It was a great honor to attend the inaugural Blue Jacket Fashion Show and Dinner which was held Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at Pier 59 Studios during New York Men’s Fashion Week. In partnership with Johnson & Johnson, the Blue JacketFashion Show benefited the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), founded by philanthropist and financierMichael Milken. Money raised will go towards funding cutting-edge research that will save, extend and improve the lives of not only prostate cancer patients but other cancer patients as well.

Alessandro Mele, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

The Blue Jacket Fashion Show brought together the fashion, entertainment, sports, healthcare, and media worlds around a national platform to openly discuss men’s cancer issues, with an emphasis on prostate cancer. Coinciding with February’s Cancer Prevention Month and New York Men’s Fashion Week, the BlueJacket Fashion Show included designers such as John Varvatos, Nick Graham, Joseph Abboud, Nicole Miller, Rag and Bone, Proper Cloth, Stephen F, Maggie Norris, Gustavo Moscoso, Thom Browne and Haspel who used their creative talents to “reinvent” the traditional blue blazer.

Ian Mellencamp in Maggie Norris (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

Richard Johnson (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

Victor Cruz in John Varvatos  (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

CC Sabathia in John Varvatos (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

Don Lemon in Proper Cloth (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

Lee Tergesen in Joseph Abboud  (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

Those walking the runway wearing one-of-a-kind blue jackets included models, actors, athletes, members of the media, and business titans. Among those walking were actor Mario Cantone, musician and model Ian Mellencamp, New York Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz, TV personality Carson Kressley, science educator and host of the forthcoming Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World Bill Nye, New York Yankees Pitcher CC Sabathia, New York Post’s Richard Johnson, model Alex Lundqvist, and CNN Anchor Don Lemon. Several of the specially designed jackets modeled during the show will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Carson Kressley (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

The fashion show was followed by a cocktail reception and a 3-course dinner, featuring seasonal ingredients and Mediterranean inspired dishes, designed by Executive Chef Simone Cucchiara. While guests were enjoying dinner, President and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Dr. Jonathan Simons, addressed the attendees and thanked them for making it a memorable first Blue Jacket event in support of prostate cancer research and hoping to see everyone next year, making the Blue Jacket Fashion Show and Dinner a new annual event. A silent auction was also held, featuring sought-after sports memorabilia and original artworks, all proceeds benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

As the world;s largest healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson is committed to creating and bringing to market life-changing cancer therapies for the people who need them most. In addition to partnering with the Blue Jacket campaign to help raise awareness of prostate cancer prevention and treatment options, Johnson & Johnson has also committed to donate $1 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation for every photo shared using the free Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo app. For every 30 photos that are shared, one hour of research and development for breakthrough treatment will be funded.

Maggie Norris, Nicole Miller (Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan)

“Today, our work being done in precision oncology research is unprecedented with new discoveries happening daily,” said Jonathan W. Simons, MD, president and chief executive officer of PCF. “Our continually expanding global research enterprise brings together the brightest minds in prostate cancer research and other scientific areas to collaborate across borders and institutional lines. This team approach has sparked and accelerated innovative projects that deliver life-saving results and are bringing us closer than ever to a cure. We are very pleased to team with the Blue Jacket Fashion Show to help raise awareness and additional funding for prostate cancer research. Curing together, we can change the future for all cancer patients.”

About The Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Since 1993, PCF has raised more than $698 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research projects at nearly 200 cancer and universities in 23 countries around the world.  Today, prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of death in American men, with a man being diagnosed with prostate cancer every 3.3 minutes.

Despite these statistics, PCF has helped lower the prostate cancer death rate by more than 50% by funding ground breaking research with a streamlined funding model that has been replicated by leading research organizations across the country.  Today, by accelerating public awareness and advancing medical solutions with more promising drug candidates in the pipeline, PCF is empowering men and their friends and families to proactively manage their lives and live longer and healthier lives. For more information about the Prostate Cancer Foundation, please visit pcf.org.

About The Blue Jacket Initiative

The Blue Jacket Fashion Show is the kick-off event for The Blue Jacket Initiative founded by Frederick Anderson and Laura Miller (Anderson/Miller).  The Blue Jacket Initiative is a national awareness campaign designed to demystify and create a platform to openly discuss men’s cancer issues. Anderson/ Miller is a marketing and promotion agency based in New York City.

For more information about The Blue Jacket Fashion Show, please visit bluejacketfashionshow.org