Splash of Pink Fashion Show

On Saturday 25 September, Against Breast Cancer celebrated the end of London Fashion Week and the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with The 'Splash of Pink' Fashion Show & Couture Tea, a star-studded event at the home of Bee Gee Robin Gibb and his wife Dwina, a patron of our charity.

Over 400 charity supporters mingled in the sunshine with many stars from the worlds of business, TV, and sport, including Julie Cowell, our Honorary President and mum to Patron Simon, who was represented by X Factor winner Joe McElderry, while TV Dragons Duncan Bannatyne and Theo Paphitis enjoyed a glass of bubbly with Jimmy Choo, OBE.

Our guests heard that with sufficient financial backing, our groundbreaking research into breast cancer could create the vaccine that saves generations of women from the threat of breast cancer. The messages certainly hit home, because the charity auctions and raffle, expertly hosted by Chris Cowdrey, was well supported with some frantic bidding...

For a growing charity like ours, raising our profile is closely linked to raising funds, and we were really pleased at how well we were supported on both fronts. Patron Ben Shephard expertly compèred the show, introducing the work of top designers Paul Costelloe, Pringle and Matches, who showcased their beautiful autumn collections to great applause while Mark Powell brought classic tailoring back to the catwalk.

Fashion and beauty experts John Walford of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Pamela Chapman, Attracta Courtney and celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford and their teams ensured that guests enjoyed a visual feast to match the scrumptious tea being served up by Wiltons.

Noel Edmonds kindly agreed to call the raffle, and with the evening's fundraising complete, Robin Gibb and his band rounded off the fun with crowd-pleasing versions of How Deep Is Your Love, To Love Somebody, Massachusetts, and Islands In The Stream (with Natasha Hamilton), climaxing with foot-stomping renditions of Night Fever and Stayin' Alive - a perfect anthem for our charity, we think....!

A big thank you should go to Bettina Zagoritis and Fiona Smart who were responsible for the planning, design, stage management and delivery of the Splash of Pink Fashion Show & Couture Tea.  They were ably assisted in their efforts by the team from Against Breast Cancer and a host of hard-working suppliers and  volunteers.

For more information on Splash of Pink Fashion Show & Couture Tea pictures, see our Picture this... page. And read Bettina's blog...