While trying to come up with a famous woman in history, I thought of many names, but then the images of my mother and grandmothers, their mothers, my sisters and my aunts came to mind. They were the famous women in MY history.
How, I thought, could I honor all women in history, for they are all special and famous to someone. Charity Gala came from this basis to creation.
  Gene is dressed in a gown which has elements of different eras of cuts from different decades of the 20th Century.  The bodice is black taffeta and is reminiscent of a bodice popular in the early 1990s, The 7 gore skirt of the gown, made from a "faux beaded" off white poly satin, is created from a pattern of a trumpet skirt popular in the 1910s, while the separate over skirt of black, silk taffeta captures the feeling of the sweeping skirts of the 1950s and the 1980s.  The belt of the overskirt is made from Fortuny pleated satin which was popular in the first decade of this century and in the late 1970s.  Gene's jewelry is made of black, smoke, and aurora Swarovski crystals.  The necklace has a black jet pendant which is echoed by the matching brooch adorning the closure of the belt of the overskirt.  Her earrings are a drop rhinestones set in "gold." Gene wears black matte satin opera length gloves.
  Showing her support of her sisters who are facing the realities of their battle their breast cancer, Gene proudly wears her pink ribbon which is accented with a crystal mirror.
Her shoes are black velvet sling pumps accented with rhinestones.