Fashion & Beauty
L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Event Celebrates 10 Passionate Women Creating Positive Change in their Communities; Shandra Woworuntu Named 2017 National Honoree and Gretchen Holt Witt Honored as the 2017 Karen T. Fondu Impact Award Winner
NEW YORK (FNN NEWS) /L’Oréal Paris/ — L’Oréal Paris honored 10 inspiring women who selflessly commit their lives to serving their communities and fostering positive change at the 12th annual Women of Worth celebration. Inspired by the L’Oréal Paris belief that “We’re all worth it,” the annual Women of Worth celebration honors the intrinsic beauty of everyday women making an extraordinary difference. This year’s Honorees represent a wide range of causes, from supporting survivors of human sex trafficking to raising awareness about mass incarceration.
Each Honoree received a $10,000 grant for her organization and Shandra Woworuntu, founder of Mentari which provides assistance to victims of human trafficking through DREAM, which stands for Direct services, Resources, Education, Advocacy and Mentorship, was named as the 2017 National Honoree and was awarded a total of $35,000 to support her cause. 2011 Women of Worth Honoree Gretchen Holt Witt, founder of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, received the Karen T. Fondu Impact Award to recognize her continued work in supporting research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer. This notable award is in recognition of Gretchen’s impactful leadership, under which Cookies For Kids’ Cancer has funded $12.5 million in research grants, leading to 36 new treatments in clinical trial that are available to children fighting cancer today.
“It is an honor to celebrate the Women of Worth Honorees, who beautifully embody our brand ethos of self-worth. Through their passion, resilience and selflessness, they are making a positive impact on their communities and the world,” said Tim Coolican, President, L’Oréal Paris. Karen T. Fondu, President Emeritus and Chairwoman of L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth added, “Through the recognition and platform Women of Worth provides, our commitment is to amplify their stories and causes, so that their work will continue to thrive and to profoundly change the course of so many lives.”
NATIONAL WOMEN OF WORTH HONOREE: SHANDRA WOWORUNTU
The 2017 Women of Worth National Honoree, Shandra Woworuntu, was awarded an additional $25,000 after receiving thousands of public votes via the L’Oréal Paris website and social channels in support of her efforts in human trafficking and domestic violence. Woworuntu created Mentari, which began as a series of cooking classes taught out of her home, and grew into an organization where human trafficking survivors could connect and learn culinary arts courses with a professional chef, and other mentoring opportunities. Through this $35,000 grant from L’Oréal Paris, Woworuntu will be able to offer additional cooking courses and be able to train up to 45 people, as well as start work on a safe house for trafficking victims.
KAREN T. FONDU IMPACT AWARD WINNER: GRETCHEN HOLT WITT
Cardiac surgeon and host of “The Dr. Oz Show”, Dr. Mehmet Oz presented this year’s Karen T. Fondu Impact Award, to Gretchen Holt Witt, for her cause, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. As the 2011 Women of Worth National Honoree, Witt was celebrated for raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18 in the United States. Since 2008, Cookies For Kids’ Cancer has funded $12.5 million in research grants, leading to 36 new treatments in clinical trial available to children fighting cancer today.
“It’s truly an honor to be part of the Women of Worth legacy,” said Gretchen Holt Witt. “The recognition and generous donation from L’Oréal Paris has helped my organization, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, stay laser–focused on doing all we can to raise awareness and funds for new research to help find a cure for pediatric cancer and keep the promise I made to my son—to make it better for other kids. I am beyond thankful for your support.”
2017 WOMEN OF WORTH HONOREES
Selected by a distinguished panel of judges including leaders in business and media, the 2017 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honorees were chosen from thousands of nominations for their unwavering commitment, drive and desire to better the lives of those around them.
- Leanne Huebner – Los Angeles, Calif.; Co-founder, Minds Matter National, an educational nonprofit that transforms the lives of accomplished high school students from low-income families by broadening their dreams and preparing them for college success.
- Deborah Jiang-Stein – Minneapolis, Minn.; Founder, unPrison Project, an organization that works to build literacy, mentoring and life skills for women and girls in prisons and for their children to help cultivate critical thinking tools to plan, set goals and prepare for successful life after prison.
- Rana Abdelhamid – Palo Alto, C.A.; Founder, the International Muslim Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment or WISE, a self-defense, social entrepreneurship and leadership development movement for young Muslim women.
- Charolette Tidwell – Fort Smith, Ark.; Founder, Antioch for Youth & Family, a nonprofit that provides supplemental food assistance to approximately 7,000 people in the community, in addition to youth development services and family assistance through a variety of personal enrichment programs.
- Shandra Woworuntu – Corona, N.Y.; Founder, Mentari human trafficking survivor empowerment program that provides direct services, resources, advocacy, education and mentoring initiatives to help survivors as they reintegrate into society.
