The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Hosts
The Red Dress Collection 2004 Fashion Show
New York, NY – The National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) Red Dress returns to center
stage today as the Red Dress Collection 2004 debuts
at Olympus Fashion Week. The Red Dress, the national
symbol for women and heart disease awareness, was
created and first introduced by NHLBI, one of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), at February’s
Fashion Week 2003.
The one-of-a-kind star-studded fashion show brings
together on one runway 26 of the most influential
American designers paired with leading elite models
for the first time ever. Sponsored by NHLBI, and made
possible by Johnson & Johnson and affiliated companies,
the collection of red dresses was created exclusively
for NHLBI’s The Heart Truth campaign
to raise awareness about heart disease, the #1 killer
of women. The Red Dress Collection 2004 fashion show
will be held at noon on February 6, in Studio Noir,
under the tents at Bryant Park’s Olympus Fashion
Week.
Walking for women and heart disease awareness are some
of the industry’s most recognized fashion models
including Hana Soukupova, Alex Wek, Frankie Rayder,
Liya Kebede, Daria Werbowy, and last year’s
Red Dress spokesmodel Angela Lindvall, as well as
Hollywood’s own Vanessa Williams, spokesperson
for LifeWise by RadioShack, a health promotion campaign.
“Having all of the fashion industry leaders,
including the designers and these top models, join
us for the sole purpose of educating women about their
#1 health risk sends a powerful message,” says
Barbara Alving, M.D., Acting Director, NHLBI. “We
want women across America to hear our united appeal
loud and clear: Talk to your doctor about your personal
risks for heart disease and start to take steps today
to lead a heart healthy life.”
Designers donated exclusive creations to the Red Dress
Collection 2004 to help alert their target audience
that heart disease is their #1 health risk. Participating
designers include: Baby Phat, Badgley Mischka, Betsey
Johnson, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Carmen Marc Valvo,
Carolina Herrera, Catherine Malandrino, Cynthia Steffe,
Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Esteban Cortazar,
Kenneth Cole, Luca Luca, Marc Jacobs, Matthew Williamson,
Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez, Nicole Miller, Oscar
de la Renta, Proenza Schouler, Ralph Lauren, Tommy
Hilfiger and Vera Wang.
“The fashion industry is well aware of its power
to influence women and wants to harness the power
behind the Red Dress to help save women’s lives,”
said Fern Mallis, executive director, IMG/7th on Sixth.
“We need to reach out to women in a variety
of ways to truly make a difference, and by using the
fashion industry’s collective talents, we hope
women will hear these life-saving messages.”
Also introduced on Friday, February 6 in support of
the Red Dress is National Wear Red Day. This awareness
day, designated in a presidential proclamation, provides
women and men across the country a way to participate
in this awareness movement.
“Through creative partnership with celebrities
and the fashion industry for our fashion show, combined
with our national outreach to organizations across
the country for National Wear Red Day, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services is committed to reaching
millions of women with information that can help them
live longer, healthier lives,” added Alving.
Only 9 percent of women 45 to 64 years of age name
heart disease as the condition they most fear, while
61 percent name breast cancer.
“Heart disease is preventable if women are informed
and encouraged to talk to their doctors to find out
what their personal risk factors are and how to control
them,” said Nancy Snyderman, M.D., Vice President,
Medical Affairs, Johnson & Johnson. “In
fact, just by making simple changes towards a healthier
lifestyle, women can lower their risk of heart disease
by 82 percent. Johnson & Johnson is committed
to increasing awareness among women and those who
love them,” added Snyderman.
Heart disease risk factors include those that are beyond
women’s control and those that can be changed.
Those that can’t be changed are a family history
of early heart disease and age. The risk factors that
can be controlled are smoking, high blood pressure,
high blood cholesterol, overweight/obesity, physical
inactivity and diabetes. While having even one risk
factor is dangerous, having multiple risk factors
is especially serious, because risk factors tend to
“gang up” and worsen each other’s
effects.
The Heart Truth is a national awareness campaign about
women and heart disease sponsored by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes
of Heath, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Red Dress Collection 2004 fashion show was made
possible by Johnson & Johnson and affiliated companies,
with the support of members of the fashion and entertainment
industries and IMG/7th on Sixth (producers of Olympus
Fashion Week).
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For additional information visit www.hearttruth.gov
or contact media@hearttruth.org.
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