Makeup mogul and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown received the 2025 Style Icon award presented by Dress for Success Palm Beaches at the nonprofit’s annual Style for Hope fundraising luncheon on March 7.
With her newest venture, Jones Road, launched in 2020 and rapidly becoming as beloved as the namesake makeup brand she birthed 34 years ago, Brown was honored for embodying the Dress for Success mission: the empowerment of women.
An onstage interview with the honoree emceed by Hollani Davis, anchor of WPTV’s “Today on 5,” was a highlight of the program, which is estimated to have raised close to $350,000. Last year’s Style Icon winners Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger served as this year’s honorary co-chairs and were on hand for the salute to their friend Brown.
Brown was on the national board of Dress for Success when it was founded in 1997 and continued to be actively associated with the organization for more than a decade. She visited DFSPB’s headquarters ahead of the fundraiser to meet client Courtney Banks, giving her makeup tips and helping select her attire for the luncheon. A video presentation during the event profiled 20-year-old Banks, who had bounced around from shelter-to-shelter most of her life, had no family support, overcame numerous indignities, battled anxiety and insecurity, and was craving stability and independence. Her excitement at scoring highly on the entrance exam for Palm Beach State College was blunted by the crushing news that her high school diploma was invalid since the online high school she had enrolled in during the pandemic was a scam. Undeterred, Banks, whose ambition is to join the military and eventually pursue a career in healthcare, repeated her junior and senior year with an accredited program. But she didn’t have the experience of a cap-and-gown graduation. So, DFSPB, with a mentoring program that bolstered her self-confidence and helped her realize her self-worth, staged a ceremony at the luncheon. The story of Banks’ journey brought the audience of 600 to their feet.
Michele Meyer-Shipp, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide, was a guest of honor. It was her first official appearance in South Florida, having joined the organization three years ago from Major League Baseball. One other highlight of the luncheon was a 60-second video tracking the progress of DFSPB’s relocation to River Bridge Centre in Greenacres and renovation of a storefront that will yield more space and added programs. Funds raised at the event will help with this move, which is anticipated by summer. For more information, visit www.dressforsuccesspb.org.
