WOR L D A C C O RD I N G TO . . .
MARY ALICE STEPHENSON
AVENUE’s back-page column asks New York notables our version of the questionnaire made famous by Marcel Proust
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n celebration of September, the chicest month of the year in New York City as Fashion Week comes to town, AVENUE has teamed up with Mary Alice Stephenson for our World According To… column. Stephenson is a style and beauty expert, and the founder of GLAM4GOOD. Inspired by her work with Make-a-Wish, Stephenson launched GLAM4GOOD as a way to harness the power of fashion to inspire positive social change. A 501(c)3 organization, GLAM4GOOD is a fashion and beauty movement and platform that shares positive stories, products, voices and events, highlighting life-changing transformations and empowerments through fashion, beauty and style. For her work, Stephenson has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2013 Most Innovative People Award by the United Nation’s World Summit of Innovation. Here, the busy style guru takes a quick break to give you an inside perspective into her day-to-day.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO AT THE MOMENT? I just finished a GLAM4GOOD initiative pampering four heroic women for O, The Oprah Magazine.
reaffirming to have her acknowledge the GLAM4GOOD Foundation and our mission.
WHERE IS PARADISE FOR YOU? Receiving donations for the GLAM4GOOD Foundation.
WHAT IS THE IDEAL 24 HOURS IN NEW YORK IN SEPTEMBER? Exploring the city with my son by day and enjoying a fun dinner with a group of people I adore in a cool new restaurant in Brooklyn by night.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK? Seeing the new collections and discovering emerging talent. WAS THERE A CAREER MILESTONE OR MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR YOU? Cohosting a Joining Forces/GLAM4GOOD event last year with First Lady Michelle Obama and having her by my side as we empowered military families with style. The First Lady is a personal hero of mine, and it was an honor and very 116 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2016
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR MORNINGS? Having breakfast with my son and walking him to school. After that, morning meditation, then work, work, work.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY CLOSET WOULDN’T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT… Clothing I can share and give to others. My closet has become a meeting place where friends and family gather, catch up and get dressed for important events in their life. It is so fun and inspiring to be able to style people I care about for important moments in their lives. I’m happy to share my clothes and give clothes away. On a personal level, I’ve been lucky enough to be given clothing and am so grateful for that, but I feel so much better giving it to someone else to make their day! IF YOUR APARTMENT WERE ON FIRE, WHICH THREE THINGS WOULD YOU RESCUE? Anything with a heartbeat! My son, my cat and me. Everything else pales in comparison.
BEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD IN NEW YORK CITY? It is a shopping experience that my foundation GLAM4GOOD gives to others. It’s called a #shoppingspree4free and it’s a shopping initiative we provide to women, families and teens in need. WHO IS THE MOST POWERFUL NEW YORKER YOU KNOW? Everyone in New York has power. Whether or not they recognize it and how they use it to better their life and the greater good is what interests me. WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? Deepak Chopra told me, “Your spirit is the greatest navigational tool you will ever have.” WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? My team and I are gearing up for some incredible GLAM4GOOD initiatives this fall using style to honor courage, raise awareness, empower self-esteem and ignite joy! Follow us to find out more. ✦