Before Christian Siriano takes what will be his first trans-Atlantic crossing Friday, he will join a few other designers aboard the Queen Mary 2 to discuss women’s empowerment.
Cohosted by the King’s Trust and Cunard, the fall fashion lunch will include a “Working for Women” panel discussion. The event kicks off Cunard’s Transatlantic Fashion Week and it will be held aboard the docked Queen Mary 2 at the Brooklyn Ferry Terminal.
During Friday’s talk, Siriano will be joined by the pioneering streetwear designer April Walker, who is the founder of Walker Wear, and the sister designers Laura and Rachel Beattie of Careaux. Based in England, the duo’s crafted clothing line is rooted in sustainable practices and has received support from The King’s Trust.
Walker, who collaborated with the late musicians Tupac Shakur and “The Notorious B.I.G.,” as well as Queen Latifah and the Wu-Tang Clan, is known for her innovative approach. She is the first woman of color to have opened a clothing boutique and a streetwear label during the golden age of hip-hop. Walker, who continues to be influential, is expected to share insights from her experience and her support of young female fashion entrepreneurs.
At the event, each designer will donate a garment for an auction that will support The King’s Trust. Launched in 1976, The King’s Trust aims to support disadvantaged young people to help them overcome personal, academic and social barriers to achieve their potential and stabilize their lives through employment or education. The organization has helped more than one million people thus far.
As a Platinum Patron, Cunard is among the most dedicated supporters of the King’s Trust. The aim is to realize change on a large scale with some of the world’s leading companies, charitable foundations and philanthropists.
When The King’s Trust expanded its reach to North America, Cunard strengthened its commitment by extending the partnership to the U.S. Cunard and is now celebrating 17 years of partnership with The King’s Trust.
Although the luncheon is a separate initiative, it has a connection through Siriano, who is headlining the voyage to the U.K. with one of Cher’s favorite designers, Bob Mackie. Siriano will stage a fashion show with his favorite model Coco Rocha. Mackie, who arrived in New York earlier this week, has taken the reverse course with Cunard but the Southampton-bound route will be a new one for him.
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During a press preview Thursday at the Carlyle hotel for his upcoming auction at Julien’s, Mackie said he will show the documentary about his life “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,” and then will field questions from passengers in a Q&A. His design director Joe McFate said, “People ask the craziest questions.”
Mackie agreed, saying he has heard ones like, “I was in your high school class. Do you remember me?”
The celebrity-friendly designer has been known to counter that with, “Do you know how long ago high school was for me?”
Another common refrain that he hears is, “My favorite thing was, when Carol Burnett came down the stairs [on her TV show] in the curtain rod dress.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?” Mackie asked rhetorically.
Recalling how the Museum at FIT featured the Mackie-designed curtain rod dress as the opening look of the designer’s 1999 retrospective exhibition, McFate said, “That’s going to be on his tombstone.”
