Not Just a Gown, a Walking Story

Creative ingenuity with cultural expressions and artistic ploy, designer Danell Lynn brings new life to fashion and human nature. Her company, Dl-couture, is as unique in the fashion world as they are based in humanitarian endeavors. Each year they create a gown where 100 percent of the proceeds go to charity. This year, the gown is made of Arizona Cardinal game jerseys and is signed by the NFC championship team. It is up for silent auction until Oct. 31 and can be seen on www.dl-couture.com. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to Partners in Malawi, 30 percent to Kurt Warner's First Things First Foundation, 10 percent to Threading Hope and 10 percent to Highwire.

Creating a gown each year for charity is a great gesture in itself, but more so because they only make 13 custom gowns a year. Therefore, the exclusivity makes each dress seem almost more like a limited edition work of art than a clothing item. This is because Dl-couture provides beautiful fabrics from all over the world for clients, even flying to pick up the perfect fabric for a specific gown. Lynn also travels the world and hand selects the fabric used in her gowns and buys directly from the merchants, supporting global economy.

"How does it feel to create something that has never been done before?" asks Gillian Ferris-Kohl of NPR, regarding the Cardinal’s gown. As many question, where did the idea even come from to make a gown from NFL jerseys? The answer is simple. "The abstract side of my mind is overly active in creativity and an exact location can not be pin-pointed. It is a blend of my love for art and athletics, and I hope for many more ventures with professional sports," says Lynn.

Dl-couture is considered a rarity in the world of high fashion, not just because of the innovative designs but because of their true mission for blending clothing and compassion. Lynn received her start when she trained at Miami International University of Art and Design, and earned awards such as Advant-Garde Designer of the Year. She was also one of five in the nation winning a spot to present wearable jewelry design in the Lourve Museum in Paris. Situated in Florida’s fashion market, she worked as an assistant designer to a couture house on South Beach before following the road less traveled, embracing her imagination and creating Dl-couture. Lynn took the parts of the industry she loved and left behind that which she didn’t, blending artistic details, sustainability and creativity of fabrics from unique communities throughout the globe, and the seeds began to sprout.

She is building a name for Dl-couture with her graceful ability to carry out even difficult creations, from dresses made of playing cards, to elegant gowns of Chinese silk, to green friendly recycled creations of old jerseys that have hit the NFL playing fields time and again. She has dressed Mrs. World and Miss America and enjoys the variety and excitement that making a pattern only once entails. Clients have playfully mocked her mind's ability to create and expertly execute garments. "What’s next, an engineering degree?" asks a client who commissioned a dress of playing cards for their educational playing cards company.

Dl-couture is a custom clothing line that believes looking beautiful can also be meaningful. It specializes in Haute Couture, and they donate 15 percent of all their custom gown sales to aid those in need. "Every time our clients wear the handmade garments, they are reminded of their commitment to helping children and families less fortunate," says Lynn. "It is not just a gown, but a walking story."

The company is also heavily rooted in humanitarian work. As a global ambassador, Lynn travels the world for aid work and has also developed Threading Hope, a humanitarian entity of Dl-couture that creates and accepts donations from quilters around the globe to bring warmth to a child in need. "We are always looking for those with large hearts willing to create a quilt for us to take to foreign countries,” says Lynn. “Next year we are off to Malawi to deliver quilts to the sickest of the sick in the In Patient ward for Partners in Malawi hospital."

If you are interested in helping to donate go to www.dl-couture.com and click on the Threading Hope page for more information. For more information on Dl-couture or to contact Danell Lynn please visit www.dl-couture.com or email info@dl-couture.com.

Illuminating Awareness in the Fight for a Cure

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year marks the third annual fundraiser for the Arizona Institute for Breast Health (AIBH), The Pink Light District. The AIBH is a non-profit organization providing education and support to newly diagnosed patients about their treatment options, completely free of charge.

Now through Oct. 31, valley residents will be able to show their support of the AIBH by sponsoring pink light bulbs to be placed on the Canal Bridge located in downtown Scottsdale. Each light bulb is $25 and will serve as a representation of the strength of a survivor, the memory of a loved one, or a personal struggle with breast cancer. The Bridge, which links the Scottsdale Waterfront to the Old Town Scottsdale, will be lit during The Pink Light District Ceremony on Thurs., Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at Olive & Ivy restaurant and stay illuminated throughout the month. All donors will be recognized on the AIBH website in their Pink Light District Honor Album and a personalized Tribute Card will be emailed to the honoree(s) designated.

