Nicole Miller Private Benefit Party for Chicago’s Mercy Home

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This past Thursday, October 14, 2010, renowned American fashion designer Nicole Miller hosted a private cocktail reception at her Gold Coast boutique to benefit Chicago’s Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Ten percent of the proceeds from purchases that evening went to directly to the non-profit humanitarian organization. Mercy Home for Boys & Girls serves at-risk children by providing a safe and structured environment for them to overcome adversity and realize their full potential. Mercy Home provides mentoring, residential services, and aftercare for over 600 children annually.

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I had an amazing time socializing with socialites, fashion writers, professional models, boutique owners, philanthropists, and of course Nicole Miller herself! My research interests revolve around ethics and philanthropy amongst fashion consumers, so this was the perfect way for me to officially kick off my academic career. I am planning to apply to Ph.D. programs this fall because I am passionate about finding ways to integrate sustainability, fair-trade, and pro-social consumer behavior into the fashion industry. I am studying these issues as a full-time graduate student at DePaul University’s School of Public Service. You see, my blog isn’t just for fun – it’s research!

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Nicole Miller is a huge inspiration to me. For her to donate ten percent of her sales that evening illustrates a strong commitment to humanitarian issues. She demonstrated the utmost integrity with her decision to disclose exactly how much she would be donating to Mercy Home. Many companies claim to donate a sizable percentage of their profits to charity, but often times the amount is less than 1%. It truly was an honor to be invited to attend such a fashion-forward charitable event and to meet Nicole herself. She sets an example – not only within the fashion industry, but for the entire private sector – on how to integrate charitable campaigns ethically into commercial events.

The following thirteen streetstyle photos were taken at this party. I met so many fabulous people that night. I hope to run into at least a few of you this week at Chicago’s runway shows in Millenium Park!


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