Saturday, April 14, 2012

Kenneth J. Downing strikes a cool silhouette



Kenneth J. Downing strikes a cool silhouette

By Deborah J. Miller

International traveler, yet Dallas resident, Kenneth J. Downing, recently created quite a buzz with his juxtaposition of silhouettes on the runway for Neiman-Marcus in Houston. The event was The Spirit of Spring Children’s Assessment Center Luncheon, chaired by slender fashion plates Diane Caplan Brown and Nancy Marcus (where did she get that middle name?) Golden, formerly of Dallas and Beverly Hills. Ken J. (as his closest friend call him) happens not to only be a television fashion diva—think Project Runway All Stars, Oprah, E! Entertainment, Fox News, he is the senior Vice President and Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus world-wide. Yet, the gift to him, that most pleased his inner child was made by humanitarian and silhouette artist Cindi Harwood Rose—his custom silhouette portrait, as shown. Cindi in Givenchy, pulled out her famous plastic surgeon husband, Franklin’s surgical scissors (or maybe her own)and some antique, thin black paper, and without a sketch, she snipped his likeness, sans the hair-cut. His golden locks, normally seen, had been trimmed, thus, fine artist, Cindi Rose, captured that, his facial features, whimsical personality, and his slender, boyish charm. “OHHHHH!” Kenneth exclaimed, “My mother will love this, she collects silhouettes and has around 600 in her home!” Cindi Rose immediately placed it into a black wooden frame with gold leaf, and jewels she had placed on the frame herself. When asked how she managed to mix the classic, modern, traditional, and antique, with humor, she explained, “It is interpretive, I could never frame a silhouette for Kenneth J. Downing in the average, that he is not.” The NM fashion show displayed art equal to Cindi Harwood Rose’s unique silhouette talents, and in themes. First, purple, then pink, then floral, next patterns with odd combinations of patterns, yet somehow fitting and quite whimsical. “This was the best Children’s Assessment Center Event I have ever been to,” Cindi Harwood Rose explained. “The Children’s Assessment Center helps children that were raped with recovery, and support. “ To donate contact Jull Buja@cac hctx.net

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