Community School student organizes Richie Rich fashion show

Richie Rich COURTESY PHOTO Designer fashion shows are nothing new to the Naples social scene, but one coming up later this month has a twist: Its organizer is 16-year-old Parker Borelli, a student at The Community School of Naples.

The show has all the makings of a stylish Naples to-do, including sponsorships by Saks Fifth Avenue and Thalheimer's Jewelry, the latest looks from a celebrity designer and a charity beneficiary.

Mr. Borelli is calling it "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."

The Saturday, May 30, event at The Naples Beach Hotel will showcase the runway collections of Richie Rich, the New York club kid whose clothing has been favored by the likes of Foxy Brown, Gwen Stefani and the Hilton sisters. Mr. Rich has teamed up with Pamela Anderson for his Muse line of leather-free shoes and Hollywood hip casual separates that will debut this summer.

Mr. Borelli, a junior at The Community School, met Mr. Rich last year in Manhattan at one of the designer's runway shows. He has since seen two more Richie Rich shows in Miami, most recently during Rock Fashion Week in March.

The local fashion show will begin with a champagne and strawberries reception at 7:15 p.m., followed by models (about 20 of Mr. Borelli's schoolmates) strutting the runway in Mr. Rich's glamorous and often quirky signature garb. Tickets are $50 for general admission and $125 for front-row, VIP seating.

Mr. Borelli is hoping for a crowd of 500, with all proceeds to benefit Cancer Alliance of Naples.

It's not the first big event he's organized. He put together his own 16th birthday bash earlier this year, and is also working on his school prom that takes place this Saturday.

"For as long as I can remember, I've had a strong sense of entrepreneurial ability," the enterprising teen, who started Organize Your Space, a closet planning business, when he was a freshman, says. "I've always planned parties and helped with events."

About his first runway project, Mr. Borelli says, "I just thought (the fashion show) could be a great way to support a good cause. And when I asked Richie Rich if he'd come, he said, 'Sure. It sounds like fun.'"

PARKER BORELLI / COURTESY PHOTOS Richie Rich runway models during Rock Fashion Week in Miami. CAN is a fitting choice as beneficiary, he adds, because Mr. Rich's father died following a battle with cancer.

Started in 2003, CAN is a grassroots, volunteer-governed organization devoted to improving the quality of life for individuals and families affected by cancer. CAN provides need-based financial assistance, information resources and links to services and support groups.

"Parker's got all of these kids involved and it's very heartwarming for me," said Erica Thalheimer, one of CAN's founding board members. "All we can hope for is that the next generation will pick up the ball and run with it, and they are. This is so cool. It's very important to us."

Tickets to "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" can be purchased online at www. richierichbenefitshow.com. According to the hot pink invitation, suggested attire for the evening is "Sparkling."

For more information, call Mr. Borelli at 682-4839 or CAN at 436-4856, or e-mail RichieRichBenefitShow@gmail.com.

.. If you go >>What: "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," a Richie Rich fashion show to benefit Cancer Alliance of Naples >>Where: The Naples Beach Hotel >>When: 7:15 p.m. Saturday, May 30 >>Tickets: $50 and $125 >>Attire: "Sparkling" >>Info: 682-4839 or 436-4856 or RichieRichBenefitShow@gmail.com