Arizona Costume Institute 2022 Holiday Luncheon featured celebrity designer Rubin Singer, raised record-breaking funds for Phoenix Art Museum

Dec, 20, 2022

Special Events and Programs

Arizona Costume Institute 2022 Holiday Luncheon featured celebrity designer Rubin Singer, raised record-breaking funds for Phoenix Art Museum

Renowned American fashion designer headlined the sold-out luncheon in support of the Museum’s fashion-design collection

PHOENIX (December 20, 2022) – On December 5, 2022, Arizona Costume Institute (ACI), an affiliate group of Phoenix Art Museum, celebrated its annual Holiday Luncheon by presenting American fashion designer Rubin Singer as the keynote speaker. The sold-out event welcomed 400 guests and raised a record-breaking $330,000+ in vital support for the Museum and its fashion-design department.

“We are very grateful to the board of Arizona Costume Institute and its members for their generous support of Phoenix Art Museum over more than six decades,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “During our long and enduring partnership, ACI has raised vital funds to grow and strengthen the Museum’s fashion-design collection—which now numbers more than 8,000 objects—and this year, the Holiday Luncheon has once again provided crucial support for fashion exhibitions, acquisitions, conservation efforts, and education programs for our community. We extend our deepest thanks and congratulations to the 2022 Holiday Luncheon co-chairs, Jill Krigsten and DeeDee Vecchione, and to the entire planning committee for creating a truly memorable occasion.” 

During the Holiday Luncheon, guests enjoyed a lively conversation between Helen Jean, the Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, and Rubin Singer, best known for dressing celebrities such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Zendaya, as well as leading names in the opera circuit, from Anna Netrebko to Sondra Radvanovsky. Born in Vienna to a family of couturiers, Singer was exposed from a young age to refined techniques, and after studying at Central Saint Martins in London, he worked in New York as an associate designer for Oscar de la Renta until Bill Blass scouted him as head designer for Blass’ three licensees. Singer went on to become head designer at the Kai Milla company, before launching his first collection under his own name, which debuted during New York Fashion Week in 2007. Since then, he has created 71 collections that showcase his extraordinary tailoring and theatrical vision.

In addition to the presentation, attendees enjoyed up-close-and-personal views of Singer’s remarkable designs worn by models who walked among the luncheon’s guests. The elegant event also featured a champagne reception, a plated two-course lunch, and a raffle featuring high-end, luxury items from both local and nationally recognized designers, boutiques, and businesses.

For media images (with IDs in the comments) from the ACI 2022 Holiday Luncheon, click here.

2022 ACI Holiday Luncheon Committee

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Jill Krigsten
DeeDee Vecchione

HONORARY CHAIR
Ina Manaster

COMMITTEE
Perrine Adams
Ronna Beeson
Lisa Bell
Matthew Boland
Jennifer Carmer
Libby Cohen
Oscar De las salas
Emily Dietz
Shawnee Doherty
Carol Dries
Katherine Emery
Ruby Farias
Wendy Farrell
Kati Festy-Sandor
Lisa Geyser
Carol Guimarin Warstler
Missi Harrington
Holly Hayes
Jan Herwick   
Dawna Holtz
Justine Hurry
Donna Johnson
Brooke Levy
Lynne Love
Barbara Lytle
Ina Manaster
Martha Martin Henkel
Kathie May
Beth McRae
Michael Mazzocco
Patti Oleson
Diane O’Malley
Donna Pettigrew Hicks
Tobi Placenti
Lisa Portigal
Shirley Prest
Helene Presutti
Sherri Quinn
Bea Rocklin
Vanessa Ruiz
Chrissy Sayare
Jennifer Schuitemaker
Lisa Shapiro
Khamsone Sirimanivong
Joy Sprink
Kelley Sucher
Lauri Termansen
Vicki Vaughn

PREMIER SPONSORS
Western Alliance Bank
to be continued… a consignment boutique
Brooke Levy
DeeDee Vecchione

MAJOR SPONSOR
Miriam Sukhman

SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Arcadia Farms
Mary Ellen McKee

UNDERWRITERS
Main Dish
FORD/Robert Black Agency
Brenda Howard

About Arizona Costume Institute
Arizona Costume Institute was founded in 1966 to support the fashion-design department of Phoenix Art Museum through the acquisition and preservation of garments and accessories of historical and aesthetic significance and through events and fundraising efforts that support and deepen awareness of the Museum’s fashion exhibitions and education programs. ACI’s support of this collection area depends on the enthusiasm of dedicated volunteers. The ACI Board of Managers 2022-2023 president is Khamsone Sirimanivong.  To learn more about Arizona Costume Institute, visit arizonacostumeinstitute.org.

About the Fashion-Design Collection at Phoenix Art Museum
Founded in 1966, the fashion-design collection of Phoenix Art Museum is notable for its quality and comprehensiveness. More than 8,000 objects comprise the collection, including American and European men’s, women’s, and children’s dress and accessories dating from the late 17th century to the present. The Museum organizes two fashion exhibitions annually, which are curated by Helen Jean, the institution’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, and presented in the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Gallery. Phoenix Art Museum is one of only seven art museums in the United States with a long and continuously active fashion program.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the leading art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.