This year as an added distinction, AIBH will recognize one individual who has made extraordinary efforts in the fight against breast cancer. Now through Sept. 15, AIBH is accepting nominations for The Pink Light Award. The recipient will have the honor of flipping the switch the night of The Pink Light District Ceremony¸ transforming the Canal Bridge into a symbol of hope in the cause’s signature color. To nominate a brave advocate for breast cancer awareness for the Pink Light Award, please go to www.thepinklightdistrict.org.

Julie Robinson, AIBH Board Member and President of corporate sponsor Jani-King Southwest, hopes to showcase the exceptional strides exceptional individuals in the community are making towards the cause. “It is estimated that more than 190,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, 3,900 in Arizona alone,” notes Robinson. “With these kinds of statistics, it is imperative that there is a huge amount of community support.”

Robinson adds, “This is a simple and powerful way to raise breast cancer and breast health awareness – and hopefully become one step closer to finding a cure.”

For more information about AIBH, please visit their website at www.aibh.org.

Giving birth in U.S. riskier than in Cuba or Czech Republic

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 7 of every 1,000 babies born in the United States will die before their first birthday, and the rates among African American, Hispanic and Native American populations are even higher. Premature births occurring before 37 weeks and low-weight babies (less than 5 pounds) account for the highest number of these deaths.

Since September is National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway, a board-certified ob-gyn, an advocate for quality healthcare and patient safety and author of The Smart Mother's Guide to a Better Pregnancy offers these SMART tips to help pregnant women improve their chances of having a healthy baby.

S = Seek prenatal care early. Tests for potential chromosome problems, including mental retardation and spina bifida (a condition that causes paralysis) can be conducted only in the first and second trimesters. A first trimester ultrasound is also the most accurate in terms of determining a due date.

M = Mention all risk factors such as a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, Rh negative blood, premature labor, bleeding problems or genetic conditions to your healthcare professional as soon as possible. Do not omit information such as smoking or using recreational drugs because such activities can affect your baby.

A = Ask to have your cervix measured during your ultrasound if you have a history of premature contractions or delivery. A cervical length of 2.5 centimeters or less is a risk factor for preterm labor. If you are at risk for delivering before 37 weeks, ask your healthcare provider about receiving steroids to help your baby's lungs develop.

R = Research your hospital and prospective physician or midwife carefully. Is the physician or midwife skilled in managing high-risk conditions? Will your care continue if you lose your insurance? Has the newborn nursery had any recent outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections? Is the hospital a level-three facility?

T = Test for potential problems such as gestational diabetes, sickle cell trait and cystic fibrosis, and check for appropriate fetal growth with an ultrasound.

The United States is one of the most industrialized countries in the world, yet The World Factbook indicates that we rank below Cuba, Taiwan, Greece, Ireland, Canada, England, Czech Republic, South Korea and other countries in national infant mortality rate. Being aware of your risk and following these SMART tips will help you to have a healthy baby.

Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center made new beneficiary of Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation's Thirty-Fourth Honor Ball

Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation’s 34th annual Honor Ball has a new beneficiary: cancer research and treatment at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare.

One of the Valley’s most elegant and exciting black tie events, The Honor Ball will be held Saturday evening, Feb. 6, 2010 in The Phoenician Resort Grand Ballroom.

Cancer research at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare is led by world-renowned cancer researcher and chief scientific officer Daniel Von Hoff, MD. New drugs and therapies being studied at Scottsdale Healthcare are the first step from the research lab to cancer patients, and may eventually to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to become standard treatment.

The Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare administers this groundbreaking cancer research. Cancer research patients from across the United States and beyond are seen by Dr. Von Hoff and his team. Dr. Von Hoff is co-leader of the Stand Up to Cancer “Dream Team” for pancreatic cancer research, and led the study of a potential new skin cancer treatment featured this month in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Several studies conducted at Scottsdale Healthcare have yielded promising results to advance the battle against cancer. Skin, lung and pancreatic cancer clinical trials conducted at Scottsdale Healthcare have been the subject of scientific papers and presentations at recent international cancer conferences.

"Patients in our community have access to ground-breaking, world-class research right in their own backyard," said Mark Slater, PhD, vice president of research at Scottsdale Healthcare. "Our goal is reducing the time it takes to get new treatment discoveries from the research lab to the patient, and we are pleased that proceeds from The Honor Ball will support this important work."

