Check out Fashion Week 2005 in Photos.
By Pierre Grzybowski
I am Annie Judah's bag man and photographer extraordinaire at New York Fashion Week. According to about half the people we've met, I am also Annie's husband. The husband part is new, but I think I'm destined to become a photographer, talent be damned.
At the Canadian seal hunt, my official role was to haul errant videographers out of cracks in the ice, but because the ice stayed solid, I instead hauled their tripods, manned a camera, and tried to interpret the French curses of the sealers. At the moment, I'd give my left foot for the Nikon I had on the ice. But now, all our best equipment is down in New Orleans and Mississippi covering our rescue efforts, and I got the "it doesn’t matter if you break it" camera.
When not playing husband at the tent shows, I’m on the streets competing with party promoters to hand out the 10,000 or so anti-fur leaflets that are slowly crushing my vertebrae as I haul them—50 pounds at a time—in my shoulder bag.
Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons continue to set the bar high for altruism in the mogel set. Everyone walking into Kimora’s Baby Phat show was handed a card declaring that "Compassion is Fashion" and asking for donations to the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts. The HSUS's efforts were one of two listed. Both Annie and I worked our disaster hotline (1-800-HUMANE-1) before coming to New York, taking calls from evacuees distraught about their stranded animals. We are so grateful for the attention brought to the cause. Thank you, Kimora!
For the show, we sat behind members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who were guests of the Simmons. Rickie Monie, the band's pianist, said his house was completely submerged when the levee broke, and the flood destroyed everything he owned, including his prized grand piano. I said I would put the word out that a new piano is needed. Elton John, if you are reading this, you know what to do—the band must play on.
Pierre Grzybowski is Grassroots Coordinator for Campaigns at HSUS.
