Hip cats – once a month, Hip Chick Alert will highlight inspirational films.  As our first featured film of the month -I am looking back to a film that portrays a strong woman who is at a crossroad in her life – I enjoy the sheer genius of this film- the script and seeing these- now seasoned actors and how they started off .  This film has a stellar script –great music / its a true joy to watch and a classic.  Films are a significant part of my life –coming from a broken path – as a child I looked to music and films to take me away from pain I was living in and were a source of what to strive for – so take a moment with me and look back at a story called SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE –

And the trailer for An Affair To Remember / both films are highly suggested.

Peace Perez

I am so excited – I am going! The struggles and triumphs of women and girls around the globe come to life in this dynamic three-day summit. World leaders, industry icons, movie stars, and CEOs convene with artists, rebels, peacemakers and activists to tell their stories and share their plans of action. Join the women who have shattered glass ceilings everywhere! Speakers to be announced. Presented by Tina Brown Live Media in association with The New York Times.

Get your tickets here! http://davidhkochtheater.com/moreinfoWITW.html

Cycle for Survival – on Sunday March 8 – I will be Cycling for Survival with my day job friends and colleagues at the Equinox at Bryant Park. I feel that we all have been touched by this disease- I received a call from my foster mother while I was living in LA working as an Art Director – I had been in LA for several years and was at the top of my game – when she told me that my foster father had stomach cancer – I subleased my LA Apartment and was in NYC with them in 3 days- – I went back and forth between NY and LA for months until my foster fathers passing – and at the point relocated to NYC to help my foster mother through the transition of losing the only man she had ever known – how to cope- so that she wouldn’t die of a broken heart- you see he had just retired and they had do many plans to enjoy life after retirement- he worked at the NEW YORK LIBRARY on 42 street , as a book binder for over 45 years- his image below playing saxophone with his brother Billy on piano.

Cycle for Survival is the national movement to beat rare cancers. It’s a high-energy indoor team cycling event to provide a tangible way to fight back. 100% of all money raised directly funds lifesaving rare cancer research. Please go on line and support – every penny counts

Click here to support

And start all over again – today I feature the legendary Carmen Dell’Orefice.

At 13, she was spotted by the wife of a photographer, getting off a bus in her native New York City; the following year, she sat for Salvador Dalí – who gave her a painting in addition to the $7 she officially earned for modeling for him – before going on to work with the most celebrated photographers of the 20th century, including Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson and Richard Avedon. A victim of Bernie Madoff, who defrauded Carmen to the tune of several million dollars in his infamous Ponzi scheme. She is fabulous and wise and clearly nothing phases her – After Bernie lost all of her money she let the industry know that she was in a pickle and needed to work again – and she is in high demand. At 83 years young – she quotes, ‘Sure I might feel more secure with my little fortune at my disposal in my old age, but the loss of it doesn’t change who I am as I never changed my lifestyle,’ she reasons. ‘How many beds can I sleep in one night? How many roofs over my head do I need? I don’t need that much. So if you’re faced with times of adversity – Pick yourself up – dust yourself off and start all over again – keep your strength – focus on you and you will rise!

March is International Women’s History Month, and while we celebrate women all year round at Hip Chick Alert , on March 1 at the UN Foundation’s New York office, Girl Up’s teen advisors gathered for a summit on corporate responsibility, a chance for them to learn from professional women like President of AOL Charitable Foundation Sara Link. Link spoke about AOL’s relationship to non-profits, advising the girls on approaching and developing relationships with big companies. “Think about your reality in the context of the broader world,” Link encouraged. And when considering how a corporation could be helpful, don’t hesitate to reach out: “Corporations are really just people,” Link said.

Girl Up is a campaign within the United Nations Foundation that gives American girls the opportunity to become global leaders.  How hip is that? The organization’s teen advisory program engages and prepares teens to tackle inequalities facing adolescent girls in developing countries.

This weekend’s summit also included a visit to the Guggenheim, focus groups facilitated by the Clinton Foundation, and workshops on storytelling and Understanding the UN. For more information on how to support Girl Up or to become a teen advisor go to http://www.girlup.org/ and get involved!

