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Queen of the Red Carpet Shows Her True Colors - Red, White and Blue
American Evening Bag Designer Kathrine Baumann Builds Crystal Twin Towers.
Sep 9, 2002/ FW/ -- In a stylish tribute to the victims of 9/11, Kathrine Baumann of Beverly
Hills unveils her Twin Towers evening bag.
The piece will be debuted at a trunk show thrown by one of her collectors in honor of
Baumann's birthday - September 11th.
"It's difficult to celebrate my birthday on a day that now has such
tragic significance," said Baumann. "In designing this bag, I was able to create
a reminder of how fortunate we all are, as well as pay homage to our nation's
heroes and the spirit of this glorious country."
Shawn King, wife of CNN personality Larry King, will offer a sneak peak of the bag at the
Emmy luncheon in New York City on September 9th, where she will model the design.
Baumann's creations are regularly worn to the Oscar's, Emmys and Golden Globes. Her
collectors include Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden, Brook Shields, Hilary Swank
and Elizabeth Taylor.
The former Miss Ohio and first runner-up for Miss
America has traveled to Vietnam to entertain the troops with Bob Hope, and has
helped promote the creation of the WWII memorial in Washington, DC.
"My great, great, great-grandfather was wounded in the Battle of Antietam during the
Civil War and I still cherish family dog tags and discharge papers from the
Spanish and Civil Wars," Baumann said. "Giving my support to those who fight so
bravely for the freedoms that we are able to enjoy continues to be my lifelong
commitment."
Baumann's patriotism and lineage is the inspiration behind
many of her designs:
America the Beautiful: A waving flag with Stars and
Stripes. Back relief showcases the U.S. Coat of Arms.
Purple Heart: Generated
over a half million dollars to benefit the WWII Memorial. Personally endorsed by
Senator John McCain and Colonel Mitchell Paige (Congressional Medal of Honor
Recipient). Baumann traveled to South Africa to oversee the production of this
piece.
Lunar Landing Commemorative: A recreation of Life Magazine's Buzz
Aldrin cover. Signed by Buzz himself.
"Patriotism will never go out of
style, and neither will giving back to the community," Declared Baumann, who
built the company and grew her name to a staple on Hollywood's Red Carpet, on a
$134 unemployment check. "I hope my efforts will generate support for a truly
extraordinary group of people."
Baumann's evening bags - otherwise known
as minaudieres - undergo a meticulous production process: Each handmade 24 karat
gold-plated body arrives at Baumann's Beverly Hills studio from Europe, and is
then painted and hand-adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals by a team of
artists and craftspeople.
Her Twin Towers minaudiere features an image of the
World Trade Centers wrapped in a patriotic ribbon. A portion of the proceeds
from the sale of this limited edition piece will be donated to the Silver Shield
Foundation, which supports the families of police officers and firefighters
killed in the line of duty, through financial and educational assistance.
Known as the female "Andy Warhol," Kathrine Baumann is noted for transforming popular
American Icons into functional, wearable art. Highlights of Baumann's American Icon favorites
include: Lady Liberty, Coca-cola, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, and Betty Boop, to
name a few.
For more information, please visit
www.kbaumann.com.
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