The Honor Ball has raised more than $8 million to benefit Scottsdale Healthcare. To learn more about cancer research at Scottsdale Healthcare, visit www.shc.org/cancer.

Reservations for the 34th annual Honor Ball are $500 per person or $1000 per couple; tables start at $7500. For more information, call 480-882-4510.

Sleep America Partners with Serta for Adopt a Sheep Campaign

Sleep America is excited to be partnering with Serta for their second annual Adopt a Sheep campaign. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, Sleep America retail locations will be housing sheep to help benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. The two primary beneficiaries are Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Tucson Medical Center.

Sleep America President Debbie Gaby said, “I love these Serta counting sheep, but I love them even more knowing that every one we adopt out of our stores, directly benefits the children in our hospitals!”

“It is Serta's honor and privilege to partner with Sleep America on this important and worthwhile event. It's not often that we get a chance to make a child's life more bearable and provide a little more happiness in their lives, while they are going through the toughest of times. The funds that will be raised by the 'Adopt A Sheep for Children' Event will hopefully help relieve some of the financial burden the families of these precious children have to bear,” said Steve Feldman, Arizona Serta Sales Rep.

Customers will be able to “adopt” the plush (3/8) Serta Sheep that star in the commercials for a minimum $10 donation. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network.

Susan O’Donnell, Children's Miracle Network Coordinator at Phoenix Children's Hospital said, “This is such a great promotion. Not only are the sheep adorable, but the proceeds will benefit some of Arizona's youngest patients. We are extremely grateful to Sleep America for thinking of us and for creating this amazing opportunity.”

Sleep America is the largest mattress retailer in Arizona. Founded in 1997 by Debbie Gaby and her husband, Len, Sleep America has more than 150 employees and has over 40 store locations statewide. This year Sleep America proudly celebrates twelve successful years in business. For the Sleep America store nearest you call 1-888-94-SLEEP.

Photography exhibition to open at Phoenix Art Museum

Portraits are taken by both professional photographers and amateurs everyday. They document significant milestones, record special moments, convey credentials and when done well, provide an intimate view of the subject. But what do these photographs also say about the person behind the lens – the photo taker? On September 19, Phoenix Art Museum unveils Face to Face: 150 Years of Photographic Portraiture, a new photography exhibition that reveals the concealed stories portraits tell.

Face to Face investigates nearly 70 portraits by 58 different artists by exploring the ways photographers express the essence of their subjects and the impact of personal, professional or cultural relationships. Drawn from the Center for Creative Photography, as well as local collections, this unique exhibition features evocative portraits by some of the greatest photographic image-makers of the 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-centuries including Southworth and Hawes, Gertrude Käsebier, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Yosuf Karsh and Richard Avedon.

“Portrait photographers take the expressive potential of clothing, gesture, pose, facial expression and setting and expand on them by using photographic elements to create a picture about their subject,” commented Rebecca Senf, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography, Phoenix Art Museum. “Beyond the visible elements in a photograph, there are aspects of the portrait that may not be obvious. Uncovering those relationships or the circumstances through research enriches our understanding.”

Portraiture was one of photography’s earliest applications and has become the primary mode for capturing a person’s likeness. Face to Face spans the medium’s history, from the earliest form of photography – the daguerreotype, used in the mid 19th century – to works made in the last few years.

“By closely investigating the works presented in the exhibition visitors will have the enhanced ability to read a portrait, a style of picture-making everyone personally knows, and to see more in every picture of people they view,” commented Senf.

Exhibition Details

Face to Face: 150 Years of Photographic Portraiture is presented by Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography and will be on view in the Museum’s Doris and John Norton Gallery September 19, 2009 through January 10, 2010. Face to Face is organized by Phoenix Art Museum.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum is hosting a special evening with photographer and author, Nick Kelsh on December 2 at 7 pm. Kelsh is the author of the popular “how to” series including How to Photograph Your Baby and How to Photograph Your Family. In addition to sharing best practices, he’ll discuss the life lessons he has learned from four decades of photography and the inspirations behind some of his most noted photographs. This is a free Museum event open to the public.

Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (65+), $8 for full-time college students with ID, $4 for children ages 6-17 and free for children under 6 and for museum members. The Museum offers free general admission for everyone on Wednesday evenings, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and for First Fridays, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Some exhibitions have special admission fees.

Phoenix Art Museum is located in downtown Phoenix at the corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road.

