Instead of showing at the tents, Zang Toi opted for a presentation during the New York Fashion Week Spring 2009 collections. For three hours at chef Daniel Boulud’s namesake restaurant Daniel, Toi unveiled a variety of looks with plenty of silk, satin and organza to the live accompaniment of singer Julian Fleisher (if the surname is familiar, it’s because his father is famed concert pianist Leon).
One of these included a white floor-length coat displaying a sparkling black skyline of Manhattan, which was brought back for a runway encore at the 2011 OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) National Convention. Toi maintains close ties to OCA having won one of its 2010 Dynamic Achiever Awards at a special gala.
Another organization, however, was the center of Toi’s focus for Spring 2009. Tickets to the fashion presentation cost $1,300 per head, with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward The Lance Armstrong Foundation. A charity auction at the event also raised funds for the seven-time Tour de France champion’s and cancer survivor’s efforts to assist cancer sufferers. Toi, an American Cancer Society honoree, is a biker as well, having traveled to Texas to participate in Armstrong’s “Ride for the Cure.”
Photo Gallery: Zang Toi Spring 2009