Lupus LA
“We raise money for lupus research and awareness,” says Lupus LA Special Events Manager Megan Stubbs. “We have four different fundraising events throughout the year. We participate as a team in the LA Marathon the 5k and we have one big gala in May, Lupus Awareness month. Just a few nights ago, we had our celebrity poker tournament like we do every year. In November we have our Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon where we get donated designer handbags and do a silent auction. The luncheon will include a fashion show by Ted Baker. We work with LRI and give them several hundred thousand dollars a year. We also have a lot of patient programs that we do so we give emergency grants out to Lupus patients with financial needs.”
The Lupus LA team was at the DPA lounge, which honored the 2015 Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills at the penthouse of the Luxe Hotel on September 17th, 18th and 19th. Founder Nathalie Dubois Sissoko hosted a true luxury lounge with exclusive sponsors and A- list guests that nonetheless shone a spotlight on philanthropy as well.
Another outstanding charitable organization present at the DPA Emmy lounge was the Wolf Connection whose mission reads in part, “Wolf Connection is a youth program and empowerment program with wolfdogs. With the help of these magnificent animals, young men and women from all walks of life learn about nature and conservation, work through the challenges in their lives, learn to be of service by responsibly caring for another living being, and work towards becoming the kind of person they want to be.”
It wouldn’t be a true luxury lounge without, well, luxury and there were plenty of sponsors to fill that role.
Kevin Sorbo and daughter Octavia with Tiffany Andersen
“The philosophy behind Gavee Gold is that we have to be completely clean so we use certified organic ingredients and we have to be high performing.” says Tiffany Andersen, founder and CEO of Gavee Gold. “Usually you have ‘high performing’ or you have ‘organic’ but it’s hard to find them together in a skin care line. I’m a medical aesthetician so it has to be high performing but I’m also a stage four cancer survivor, so it has to be clean and we definitely met that criteria.”
Gavee Gold is a skincare line made with 24 karat purified liquid gold. Celebrities received their $700 gift bag. “We’re the only company in the world to have organically extracted liquid gold that’s purified like a fine wine for over 30 years,” says Andersen. “This process actually pulled the minerals from the gold and discarded the metal so we’re not infusing the colloidal or nano- particles of metal in skin, like all the other skin companies that use gold are doing.”
Sai Suman holds one of her couture creations Photo: LA Elements
Fashion designer Sai Suman hails from India and her acclaim in her homeland is such that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore one of her designs for his swearing in ceremony. However, Suman’s reputation is global as evidenced by the success of her participation in New York Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia and Dubai fashion week.
“These are all custom made prints that I do in my own factory,” says Suman of her collection of couture gowns presented at the DPA Emmy Gifting Suite. “I love Alexander McQueen, he’s my inspiration. My manufacturing is from India where I incorporate the handwork, sequin work detailing and I love playing with color.”
Sai Suman gifted scarves to attendees and her gowns were available to be loaned to celebrities for the Emmy Awards.
Khandi Alexander with a ruby pendant from Arido
Other exclusive luxury sponsors included NY Arido Jewelry, gifting five selected nominated actresses a $12,000 ruby pendant, M.Andrews Sartorial Luxury Collection, of the elegant bespoke suits and handcrafted Italian leather shoes whose menswear company founder and designer, Marcus Andrews, was on hand to oversee celebrity fittings for his label, Bow and Arrow 78, makers of trendy t-shirts emblazoned with the image of Bruce Lee, returning sponsor Marchon Eyewear, and Shan Stevens’ haircare line, BioMethod.
Refreshments were provided by: Carvery Kitchen, High Brew Coffee, The Berry Company, Icebox water, Kneady Bakery, Cake Eater bakery and Amara Coffee.
Among the Emmy nominees who attended the DPA Emmy Awards gifting suite were: Beau Bridges (Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Masters of Sex), Khandi Alexander (Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Scandal) Uli Edel (Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, Houdini), Semi Chellas (Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series, Mad Men), Victor Hsu (Outstanding Comedy Series, Transparent), Jay Martel (Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series and Outstanding Variety Sketch Series, Key and Peele) and Jeremy Podeswa (Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Game of Thrones) Executives in attendance were Charlie Collier, president of AMC and Lorenzo Soria, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Industry favorites at DPA included Isabelle Fuhrman (Masters of Sex), Kate Linder (The Young and the Restless) and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, God is Not Dead)
All photos courtesy of DPA unless otherwise credited
Nathalie Dubois Sissoko is CEO of Dubois Pelin and Associates (DPA) an entertainment strategist company.
Cover photo of Emmy nominee Jay Martel at the Wolf Connection display courtesy of Wolf Connection
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