- Lulu Cerone – Encino, Calif.; Founder, LemonAID Warriors, a nonprofit youth-activism organization that connects children to worthy causes and provides unique action plans to create tangible social good.
- SreyRam Kuy – Missouri City, Texas; Partner, Dog Tag Bakery, a nonprofit organization that sells baked goods and trains veterans in business and the first female Cambodian refugee to work as a surgeon in the U.S.
- Valerie Weisler – New York, N.Y.; Founder, The Validation Project, an international organization that works with more than 6,000 teenagers in 105 countries, providing them with the resources and guidance they need to develop confidence and gain self-worth.
- Theresa Flores – Worthington, Ohio: Founder, S.O.A.P. Project, which stands for “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution” raises awareness and provides resources for victims of human trafficking by placing educational materials and bars of soap in hotels and motels across the country with information on how to seek help.
- Cassandra Lin – Westerly, R.I.; Creator, project Turn Grease Into Fuel (TGIF), a sustainable system that collects used cooking oil from residents and restaurants, coverts it to biodiesel, and distributes the biofuel to local families for emergency heating assistance, developed by Westerly Innovations Network.
QUOTES OF THE NIGHT
- “Worth means embracing how wonderfully unique you are and not letting anyone or anything diminish how valuable you are to the world.” – Aja Naomi King
- “This for me is what the brand is about. This event is so great especially in today’s climate with what women are going through. This is an important moment for women and their worth, and we are going to be a part of it.” –Eva Longoria
- “Never underestimate the power of kindness and love.” – Elle Fanning
SOURCE | L’Oréal Paris
WINTER PARK, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – If you’ve ever been on Park Avenue in beautiful downtown Winter Park, Florida, you’ve probably seen Bebe’s & Liz’s, two distinctive retail stores–one specializing in affordable high end women’s designer fashions and directly next door a store tailored to parents that desire the most cutting edge clothing for young people.
What you probably don’t know, however, is proprietor Liz Sheppard has been in business on Park Avenue for some 38 years–that’s right, 38 years in specialty retail. Though most small businesses fail after 1-5 years, Liz has withstood ups and downs with the economy and pretty much everything in between. Better yet, she doesn’t just own it, she works in the business, dressing everyone from beauty queens to children. I caught up with Liz before she headed to New York Fashion Week. Her story is inspirational and impressive.
Jacqueline Siegel, The Queen of Versailles. Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Siegel.
Sheppard has many longtime friends that admire her success and loyalty to our community, including Jacqueline Siegel (above), wife of timeshare mogul David Siegel and most notably known as “The Queen of Versailles.” A longtime customer of both stores, Jacqueline Siegel recently shared, “I am a huge fan of women who mean business and Liz Sheppard is one of those women. I first met Liz while visiting her store with amazing kids fashions. For years we dressed our children with amazing one-of-a-kind clothes from Liz’s store.” Siegel added, “From there I worked with Liz on my own personal fashion choices, eventually having her work with our Mrs. Florida America and Beautiful People Productions with designer evening and cocktail wear. Congratulations on 38 years in business, Liz. You’re a gem in our community.”
Sharie Eldridge Shy. Photo courtesy of Sharie Eldridge Shy’s Facebook page.
It wasn’t difficult to identify satisfied customers and friends of Liz’s. “I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Liz when I first moved to the area years ago. I stopped in her shop to find an outfit and walked out with a friend as well,” said Sharie Eldrige Shy. “It’s often said we can attract what we need if only we’re available. In my experience with Liz, that is so true. It was a season of loss for me and I needed hugs and she gladly gave them.
Shy continued, “Her store is as much about heart as it is fashion. That’s part of what makes her so extraordinary and so successful for decades. Liz handpicks her clothes and each item is a accessory to a life memory. She’s the epitome of class and beautiful strength. So very happy to call her my dear friend. She truly is MRS. WINTER PARK FLORIDA!”
Brett Shulman, a friend and fan of Liz’s, often stops by her Park Avenue with his St. Bernard to say hello.
A scan of Liz’s social media photos often finds her with a huge St. Bernard owned by another admirer, Brett Schulman (above). “Liz Sheppard is one of the most incredible hard working women I have ever met. She is so loving and would literally give you the shirt off her back. I just can’t say enough nice things about her.”
In speaking with other notable figures in Winter Park, the consensus is that Liz truly is an icon in the community. Other women in business look up to her for inspiration and guidance.
Shirley Stamper (left) and Liz Sheppard, photo courtesy of Liz Sheppard’s facebook page.