Museum hours are Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.; First Fridays, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Some exhibitions have special hours. The Museum is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and major holidays. The Museum Store and Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum are open during Museum hours.

A Landmark Photography Partnership

In 2006, Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson inaugurated a highly innovative and unprecedented collaboration to bring the finest in photography to Phoenix Art Museum visitors. It established a vibrant new photography exhibition program at the Museum, while bringing the Center’s world-renowned collections to new and larger audiences.

The Center for Creative Photography is one of the world’s largest repositories of materials chronicling photography. Founded in 1975, it now houses 3.8 million archival items and 80,000 fine prints by photographers including Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Frederick Sommer, W. Eugene Smith, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, and Garry Winogrand.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest’s premier destination for world-class visual arts. Popular exhibitions featuring artists such as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, Annie Leibowitz and Monet are shown along side the Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. A community epicenter for nearly fifty years, Phoenix Art Museum presents festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs that enlighten, entertain and stimulate. Visitors also enjoy PhxArtKids an interactive space for children, vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, the lushly landscaped Sculpture Garden, dining at Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum, and shopping at The Museum Store.

To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit PhxArt.org, or call the 24-hour recorded information line at (602) 257-1222.

Under the Influence Overcoming Addiction with Hope

by Barbara Nicholson-Brown

There is nothing unusual or special about my story—it happens every day. Women, men, children, young adults and teens all over the world struggle from the same disease I have: addiction. Not only does this disease destroy families, relationships and careers, it also claims thousands of lives through overdoses, illness, auto fatalities and violence.

Addiction affects 23 million people of all ages in the United States alone. Two-thirds of Americans have friends or family who struggle with addiction. It’s estimated that 5.3 million women in the U.S. drink in a way that threatens their health, safety and general well-being. Alcohol and drugs are incredibly destructive; long term chronic drinking or drug use ravages the body, mind and soul.

In a few more days, I’ll have been clean and sober for 19 years. One of my purposes in this recovered life is to let others know it is possible to live without being chained to a bottle, glass or pill—there is a special freedom that comes from not being under the influence.

Addiction dragged me into the shadows of darkness, hopelessness and isolation. While I was filled with embarrassment and shame for years, asking for help and having to admit to this “problem” seemed unbearable. What would everyone think? Then, one remarkable day after years of hangovers and blackouts, I surrendered. It took time, but I slowly began to understand, feel and believe that I was not alone.

Today, recovery from addiction is more openly talked about. Celebrities and the media have begun making a concerted effort to raise awareness, and little by little, inch by inch, the stigma associated with addiction is slowly lifting—but we have a long way to go. Many people still feel that they must hide their addiction out of fear or shame. I believe that part of my responsibility is to offer the message that hope exists by extending myself to others who have felt the struggle and putting a face to this disease.

Five years ago, in my quest to be part of the larger solution, my husband and I created the Art of Recovery Expo. We envisioned a day when we would have the opportunity to open the doors of the Phoenix Convention Center to the general public. Here, anyone and everyone would have the chance to meet the leading treatment providers, counselors, therapists and professionals in the field of mental health and addiction at no cost.

We would bring in highly recognized speakers and offer workshops, resources, education and—most of all—hope. Today, the Expo has grown to be one of the largest recovery events in September as the nation celebrates National Recovery Month.

As members of our community, we need to speak up about the successes that occur and talk about the realities of this disease. We need to make a difference by removing the stigma addiction still carries. I know for a fact that miracles are abundant for those who make the choice to change. It’s not an easy task, but it is possible. It happened for me in my worst moment of despair; I was offered something as simple as a glimmer of hope. I invite you to join us at the Expo this year and see the smiles that recovery brings. Today, my life is under a new kind of influence: hope.

Visit the 5th Annual Art of Recovery Expo
This year’s presenting speaker at the Art of Recovery Expo will be Christopher Kennedy Lawford, the first-born child of President John F. Kennedy’s sister, Patricia, and famous Rat Pack actor, Peter Lawford. Lawford is an actor and bestselling author who struggled with addiction for many years. Sober now for 22 years, he shares his personal story with others in his memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, Moments of Clarity and Healing Hepatitis C, in hopes of making a difference.


5th Annual Art of Recovery Expo
Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phoenix Convention Center, Hall G
480.767.7880
www.artofrecoveryexpo.com


Barbara Nicholson-Brown is Founder of the Art of Recovery Expo and Publisher of Arizona Together, a monthly publication with a focus on addiction recovery.