Fashion & Arts Xchange to honor Damon Dash and Gordon Parks

NEW YORK (Roc-A-Fella) - The non-profit organization, Fashion & Arts Xchange, announced today that it would, for the second year straight, honor two individuals at the sixth annual Black History Month event. "We selected Damon Dash because of his obvious contributions to urban fashion and music and the incomparable Gordon Parks for his trailblazing contributions to the fields of fashion photography, film-making, and music," said Gwenveria Sargeant, the director and founder of F.A.X.
In addition, the organization has decided to return to its roots, so to speak. After holding the gala in the Haft Auditorium on campus of the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the organization has opted to utilize the campus's more intimate Amphitheatre. The evening's highlight will be a musical performance from one of the acts signed to Roc-a-Fella Records.
Ms. Sargeant has been sworn to keep the identity of the musical guest under wraps saying only, "It's going to be off the hook." The event will take place on Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are being sold in limited quantity for $100.00 through the organization's website www.fashionartsxchange.com. Participants are urged to purchase in advance because of space constraints. The monies raised will be allocated to expanding the organization's job bank and for ongoing development of internship opportunities.

The previous year's honorees, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen DeLavallade, were feted by a host of friends and colleagues that included pioneering actress Diahann Carroll and Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad to a sold out crowd.

Since 1994, the mission of Fashion & Arts Xchange is to provide support, promotion, information, and networking opportunities to encourage the participation of African-Americans and people of color in the fashion and arts industries.