New York Fashion Week meets Bakersfield at the Padre

New York Fashion Week and the Big Apple itself might seem like a world away from Bakersfield, but an event next week will help local fashionistas bridge those 2,800 miles, all while helping a good cause and spreading awareness for heart disease.

Put on by the local branch of the American Heart Association, the Red Dress Runway Event will stream the Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection 2016 from New York City at the Padre Hotel’s Prospect Lounge next Thursday. The collection, presented by Macy’s in New York and shown on a feed a couple hours later at the local event, will feature celebrities strutting their stuff in brilliant red to show off their support for heart health.

This year’s models include, among others, Candace Cameron Bure of “Full House” and the upcoming “Fuller House,” Vanna White of “Wheel of Fortune,” Tamron Hall of “The Today Show,” Florence Henderson of “The Brady Bunch” and Ta’Rhonda Jones of “Empire.”

Guests at the local event will feel like Hollywood’s elite, too, as they enter the Padre after walking the red carpet and posing for photos, Kitchen said. Once inside, guests can socialize and enjoy music from a DJ and appetizers like stuffed mushrooms, chicken and shrimp skewers, and spinach and artichoke wrapped in phyllo. Red champagne and a red martini, among other drinks, will be available at a no-host bar.

Though the Red Dress Collection has shown in Fashion Week for years, this is the first year it will stream locally, Kitchen said.

Image: silver bridesmaid dresses

“We thought it would be a really fun way to incorporate something that’s done on a national level in Kern County,” she said, noting that sponsorships by Bank of Sierra and the Padre Hotel have allowed the organization to hold the event. “It’s a great way to invite more people to learn about heart health.”

Kitchen said guests are invited to wear cocktail attire or go fancier, if they choose.

“You don’t have to wear red, but that’s always our theme.”

With first year events, it’s hard to know what to expect, but Kitchen is hoping for a turn-out of about 100 to 150 people, with a goal of raising $5,000. Proceeds will go toward AHA’s Go Red for Women campaign, which funds medical research and awareness efforts, Kitchen said. Though heart disease is the number one killer of women, many don’t know they have it until it’s too late.

Because heart disease, long thought to be a man’s disease, presents differently in women, getting women and doctors to recognize early signs that tend to be more subtle than chest and arm pain is a key part of Go Red’s message. Medical research will help doctors find the best treatment for women and help doctors, particularly emergency room or general practitioners who don’t specialize in heart health, know when symptoms like trouble breathing, back or jaw pain and nausea might signal something serious.

Go Red urges women to know their numbers for cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as their family history, Kitchen said. Quitting smoking, eating healthy and exercising regularly are also key to reducing heart disease, which is 80 percent preventable.

“Our biggest challenge (with women) is they don’t want to put themselves first,” Kitchen said. “Our big message is, you can’t take care of others in your life or things you want to do if you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Regular doctor visits, knowing personal heart health risks and making beneficial lifestyle changes are the best ways women can advocate for their health, she said.

Women (and men) can learn more about arming themselves against heart disease while having a good time at the Red Dress Runway event, and, Kitchen said, it’s a great reason to dress up.

“It’s a great cause, it supports a non-profit within the community and you can have a lot of fun.”