Dressed to the 'tea'

Shanica Blair, Gleaner Writer

With an opening performance of Welcome to Wonderland from the 2013 production of Alice the Musical by the junior arm of The Jamaica Musical Theatre Company, the annual Dress for Success fundraising tea party got off to a beautiful start.

It was a sea of varied shades of red as fabulously clad women and some smartly dressed men came out for the fifth anniversary of the event held at Trafalgar House at the British High Commission under the patronage of Lady Allen on Thursday, November 7.

Dressed to the 'tea', some of Jamaica's most influential women came out to show their support. The Alice in Wonderland theme was well played out as the characters were easily recognisable.

Miss Jamaica World 2013 Gina Hargitay, was the queen of hearts literally - decked out in a queen-of-hearts headpiece designed by Cinderella Hats. Dress for Success volunteers donned theme hats to impersonate various characters in the story such as the Jester and Hearts.

Founder of Dress for Success Jamaica, Charmaine Lewis, was elated and overwhelmed at the continued support. "We are very happy that Lady Allen has agreed to be our patron. She didn't even hesitate at the request. This is our fifth-year anniversary and our tea party is one of our major fundraisers - we use it in a bid to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and life," she told Outlook.

Lady Allen was just as impressed with the support. "The event is commendable as it promotes and enhances support for our people and I am happy to be a part of it," she said.

The show got under way with tea served with various pastries, a fashion show, and the night ended with a silent auction of phones, television sets, and other kitchen and household items.