Just writing this column is taking much longer than it should have. Why? Because of excuses. In college I learned the phrase, “Excuses are the tools of the incompetent upon which monuments of nothingness are built.NEW YORK – Red is Christie Brinkley’s color.
The veteran supermodel returned to the runway Wednesday night for the Red Dress Collection fashion show, an annual New York Fashion Week kickoff event that aims to draw attention to women’s heart health by putting celebrity catwalkers in a parade of gowns by some of the country’s most famous designers.
Strutting to “Uptown Girl,” she was all smiles in her Pamella Roland gown – even after a little stumble on the dress’s hem.
Brinkley is a supporter of the Heart Truth campaign, headed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and has participated in this event before. This year, though, she hesitated before deciding to don a dress again.
Her own mother is suffering from serious heart disease, having experienced five strokes and a heart attack, and right now Brinkley says she feels like she should be spending quality time with her parents.
But they’re the ones who actually nudged her to do it, she said in a teary telephone interview Tuesday.
“My parents understand more than anyone about the importance of getting the right care. They’re proud of me that I’ve reached a place where I can give back.”
Jennifer Nettles of the country band Sugarland said after the show that she enjoyed the experience but stuck to her strategy of not looking at the monitor while she was walking in her V-neck David Meister gown with a high slit.
“I was afraid of falling,” she said.
Minka Kelly looked like a seasoned pro in a sequin-covered wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg.
It’s a parade of great dresses, and red looks good on so many people, said Marchesa co-founder Georgina Chapman. Marchesa once again lent a dress for the event, worn by model and actress Rebecca Romijn.
“I love the color red. It’s such a passionate color and it’s a fabulous color when you want to make a splash,” Chapman said. “I especially love to wear black with a hint of red.”
Brinkley’s advice to the newbies was simple: “You can’t take a bad step when you’re on that runway. You’re there supporting this worthwhile … cause. And if you slip and fall, you’ll make the news and spread the word even more.”
