AEGiS-SFE: Passport required

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Passport required

San Francisco Examiner - September 19, 2002
Debby Morse Of The Examiner Staff

In 1996, during his first year as Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown attended Macy's Passport, the gala fashion show that raises funds for HIV/AIDS organizations. He was totally wowed by the experience, and for good reason. The event is loads of fun; da Mayor even donned some snazzy threads and took a turn on the runway under flashing lights.

I asked him how he liked the goings-on, and he raved that Passport was one of the best tickets in town. "That's why I became mayor," he beamed. Well, don't tell his honor, but you don't have to be mayor to attend Passport, and that's one of the greatest things about it. The show, which concludes tonight and Friday, is for everyone. You don't have to wait for a stuffy engraved invitation allowing you to purchase a table for some ungodly sum.

You just buy a ticket -- and you mingle, with both the glitterati and the hotterati. (Some of the young people in attendance are, indeed, hotties.)

One thing his Willieness did get right, though, is that Passport IS one of the best tickets in town. This year is Passport's 20th anniversary.

Sure, the formula doesn't change much from year to year: a dazzling reception with cocktails and killer canapes, a sit-down dinner for those whose budgets can handle it, and the show itself.

Fort Mason Center's Festival Pavilion almost seems to have been specially built for the show, featuring fabulous outfits for men, women and kids to the accompaniment of music, smoke and lights. There's entertainment. Knock-out visuals. The MAC Viva Glam Circus! Oh, yeah, and each year the show ends with the legendary underwear segment. Hubba-hubba.

Then there's the luminous presence of celebrity designers and superstars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. They're wonderful -- but for my money, those scrubbed and moussed kids in their stylin' duds really have all the moves.

Oh, yes, the money? Tickets range from an affordable $40 for the show only to $65-$75 for the reception and bleacher seats, or $150 for VIP runway seats (tonight's dinner is sold out). Call Ticketmaster, or get more information at(800) 334-6158.

020919
SE020904

Copyright © 2002 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .