As three-year-old Egypt Dauod Dean toddled down the runway at Ralph Lauren’s fall 2014 children’s fashion show at the New York Public Library early Monday evening, one audience member’s reaction to the adorable boy was so powerful that she nearly fell off her chair laughing.
That would be Egypt’s mom, singer Alicia Keys, who was among those assembled at Lauren’s show where Uma Thurman and David Lauren presented opening remarks and the designer kicked off a literacy program committed to children in underserved households by providing access to books for children in need.
There were a handful of luminaries on hand –Edie Falco and Ireland Baldwin along with Thurman and Keys — but the real stars were the kids.
Lauren’s classics for fall were dazzlingly turned out — a little “Downton Abbey,” a little lumberjack chic — and included loads of his signature fabrics — tweeds, tartans and velvets — many looks accessorized with, well, natch, teddy bears. To top it all off, there were trapper hats, berets, beanies and even a tiara on one little girl.
Nattily dressed Egypt sported a black and cream herringbone jacket, navy dog intarsia sweater and tartan wool pants. Keys, dressed in a lipstick red leather jacket and dark pants, said this was Egypt’s first-ever modeling gig. Her reaction? “I couldn’t believe it. I almost died!,” she said beaming. (So did everyone else. The cuteness factor was way off the charts.)
After the runway show, it was on to a private, rollicking performance by the cast of the Broadway show, “Matilda.” And then, for many in the audience, which, skewed toward the eight-and-under set, well, it was clearly time for nighty-night.
