For those of you who have been shopping with us for a while, or who have been following us online, you’ll know that jewelry designer Vicente Agor brings his entire gorgeous collection to the store the first weekend of December every year. You’ll also know that it’s always fingers-crossed around here in regard to the weather conditions for the weekend, as he has been here during some truly tundra-like cold weather, a “minor” snow storm (only 8 inches!) and, in last year’s case, a full-out blizzard. Nonetheless, being the good sport that he is (with maybe a touch of a “go ahead Mother Nature, I dare you” kind of attitude), he maintains that the first weekend of December is all about being at Max’s to help us get the holiday season off to a great, stylish start. So, with no further ado, I am happy to tell you that we are anxiously preparing for a fabulous weekend with Vicente for a trunk show that will run Friday, December 2 through Sunday, December 4.
I am also really happy and proud to tell you that again this year, we are holding this trunk show as a benefit to support organ donation. Vicente is the recipient of a double-transplant, which makes him the recipient of a second chance at life. Last year, he shared his thoughts about how this experience changed his life (think Life 2.0) and allowed him the the ability to follow his focus on his passion of designing fine jewelry, and he has graciously agreed to share these thoughts again this year during an artist reception on Friday night. Joining Vicente on Friday will be Heidi Ash, the chocolatier of 185Chocolat, Brandyn and Mario Negri and Kate Williamson of Sigh Yoga. Heidi’s chocolate company is named the way it is because she is the 185th recipient of a heart transplant at the Mayo Clinic, and she will speak about how she thinks of her transplant as a joyous experience, as it allowed her a second chance to pursue her dream of creating delicious chocolates. She will also be sampling her chocolates, so please come hungry! Prior to opening her yoga studio, Brandyn received a kidney transplant from her then-boyfriend/now-husband Mario. After the transplant, she knew she wanted to focus on being healthy. Being a dedicated yoga student, she completed her 200 hour certified yoga teaching program. At that point, it became clear to her that she wanted to share yoga with her community and offer a special environment to do it in. Kate Williamson is an instructor at Sigh Yoga who anonymously donated her kidney in December of 2008 which she calls a life-changing experience. Worth New York has graciously agreed to partner with us for this very special event, and will be hosting a Sample Set Sale of their luxurious Fall and Winter 2011 Collections on Friday and Saturday.
Needless to say, this weekend is going to be really special. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Vicente’s jewelry will be donated by Max’s and Vicente to LifeSource, a non-profit organ and tissue donation organization, the University Transplant Assistance Fund at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. 185Chocolat and Worth New York will also be donating a portion of their sales proceeds to LifeSource. The trunk show will run on Friday, December 2 (11am – 9pm), Saturday, December 3 (10am – 6pm) and Sunday, December 4 (noon – pm). The chocolate tasting will run on Friday evening during the reception between 6 – 9pm, and the sample sale will take place on Friday and Saturday (trunk show hours) in the club room next door to Max’s at 3820 Grand Way.
So I hope that you’ll join us. We’ll have exquisite jewelry, delicious chocolates, and beautiful clothing. What more could one want? How about a second chance at life?