It’s common to associate New York with fashion and D.C. with politics, but yesterday, the two united at Glamour and Facebook’s cocktails and conversation event at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center during the Democratic National Convention. Invited by the magazine, which welcomed press and VIPs, I decided to put on my political hat (I’m a graduate of George Washington University in D.C., so it was pretty easy) and took a “field trip” to Philly. Thanks to the tight security, large crowds, and borderline 100-degree weather, those never-ending Fashion Week days seemed like a breeze. Kind of.
Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive hosted the discussion—which aired on Facebook Live—with Chelsea Clinton and her pals Lena Dunham and America Ferrera. The event was part of Glamour’s #51MillionVoices initiative, an effort to help investigate and elevate the political issues the 51 million women under the age of 45 care about most as they prepare to vote for the next President of the United States.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 26: Cindi Leive, Chelsea Clinton, Lena Dunham and America Ferrera attend the Glamour And Facebook Host Conversation With Cindi Leive, Chelsea Clinton, Lena Dunham, America Ferrera
“I want to thank Glamour, Facebook, and everyone joining us here today and on Facebook Live, and my friends America and Lena for being a part of this important conversation,” said Clinton when welcoming the crowd, which included Gayle King. “We don’t ignore that there are challenges, but we know we have to come together and work together, because as my mom has said consistently throughout this campaign, we are stronger together. What I think you’ll continue to see throughout this week is talking about real solutions to real challenges that Americans of all ages, genders, and colors face, but also recognizing we have a real opportunity to grow and heal together.”
Leive asked Ferrera to comment on Bernie Sanders’ young female supporters. “I remember in 2008 how devastating it was to put so much into a candidate and then not get the outcome you personally wanted to see,” she said. “As I saw the Sanders supporters with tears in their eyes, I remembered that feeling. But I also remembered when Hillary so gracefully stood on that stage, as Bernie Sanders did, saying we can’t afford to be divided in this house—we need to come together. I think Bernie said it best—we need to stand behind Hillary and we can’t afford the alternative.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 26: Actresses America Fererra (R) and Lena Dunham (L)
As Ferrera and Dunham prepared to go onstage at the convention that night in support of Clinton, Leive asked if they were prepared to get Tweeted about—meaning from Donald Trump. “He’s already called me a B-lister with no mojo, so what’s coming next? Has Donald done any America Ferrera specifics?” Lena asked. “He’s talked a lot about America,” Ferrera said. “He keeps trying to make me great again, and I don’t know why—I’ve been pretty great for years!”
Kidding aside, the event shed light on important issues and the current state of the campaign, while also sharing some elements of a NYC fashion event: a bar fueled with drinks and small bites, makeup and hair touch-ups at the “Glambar,” and a mini photo booth area reminiscent of the mini conference room Eva Chen frequently posts from at Facebook’s NYC office, although this one was set up like the Oval Office. The event also featured a guest performance by dance troupe Syncopated Ladies, who tap danced to Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls).”
Before heading back home to NYC, I encountered a few familiar faces: Katie Couric dining outside at a bistro in Rittenhouse Square, Page Six’s Cindy Adams having lunch at the Rittenhouse Hotel (which was full of Secret Service agents), twin basketball players Jason and Jarron Collins, Al Franken and Rosie Perez (separately) inside the arena.
Just another day at the office…