Shirley Stamper, a local legend and small business owner herself, had this to say, “Liz is a VERY hard working woman and does great things to raise the brand of Winter Park. I know, at times, she wishes she had more support from the City and Chamber proper…but I love her. Her stamina and relentless pursuit of providing her customers excellent service is bar none. She’s a great role model for other women looking to create a business and make it work.”
Liz Sheppard (right) with Burma Posey, Miss Georgia 1968. Photo courtesy Liz Sheppard’s Facebook page.
Written Statement by Burma Posey, Miss Georgia 1968 and Pageant Judge
“Liz Sheppard is truly a remarkable woman. She has been an asset to the City of Winter Park and Central Florida for almost 40 years. Her shop on Park Avenue is a treat that families look forward to visiting every time we go shopping on that magical street. Her windows are always precious displays of children’s beautiful clothing and now there are unusual and gorgeous ladies’ clothing and accessories as well. Her extraordinary glamorous fashion shows are events that everyone looks forward to in Central Florida!
“But the most wonderful part about Liz is her heart. She truly cares about her customers and all people. She is constantly doing things to help them not only be beautiful, but to be successful and happy as well. She constantly opens her gorgeous home to host special events for individuals and organizations. I was so touched to be the Guest of Honor at one of her special events and Liz managed to make me feel like one of the most special people in the entire world. She does that for everyone!
“Liz has a great faith in God. She has had many honors in her lifetime. But she has had tragedy as well. She lost both children and the most difficult thing a person can experience on this Earth [is] the loss of a child. But Liz has taken both the good and the sad and turned everything into ways to serve others. She genuinely wants to help people be the best they can be and I’m simply grateful that she chose Winter Park to be her home.”
– Burma Posey, Miss Georgia 1968
Jim Veigle President, Veigle Properties. Photo courtesy of Jim Veigle’s Facebook page.
Another Winter Park legend, Jim Veigle, had this to say, “Liz has been the Heart of Winter Park for over 38 years. Her love for this City has been her life as long as I can remember. I have always had fond memories of her and her awesome stores. Liz gives kindness to all. Love Liz and her family.”
If you think about her history…38 years in business, in the beginning it was a much different time. Women were literally coming out of their homes and starting to create businesses that transcended traditional roles and responsibilities. Congratulations Liz Sheppard on 38 years. Your class, business acumen and love of the community is appreciated and noticed by all.
____________________________________________
Randy Ross is a political contributor Florida National News. | info@floridanationalnews.com
Celebrity
Ariana Grande Accused of Stealing a Drag Queen’s Likeness After Suing Forever 21 for Trademark Infringement
Arianna Grande recently sued fashion retailer Forever 21 for $10 million claiming the brand launched an unauthorized marketing campaign by using the look, audio, and lyrics from her hit single “7 Rings,” but the tables turned on Grande Wednesday when she was hit with a similar accusation.
Buzzfeed reports that drag queen Farrah Moan, best known for appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race, posted tweets claiming one of the looks Grande is suing for was stolen from her initially.
Posting a comparison, Moan claimed that Grande’s team took a picture of an outfit she wore on Drag Race to a designer and instructed them to “copy” the look.
Source: @farrahrized (Twitter).
In accompanying tweets, Moan said Grande’s team were the ones at fault, pointing out the irony that they would sue Forever 21 for “theft of likeness” when, according to Moan, this was exactly what Grande had done in the first place. “I guess stealing from queer artists for profit is fine tho,” Moan wrote.
Source: @farrahrized (Twitter).
Ariana Grande has yet to publicly respond to the allegations, and reps for the singer had no further comment.
_______________________________________
Xarria Rhodel is a Florida National News contributor. | social@floridanationalnews.com
TMZ reports that Pop singer Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 over their use of her name and likeness without her permission to sell and promote their makeup brand.
According to Complex, Grande claims that her team was negotiating with Forever 21’s sister store, Riley Rose, in December 2018 to create a joint marketing campaign. Talks fell through two months later when Riley Rose couldn’t meet the singer’s asking price. The suit alleges that Forever 21 and Riley Rose still went ahead and published at least 30 unauthorized images and videos that could have led consumers to believe the company had Ariana’s endorsement.
These images, taken from Ariana Grande’s legal complaint documents, show the side-by-side comparison between shots from Grande’s “7 Rings” video and Forever 21’s lookalike model.
Forever 21 and Riley Rose are accused of deceiving customers by hiring a model who shockingly resembles Ariana while using the look, audio, and lyrics from her hit single “7 Rings” as part of their promotional social media campaign.
Grande is seeking at least $10 million in damages according to TMZ, compounding Forever 21’s current financial woes as it reportedly nears a bankruptcy filing.
___________________________________________________
Xarria Rhodel is a Florida National News contributor. | social@floridanationalnews.com
