Powerhouses of Music and Fashion Find New Cause in the Very Audience They Serve: Women
Mary J is one accomplished woman: She has won six Grammy Awards, issued seven multi-platinum records, and has been wowing crowds for 15 years with her smooth-as-silk voice. Now her eighth CD, Growing Pains, is hitting stores, and the #1 single, “I Am” is sure to top the charts again.
She has now gone the extra mile in her personal life as well, one Ms. Blige seems always willing to share with her adoring public: She has opened the new Mary J. Blige Centre for Women in Yonkers, New York, which will focus on the positive empowerment of young women, a cause Mary J. Blige wholeheartedly endorses. Blige has been consistently upfront about the challenges—and where she’s fallen short—in her own life. Her huge spirit and wealth of energy will no doubt translate to all who walk through these doors.
And as a woman who loves her fashion and style statements too, Blige has asked top luxury outfitter Gucci to join in her endeavour. Creative Director Frida Giannini has gladly agreed to sit on the board. “As a board member of the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, I’m extremely proud to be involved in this significant new endeavor benefiting women,” Giannini tells of her involvement. She says further, “It is an honor for Gucci to support the opening of this important new center. Mary offers a personal example of achievement to the young women of Yonkers, New York, and inspires all of us in the way she has given back to her community.
At a recent celebration for the opening, the two moguls of music and fashion were joined by Steve Stoute, co-founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) and Alan Trager, of the Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS).
—CindiC
Tagged in: fashion, gucci, mary j. blige, women's rights,
