Drive 2 Thrive II

On October 3rd the haute ticket to have in Baltimore was for Drive 2 Thrive II. With only 100 tickets available, Iconography was granted access to this fab event, as well as a meet and greet with the designers afterwards.

The private benefit featured a music reception, an award ceremony for Echelon Life’s 2009 Community Champion and Corporate Ambassador of Philanthropy, and a Fashion Showcase featuring 2009 Bravo TV “Project Runway” Winner Leanne Marshall and 4 rising stars of high fashion – Oscar Mai, Bishme Cromartie, Andrew Nowell, and Lavash by Alfred Lape.

Each year, Echelon Life hosts the Drive to Thrive fashion benefit to strengthen community organizations which ‘stand in the gap’ between our citizenry and opportunity in the core areas of health, literacy and mentorship. Last year, the benefit featured 2008 Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano. We cannot wait to attend Drive 2 Thrive III and see who this premiere event firm snags next.

We had the opportunity to steal Jasmine Richardson, owner or Echelon Life, from her busy schedule to ask her a few questions.

Now that Drive 2 Thrive II is over, what’s next for Echelon Life?
Echelon Life produces several annual events: Drive to Thrive, Terrell Suggs’ Team Sizzle Celebrity Weekend and the Legacy Film Festival – the official Minority Film Festival of Baltimore.  The Film Festival will be held Mar 26-29, 2010 and showcase independent films from across the country for and/or about individuals of color. We are also excited about cultivating platiinum private affairs for next year such as a Fantasy Wedding, Super Sweet Sixteen and a few Film Wrap Parties.

What are a few of your inspirations for planning lux events?
My clients inspire me.  It all begins with their ideas – I always ask, “what do you want to remember about the event when its over?”  I work backwards from there. My travels have influenced me definitely.  For example, creating the first Team Sizzle Celebrity Weekend was all about Vegas and we had so much fun recreating the marble tubs from Tao Restuarant & Club in the Venetian, and showcasing the Cirque Aerialists, Firebrethers, Showgirls and white tiger to capture the excitement of a variety of Vegas show experiences.  Chasing that ’WOW” effect is like an adrenaline rush.  Our limit is only our imagination and everyone on my team knows when we’ve discovered a WOW element.

Who are some of your favorite designers?
I am a person that loves the classic look.  I love a designer who can capture the essence of femninty in a color, fabric or cut and be the epitome of classy – that is and always will be Chanel to me.  I also love Valentino from Audrey Hepburn to Halle Berry that fashion house has been amazing. For shoes (my greatest weakness) – Roberto Cavalli  – you can wear his shoes with a potato sack and all eyes will be on the shoes. As for menswear, I really am a big fan of LAVSH by Alfred Lape right now and was so happy to have him at this year’s Drive to Thrive II.

Give us some tips on planning a successful luxury event?
You don’t have to be rich to produce a premium quality event.  The most important thing to do is plan it so that you actually have time to enjoy some of it instead of being overwhelmed with hosting duties. Time is your greatest luxury and if you want it done right, remember to calculate the costs of your time and if it is affordable, get an event planner who can leverage their relationships to help you achieve your goals. It takes a village to create a great event.  I am very grateful for my faithful team.  The other tip, I would give, is stick to your concept. A well executed theme is consistent throughout the details. It is tempting to keep adding on as we shop and get caught up in the excitement but just like a good movie, there are lead roles and supporting casts. You can still have fun and “bring the drama” in your Wow elements, just choose them wisely for maximun effect. A well organized, cohesive design will seem like effortless elegance and that is what we strive to achieve.

Which magazines do you read? And we hope Iconography is one, LOL!
Of course, I love what Iconography represents especially for this region. W magazine and Forbes Woman are always interesting reads. But my favorite subscription is Esquire which I always read cover to cover.

What should every fashion addict have in their closet?
A shoe rack. You should own a pair of shoes that can change your attitude just by putting them on.