When most people think of the name Givenchy, they think of French high fashion and fragrances.
So does Dellia Holodenschi, the Caribbean area manager for Parfums Givenchy, but her thoughts don't stop there. She envisions a gala event to unveil a new fragrance that features not only modeling of the latest Parisian designs but also educational outreach on social problems and fund-raising to benefit agencies that try to provide solutions to those problems.
And then she makes it all happen.
It happens Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the ballroom at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort — the local launching of the men's fragrance "Pi" (from the Greek letter and the mathematical ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter).
To introduce the scent, Holodenschi is hosting a fashion show of 20 outfits on loan from the House of Givenchy in Paris, with admission proceeds to be divided equally among Family Resource Center, KidScope, the Victim Advocate Program and the Humane Society of St. Thomas Cruelty Investigation Division.
Also at the event, Dennis White, assistant director of the United States Humane Society, will speak about the inter-relatedness of animal cruelty and domestic violence and abuse. He'll explain the national Humane Society's "First Strike" program, which encourages dialogue between agencies addressing human and animal cruelty.
"There is no question the two are related," Holodenschi says.
"Launching" is a public relations term for orchestrated hoop-la to introduce new products to targeted audiences. It happens to be appropriate in the case of Pi because the fragrance features an astronaut as its user-image and promotes its appeal to "men who constantly challenge the limits."
This also ties in nicely with Holodenschi's idea for combining the launching with fund raising for groups that address violence and abuse. "Can we possibly conquer the ultimate frontier, space, while we are still faced with so many human problems?"she wonders.
With Pi, she saw "an ideal opportunity to tie a futuristic launch to fashion in order to bring entertainment to our guests, and at the same time tackle some very real problems in our community."
Holodenschi put together the first Givenchy fashion show in the Caribbean last fall, in Martinique. This one will be the first in the Virgin Islands, featuring pret-a-porter clothing by British designer Alexander McQueen, who took over at the House of Givenchy after founder Hubert de Givenchy retired several years ago. Givenchy make-up artist Juan Roa from Miami will do the models' makeup.
The event begins at 7 p.m. and doors will close at 7:15 when the fashion show begins. Tickets are $30, and admission includes wine, champagne, hors d'oeuvres and a chance on door prizes. There will be a silent auction to raise additional funds. Guests will each receive a 1.7 oz. bottle of Pi, "which retails for $32 on Main Street, so you've already covered your cost," Holodenschi says.
Tickets may be obtained at any of the benefitting agencies or by calling Holodenschi at 777-9988.
