Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation Hosts “Collaborating For A Cure Luncheon” – Featuring Jason Wu

Five years ago, Pamela Morgan, Marion Waxman, Erica Linden-Fineberg and Lauren Lawrence decided to do a ladies lunch and fashion show to benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. It may have started out small, but this year’s fifth annual “Collaborating for a Cure Luncheon” on May 15 filled the two floor living area of Susan Gutfreund’s iconic Fifth Avenue home. Designer Jason Wu – a favorite of Michele Obama, who designed her first inaugural gown – staged a private fashion show to benefit the Foundation. It funds cutting-edge research internationally, to identify and correct abnormal gene function that causes cancer, so that patients can be spared excessively toxic treatments.

A model shows off Jason Wu. (Photo: Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com)

In past years, the luncheon showcased the designs of Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, St. John and Nicole Miller. The Jason Wu fashion show included looks from the current spring collection, a capsule cotton collection, and a preview of the fall collection. “This collection for spring is very indicative of what he wanted to get back to in American sportswear,” Tracy Piazza, Senior Vice President at Jason Wu, said. “So you’ll see a lot of silhouettes are ultra-feminine.”

Morgan and Waxman chaired the afternoon with Lauren Lawrence, who brought in Wu. Erica Linden-Fineberg Co-Chaired. The Event Committee included Chris Arlotta, Sharon Bush, Maria Elena Christiansen, Denise De Luca, Boo Grace, Susan Gutfreund, Yaz Hernandez, Patricia Kluge, Jeanne Lawrence, Lauren Day Roberts, Barbara Tober, Marcy Whitman, and Karen Amster-Young.

Aging and cancer is the newest initiative for the Foundation, Samuel Waxman told the room. “The data is there but we don’t know why or how they connect. So we started an international program to find out why cancer is a disease of aging.”

Notable attendees included William T. Sullivan, Maria Fishel, Don Lemon, Michelle Herbert, Jean Shafiroff, Vicky Tiel, Carolyne Roehm, Regina Kravitz, Susan Rose, Hyewon Miller, Barbara Regna, Diane Chudnoff, Chris Arlotta, Harriet Gayle Raisin, Gail Prop, Barbara Tober, Chris Arlotta, Caroline Lieberman, Gale Sitomer, Jeanne Lawrence, Ingeborg Rennert, Maria Elena Christiansen, Dr. Penny Grant, Marjorie Baldinger, Marlene Brown, Marcia Levine, Randi Schatz, Roy Fischer, Valerie Lettan, Yaz Hernandez, Nicole Salmasi, Nadia Eshaghpour, Maribel Lieberman, Laury Franks, Patricia Kluge, and David Salvatore.

Jean Shafiroff, Sharon Bush, and Victoria Wyman. (Photo: Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com)

CxRA catered the vegan-friendly lunch; Palm Bay International provided white wine and special gin cocktails. Magnolia Bakery sent all home with cupcakes. The less fattening goody bag included the House of Wu’s first fragrance, a perfect scent for the approaching summer season.

For more information about the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, visit www.waxmancancer.org.