Nygård hosts Hollywood-worthy anniversary gala
Fashion mogul celebrates 50th anniversary, eyes 100th
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2018 (2824 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Dressed in a tux and tails and making a grand entrance surrounded by supermodels, fashion mogul Peter Nygård threw a 50th anniversary party for his Nygård International in Winnipeg on Friday night that rivalled any Hollywood bash.
The sold-out, black-tie gala at the RBC Convention Centre featured 1,800 guests, a dining area that looked like Arctic tundra, a New York-style fashion show and a VIP list with dignitaries from Finland, country star Tanya Tucker, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, deputy premier Heather Stefanson, MP Terry Duguid and a video greeting from Winnipeg Jets and Finnish hockey superstar Teemu Selanne.
Models, dressed in military-style jean bomber jackets with Nygård’s image on the back, greeted guests and then put on a runway show featuring fashions from the five decades of Nygård’s career, set to booming music and flashing lights.
“It’s a Winnipeg company with offices all over the world, but this is our home. For him to invest $5 million in his Winnipeg office and donate over $22 million to CancerCare Manitoba and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, tonight is celebrating his investment here on so many levels,” said Sharon Clarke, the company’s vice-president of communications.
On Friday night, Nygård gave a $100,000 donation to CancerCare Manitoba and paid for 1,500 mammography gowns for BreastCheck.
Rene Law, who has worked for Nygård for 40 years, said people who work for Nygård are called associates, not employees.
“I love working for him because he’s a brilliant man and he has so much vision. He treats us all like family,” said Law, 85, vice-president of technical design. She worked in Hong Kong from 1986-1990 among other Nygård locations and frequently travels to Nygård’s other corporate offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
She said Nygård is paying for stem-cell treatments for her and for a number of other long-serving employees from the same doctors he is using for his own treatments. Stem-cell therapy is used by some for anti-aging and wellness.
“About five years ago, just before Christmas, and I got a call. They said, ‘Rene, Mr. Nygård wants you in Milan, Italy. We booked your flight.’ I’ve had four (stem-cell treatments) so far and I can’t believe how fantastic it is. All my arthritic pain is gone,” Law said.
In a promotional video marking the 50th anniversary which was shown at the gala, the 74-year-old Nygård suggested he plans to stick around for another 50 years.
“You can’t take it with you so why leave?” he said with a grin.
ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
