Celebrating Love … By 2000, I had hosted some 40 major charity events, including dinner-dances, award ceremonies, fashion shows, and even an awards dinner held under the patronage of the French Ambassador. We had created a charity portrait event of New York City Ballet dancers, showcasing Harry Winston Jewels and French Fashions, displayed in both Manhattan and Paris. We also launched our annual Breast Cancer Awareness Awards, by honoring Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation creator Nancy Brinker, Caroline Rose Hunt, and Sloan-Kettering’s Dr. Larry Norton.
Over the years, we also honored leading medical researchers, Nobel Laureates, activist celebrities, Oscar-winning producers, Hall of Fame athletes, industry leaders, Grammy-winning singers, civil rights leaders, Emmy-winning actors, top fashion designers, Broadway stars, and more.
Creating and hosting so many varied events with such high-profile guests and honorees had its share of pressing deadlines, last-minute glitches, and treasured once-in-a-lifetime memories. And so I was ready to launch Manhattan Bride. More help arrived, as one of our charity patrons, Richard Kandel, came aboard as a partner. We assembled an elite editorial and sales team and published our first issue in March of 2000. Over the years, we had the pleasure of working with many talented editors, like Liz Condaxis, Mercedes Pritchett, Regina Carmichael, Kate Shapiro, and Noemi Smith Blumenthal, who was with us for over 12 years.
