjoyed gourmet refreshments from Coco Café, the new coffee drink with the buzz of organic espresso and fresh coconut water creating the perfect pick me up –morning, noon and night; Brugal Extra Dry Rum, the pride of the Dominican Republic as the only 100% Dominican rum; Wine Chateau, one of the most experienced wine retailers online offering a vast selection of wines from around the world; and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., provided “fresh from the farm” all-natural, hand-crafted cheese from Point Reyes, CA.
Remaining true to GBK’s foundational belief of giving back, this year’s Fashion Lounge benefitted Dress for Success Worldwide, an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Star attendees came out in force to the lounge and included luminaries from TV, Fashion, Broadway, the Beauty Pageant worlds and yours truly. They included: Chaske Spencer “The Twilight Saga” (Sam Uley), Nasim Pedrad “Saturday Night Live” (plays Kim Kardashian), June Ambrose Celebrity Stylist; “Styled by June”, Jennifer Ashton ABC’s “The Revolution” , Janet Krupin Broadway’s “Bring It On: The Musical” (Kylar) Neil Haskell “So You Think You Can Dance”, Jana Kramer CW’s “One Tree Hill” (Alex Dupre), Tamara Tunie NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Dr. Melinda Warner), Olivia Culpo Miss USA 2012, Leila Lopes Miss Universe 2011, Angela Simmons Pastry Footwear; Run’s House, Gordana Gelhausen “Project Runway Season 6, Mondo Guerra “Project Runway Allstars- Winner”/Season 8, Paul Sparks HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” (Mickey Doyle), Elle McLemore Broadway’s “Bring it On” (Eva), David Alan Basche TV Land’s “The Exes” (Stuart Gardner), Somaya Reece VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop”, Glamo Style Network’s “Glam Fairy” JR Smith NY Knicks, Chris Smith NY Knicks, Seth Aaron Henderson Project Runway Season 7 winner, Valerie Magen Project Runway Season 8, Carmen Wong Ulrich NBC/Dress for Success, Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) Angela Simmons (“Pastry” Shoes / “Run’s House”), Katrina Bowden (“30 Rock”), Countess LuAnn de Lesseps (“The Real Housewives New York”), Mark Cuban and the cast of (“Shark Tank”), Gordana Gelhausen, Mondo Guerra, Seth Aaron Henderson, Valerie Magen all from (“Project Runway”), Paul Sparks, HBO’s (“Boardwalk Empire”) Jennifer Ashton, ABC’s (“The Revolution”) Tamara Tunie, NBC’s( “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) Olivia Culpo– Miss USA, Leila Lopes– Miss Universe, Jana Kramer CW’s (“One Tree Hill”), Nasim Pedrad (“Saturday Night Live”) and Fashion Designer Walter Baker, who snuck over to the lounge for a little indulgence after his show and India de Beaufort, ABC Family’s “Jane By Design”, who is also showing her own line “Ballyhoo” at the EMERGE show.
TGATP attended on Friday and I rubbed shoulders with my gals from the Real Housewives of NY, Melinda Ford, and Countess LuAnn.
