Angelman Syndrome Collection Uses Fashion for NYC Fundraiser in April

A group of designers from around the world will be showcasing their latest designs on April 28, 2018, in New York City while the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) raises funds to support research for a cure for Angelman syndrome (AS).

Credit: Katherine Angelique K.A. Photography

The Angelman Syndrome Collections Presentation will take place at the Paul Hotel NYC, where designers will present their collections to an invited audience of fashion industry members, including style leaders, fashionistas, and the media.

The platform will give visibility to the creations of these designers during a Meet the Press session, which will be the main focus of the event. The session will engage designers, members of the press, journalists, and bloggers to simultaneously create brand and disease awareness.

Angelman symptoms include profound intellectual disability, lack of speech, movement difficulties, sleep and behavioral problems, and seizures. Yet children with the disorder often appear happy because frequent laughing and smiling are also symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of Angelman syndrome may include movement disabilities, a lack of verbal skills, sleep and behavioral disturbances, intellectual disabilities, and epileptic seizures. But children with the syndrome often appear happy because frequent laughing and smiling are also symptoms of the disease.

A few years ago, FAST welcomed Hollywood actor Colin Farrell to its list of supporters after his own son James, now 14,  was diagnosed with the disease when he was 2. Since then, FAST has gained momentum in its efforts to raise awareness for Angelman and funding for its unmet needs.

In 2011, Farrell was honored with an American Giving Award Leadership Award for his work with FAST. Every time Farrell mentions AS on a talk show, FAST’s website gets a few thousand more hits, which sometimes also translates to donations. For Farrell, this is his best way of combining his concerns as a parent with the potential benefits of his celebrity status, he said at the time.

“I’m encouraged by Colin Farrell’s mission to raise more awareness about Angelman syndrome (a condition that his own son has) and I’m inspired by my grandson (Manasseh) who is living with Angelman syndrome,” Joanna Marcella, the founder of the Angelman Syndrome Collections Presentation, said in a Solis Magazine’s news piece.

“As a celebrity, Colin is able to capture the attention of the media with the story of his own son. Designers, all members of the fashion industry, and I can use this showcase to help raise funds for the research, which will lead to treatments and eventually a cure,” Marcella added.

Fashion designers of all ages and backgrounds who would like to advertise their work on the new Angelman syndrome brochure, or show a collection in this New York City event in April, should send an email to [email protected].

Press, photographers, models, and other members of the fashion industry community are invited to reach out and receive an accreditation form.