Next Friday, September 18, the who’s who of black, white and other in St. Louis will converge upon America’s Center for the St. Louis American Foundation’s 22nd annual Salute to Excellence in Education.
The event has the dual purpose of celebrating those responsible for shaping the great minds of tomorrow and providing substantial resources for students seeking to pursue higher learning opportunities.
But another important (though some might say superficial) element of the night is undeniably the fashion.
Salute also appeals to people who relish in the opportunity to dress in the upscale, black tie attire that has become the standard for the night. Each year guests pull out all of the stops, refusing to disappoint the style watchers with jazzy cocktail dresses, cutting-edge formal wear and classic gowns.
Salute guests can either open their wallet to showcase the ability to keep up with the trends or open their closet for an old faithful dress that makes them feel confident and sexy and turns heads.
A turned head at someone who is passing by is, after all, a kind of salute.
Full and fabulous – Paris Drake shows that size does not have to cramp any woman’s style as she breaks all of those stuffy rules laid on women with curves – like breaking the color barrier by shying away from all black and the ultimate taboo of going short in formalwear. She demands a second look with her brave, yet classy ensembles.
From signature to seductive – The American’s own Mary Winbush manages to drastically transform her look from one dress to the next and own each of her looks. They include a Jackie Onassis-inspired classic Jessica Howard (courtesy of Dillard’s) and a Michael Kors dress with a plunging halter neckline that manages to be both flaring and form-fitting to even out the look at the intersection of sexy and stylish. A brown Alfani chiffon cap sleeve cocktail dress rounds out her elegant personal collection.
The perfect fit – Jami Dolby relies on some of her favorite formalwear that showcases the highlights of the particular shape of her size eight frame. A hip and trendy black and white Donna Ricco dress expresses her youthful take on formalwear while a sapphire Adrianna Pappell floor-length classic gown with matching shoes and an Ann Taylor maroon number illustrate her ability to flip the script and go standard.
Dapper and traditional – Darius Young is conservative and classically handsome in his black dinner suit that plays by the rules and compliments his date’s arm, and a white jacket tuxedo that oozes high end and high style.
Suave and smooth – Qasan Ali is all about the new school in his pinstriped black suit with maroon paisley tie that compliments and contrasts at the same time. He takes it up a notch in his black on black tuxedo with satin accents that add contemporary and unique flavor to the concept of formal fashion.
A special thanks to Robert Powell, executive director of Portfolio Gallery, for allowing the use of the facilities, to Men’s Warehouse for the male formal wear and to Dillard’s for providing additional garments to complete the looks for the ladies.
The St. Louis American Foundation’s 22nd Annual Salute to Excellence in Education will take place next at 6 p.m. Friday, September 18 at America’s Center and will feature CNN’s Roland Martin as the keynote speaker and the Budweiser Select Old School After party immediately following the ceremony. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (314) 533-8000.
