At Sequin, Chuck Scarborough, Julie Ratner, Jean Shafiroff, and Linda Renk stood before shoppers scooping up baubles, in anticipation of the June 21, Summer Solstice party to benefit the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital. Renk, who co-owns the Sequin chain with sister Kim, was donating 25% of all sales to the cause. Scarborough, a long-time supporter of the hospital, will open his sprawling Southampton estate this Saturday for the cocktail party, which will honor Shafiroff and Hospital President and CEO Robert Chaloner. Ratner is the driving force that turned Ellen’s Run, conceived in the memory of her sister, into an Hamptons franchise synonymous with Breast Cancer awareness, care and research. They also know how to put on a party.
“I love when we all join together for a cause,” Ratner told the crowd. “That’s what makes this community so special. Everyone pulls together. We get the job done. People benefit, and that’s the prize.”
Another prize: going home with Sequin statement jewelry. New this year, Renk told us, are collections called Spirit Works and Color Karma that they’re trying out for the first time in their Southampton Jobs Lane store. “It allows our customer to create their own 14 Karat gold plated jewelry. Our Creative Director, Tara Malkovich created custom sculpted coins with blessings and symbols — for example, the tree of life, evil eye, and an owl, representing wisdom. We also have star map coins, of the constellation in the sky for sign of your zodiac. Customers buy their own, their children’s and husband’s to wear together.” Sequin not only designs for Badgley Mischka, but have their own stores, (three) in Palm Beach, (three) Rhode Island, Naples and Southampton, where they actively support charities.
“When Jean reached out to ask if we would host this event and contribute, we said, ‘Right away, of course.’ My mother has had a double mastectomy and luckily she’s a survivor.”
Shafiroff shared her mother and grandmother had survived breast cancer. Scarborough’s sister died in her 50s from breast cancer. “So I have been very, very attuned to what is going on here,” he said. “Julie Ratner does such a wonderful job raising money. There couldn’t be a better cause. It’s a terrible scourge.”
For tickets: ellensrun.org/party or 212-840-0916.