An Evening With Ralph Lauren (and Oprah)
Securing an invitation to “An Evening With Ralph Lauren” on Oct. 24, 2011, at the Lincoln Center in New York City, was no easy feat.
The star-studded guest list for the gala evening, which featured Ralph Lauren in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, included the likes of Michael J. Fox, Diane von Furstenberg, Anna Wintour, Barbara Walters, Martha Stewart, NBC’s Brian Williams – celebrities too numerous to count. The interview was followed by a runway show and dinner, and ultimately raised more than $7 million for the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in East Harlem.
Valley resident Pat Petznick, co-founder with her sister, Beverly Stewart, of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, wanted one of those coveted invitations. But not because she was star-struck.
Petznick was on a mission with a cause: the 25,000 to 30,000 women who annually use the services of the Jewell McFarland Lewis Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center. Her goal was to secure the Ralph Lauren Spring 2012 Runway show for Fresh Start’s annual Fashion Gala in February.
Working with Saks Fifth Avenue in Phoenix, she had established contact with the designer’s office, and she felt that her attendance at the Oct. 24 evening could seal the deal – if she were able to speak with the designer personally. With the help of Saks, as well as American Express – one of the evening’s sponsors – her invitation arrived.
But would she be able to secure one of the 18 backstage passes that would be issued to talk with Lauren and Oprah and watch the interview live? After all, hundreds of guests had filled the Lincoln Center to capacity.
Petznick was strategic about her attire. “I had decided I wanted to dress in a way that would be very authentic for Arizona,” Petznick says. “I was there 100 percent to represent Fresh Start, not myself.”
So she accessorized her all-black eveningwear with a turquoise belt and jewelry. “I think that might have helped,” she says. “I stood out.”
Whether or not that was it – her chances might have been enhanced by the package of Fresh Start information she had sent previously to Lauren’s office as well as the American Express office, and the lobbying by Saks on her behalf couldn't have hurt – when she arrived, the greeter from American Express gave her a special pass and escorted her to the particular row for the 18 people who had been selected to go backstage.
When the time came, the group was taken backstage. There were behind-the-scenes photos being taken and a champagne reception. Petznick's was the first name they called to meet and be photographed with Oprah. “It was like a dream come true,” she says. “It’s an experience you thought you’d never have, but then you do.”
During the photo op, she shared with Oprah her mission for the 25,000 to 30,000 Arizona women who utilize the services of Fresh Start. Then she was photographed with Oprah and Ralph Lauren. “I more or less said the same thing to him. I was able to tell them everything I wanted to about Fresh Start.”
A third photo was taken with Lauren and his wife, Ricky. The conversation during this time was much more personal, Petznick says. “I knew the Laurens had been married 47 years. I knew about their ranch, and they had my bio so they knew I came from a ranching family and had started a foundation for women. I invited them to visit our ranch sometime.”
Petznick spent the next day doing follow-up: resending the packets, sending plants, following up with his PR person.
The Interview
Was Oprah what she expected? She had a beautiful, rich voice, says Petznick. And she asked questions that drew the most out of Lauren.
The heady experience also confirmed her admiration for Lauren. At one point, Oprah asked him, “Do you feel guilty with all the toys you have, the ranch, the planes, etc.? His answer was, “No, I don’t. If I didn’t do this for myself, I couldn’t keep creating to have money to give back. I love nothing more in life, after my family, than giving back.”
David, Dylan, Ralph, Ricky and Andrew Lauren
“He was so humble,” Petznick says. When Oprah asked him if he was ever scared of anything, his answer was, “Every day.”
When he watches videos of previous fashion shows, he says, “my hands get sweaty, and I say I can’t believe I lived through that.”
At the end of the interview, Oprah asked, “How do you keep reinventing yourself? His answer: “45 years of copying, that’s why I’m here.”
The Runway
As the interview wrapped up, Oprah mentioned that she had never seen one of the designer’s runway shows. Lauren said, “Let me show you, Oprah.”
The curtains then parted to reveal a stage with models walking in looks from his collection.
The fashion show was different from any runway show Petznick had seen. “When the lights went out, this fabulous stage appeared, and all the models started to come out. They had more models than I’ve ever seen on one stage. I counted. There were 50.”
Everything about the runway show appealed to Petznick, who favors creamy whites and pastels in her own home and wardrobe.
Models in runway fashions
And that is all good news. Because when she returned to Phoenix the following day, she received word the show had been confirmed for the Fresh Start Fashion Gala on Feb. 25. The Phoenix show will feature the same fashions and adhere as closely to the Lincoln Center staging as possible.
For Petznick, the mission was accomplished.
Fresh Start Fashion Gala
Feb. 25, 2012
In addition to the Ralph Lauren Runway Collection, the evening includes dinner and the Club Jewell After Party with music by DJ Roonie G. For reservations, call 602-261-7149.
– C. Miller
Read more of Oprah’s conversation with Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Spring 2012 Runway