Peace Perez

Photography my first love – so let me introduce you all to photographer Barbara Yoshida. She captured not one great portrait, but 100. And to make it all the more glorious, her subjects are all female artists, groundbreaking in their own right. A great portrait is more than just a frozen reflection of the subject’s appearance. It’s a chance moment, blanketed in natural light, in which the subject’s authentic self is visible in her expression, her stance, her aura. A great portrait blurs the line between a subject and her surroundings, all contributing equally to the overall impression of a singular human being. Beginning in 1990, the Portland-born photographer began documenting female artists, ranging from well-known art stars to emerging newcomers, those working in feminist performance, biomorphic sculpture, found object assemblage and West African textiles.

Click here to visit Barbara Yoshida’s website

Yoshida’s “One Hundred Portraits: Women Artists” will be on view from March 3 through March 27, 2015 at the Salena Gallery at LIU Brooklyn, in honor of Women’s History Month. See a preview of 3 images from the exhibition below.

I am a fan of Louise Bourgeois, 1911-2010. Photographed 28 February 1992

My dear friend Colette here. Photographed 2 March 2013, Performance and multimedia, Tunisia

And last is Malado Camara Sidibeh Photographed 22 November 2010, Textiles, The Gambia

This March, The Museum of Modern Art http://www.moma.org/ presents a retrospective of the multifaceted work of composer, musician, and singer Björk. The exhibition draws from more than 20 years of the artist’s daring and innovative projects and her eight full-length albums to chronicle her career through sound, film, visuals, instruments, objects, and costumes. I love this artist and SUPER Hip Chick Alert – ever since she was in the Sugar Cubes –this fab lady was born in Reykjavík, Iceland and now lives in Brooklyn, New York .She plays piano, keyboards, flute, harp, clarinet and harmonica- my ears lit up with her first hit with her first hit Birthday with The Sugarcubes, in 1987 was a hit on US and UK indie stations- since then Björk has developed an eclectic musical style that incorporates aspects of dance, rock, trip hop, jazz, electronic, classical, experimental and avant-garde music. Music critics have consistently championed Björk’s body of work, praising her innovative approach to singing and composition, her pioneering use of electronic beats, her groundbreaking music videos, and, above all, her singular voice, describing her as “the most important and forward-looking musician of her generation and “the best non-pop female vocalist of the last 30 years- as for me I LOVE HER and forgive her for her Swan dress that she featured at the Oscars a few years back – so go check out this retrospective HIP CATS – SEE YOU THERE!

Peace Perez

So one of my favorite times of year comes to an end – FIRST tomorrow award season ends and SECOND NEW YORK Fashion Week has ended – THE UP SHOT of this is that this indicates Spring is on the way –
Here are some of my favorite images of some moments of the past week and one from the Grammys !
I say there is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing so for winter 2015-2016 go shopping and be a fashionista! Stay hip my friends – PEACE PEREZ

Let’s talk about amazing energy –Valerie Taylor– world renowned marine conservationist and scuba diving pioneer seen here with her friend a spotted moray eel.  A bit erotic and very enlightening -Dig it, Dig her! It would be amazing if we topside could all – come out and just be universal friends.  She is a Professional diver, underwater still photographer & cinematographer. This hip chick Valerie was born in Sydney, started diving in 1956 and spear fishing in 1960, eventually winning several Australian championships for ladies in both spear fishing and scuba.She is a champion spearfisher, but switched from killing sharks to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life.

FASHION WEEK IN NYC! A wave of elegance washed over Carolina Herrera’s runway this season – the elegance isn’t unusual but the water motif was quite new. True to her wit she quotes “I don’t do years,” Carolina said before her show, pointing out that she doesn’t like looking to the past for inspiration these days. “I’m trying to go to the future.” She turned 76 last month and becomes less conventional as time accumulates. Her idea was to explore water, and her approach was both literal and abstract. The modernity was in the efficiency and glamour of its cut. Hip Chick Alert my old boss Mrs. Carolina Herrera, top Designer and lovely person.

Peace, Perez