Emily Rockefeller Hosted the ‘Shoes For a Cure’ Kickoff Event at L’Avenue at Saks
Guests gathered at Saks on Tuesday evening for some shopping followed by a cocktail moment at L’Avenue—all underpinned by an important message. Hosted by Emily Rockefeller, the event served to not only usher in this year’s Shoes for a Cure sale, but to honor and support the work of Dr. Lisa Newman, and shine a light on the importance of early detection when it comes to breast cancer.
Emily Rockefeller learned she was BRCA1 positive, a genetic predisposition, only after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at the age of 32. A year ago, around the time she was diagnosed, she joined the board of Shoes for a Cure to make sure she could use her voice and platform in a proactive way.
“It’s about awareness. Knowing how to ask questions if you’re under 40, because you can’t get a mammogram under 40,” Rockefeller told Vogue. “I’m passionate about making sure women know their risk assessment and their genetic predisposition. There are different ways to do that, but if you have dense breasts, you should be supplementing your mammograms with an ultrasound.”
“Early detection is so critical—it saved my life,” echoed Katie Couric. “And women with dense breasts need to start advocating for themselves because mammograms alone aren t enough.” As legislation to ensure that supplemental screenings are covered is still needed, Couric has joined forces with the Find It Early Act—advocating for these tests to be taken care of by insurance providers.
Both Couric and Rockefeller were patients of Dr. Newman’s, a surgical oncologist with a clinical and research practice at Weill Cornell. Dr. Newman, the recipient of this year’s Shop for Cure research funds, specializes in breast cancer subtypes and has spent 20 years researching triple-negative breast cancer in African American women. “Lisa Newman is not only an amazing surgeon but she cares deeply about giving all women access to the care they need and deserve,” Couric praised.
At the event, Dr. Newman shared the stark statistic that breast cancer diagnoses for women under 30 are on the rise. In her speech, Rockefeller shared her personal story of having a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery six months ago under the care of Dr. Newman and her team. Once again, she reiterated that genetic testing and knowing your individual risk assessment are of the utmost importance for young women, as are sonograms. Nodding to twenty years of Dr. Newman’s tireless research, Rockefeller decided it was a fitting evening to wear a treasured vintage McQueen dress from 2004 while celebrating her.
The annual Shoes for a Cure sale begins today at the Chelsea Market in Manhattan and runs through October 27, with participating brands including Burberry, Hunter, Jimmy Choo, Voile Blanche, Birkenstock, Hoka, and many more. It’s grown to become a highly-anticipated event hosted under the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation, which has donated over $60 million to fund ground-breaking research since its inception.
“This all began as a shoe sale under a tent in Central Park in 1994, and has evolved over time,” Sarah Lubas, a board member and VP at Burberry, explained. “The sale is very unique. The guests here today are mostly our supporters, brands, retailers, and some people from the media and financial services. It’s an important moment for Dr. Newman to speak and make sure we hear from her what’s needed, and that we hear stories like Emily’s, to really remind us why we’re here. It’s not something abstract; these are real stories.”
Guests also included Phoebe Cates (another former patient of Dr. Newmans) and her husband, Kevin Kline, as well as Constance Zimmer and Amy Tan. Attendees departed with copies of Tan’s new book, as well as gifts from clean beauty brand Farmacy.
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