Ahead of World Ocean Month, Hotel Casa del Mar and Schmidt Ocean Institute hosted a fashion show and WORDTheater event with actor Jason George to celebrate the ocean on Saturday, May 18th. The event is part of the Ocean Rising initiative that convenes leaders and tastemakers in pop culture sectors like fashion, sports, filmmaking, music, gaming and food and encourages them to take inspiration from the ocean and apply it to their work and art. The fashion show was the second Ocean Rising event co-hosted by Casa del Mar.
The event featured remarks by former supermodel and social entrepreneur Frederique van der Wal, and a fashion show exhibiting ocean-inspired creations by sustainable fashion designers Runa Ray, Melissa Kritsotakis, and Sasha Royce.
“Having been born in the Netherlands, where the sea and land are in a delicate balance, it’s crucial to recognize that our actions on land directly impact the ocean, and that we have a shared responsibility for our environment, no matter where we live,” said van der Wal. “I was proud to speak at this event, which brought great people together that share a love for the ocean. Like ripples in the water, let us continue to inspire and unite others in our journey towards a more sustainable world.”
Held in the newly unveiled oceanfront Conservatory event space at Hotel Casa del Mar, the event featured ocean-inspired sustainable couture by the three designers, who use the positive power of fashion to connect humanity with its environment.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Schmidt Ocean Institute to spotlight the importance of sustainability, this time through the lens of fashion,” said Max Jonas, General Manager at Hotel Casa del Mar. “With the ocean quite literally in our backyard, the cause is important to us, and we are excited about raising awareness while celebrating the sea.”
Fashion environmentalist Runa Ray showcased a series of six dresses as part of her continued Art as Activism work. Designer Melissa Kritsotakis presented timeless past creations connected to the ocean along with new designs from a developing collection inspired by Schmidt Ocean Institute imagery. The collection debuted ocean-inspired music, “Patterns of the Undercurrent,” specially composed for the evening by Michelle Carter and Mark Solomon. Sustainable swimwear was presented by Smart Swimsuit’s CEO and designer Sasha Royce.
LA’s WORDTheatre, which connects people by bringing great stories to life through performance, joined the event with a performance by actor Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19) reading an ocean themed short story.
“The ocean can inspire fashion in so many ways. We are thrilled that some of the imagery collected from at-sea expeditions with our research vessel Falkor (too), is being incorporated into the designer’s work,” said Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. “This is exactly what the Ocean Rising Alliance is about, bringing attention to the Ocean through these individual activities and we were delighted to co-host this event with the iconic Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.”
