With gorgeous clothes, glamorous styling and even a stroller or two, more than 20 hot moms walked the runway for NYC’s Fashion Week’s first ever show for mothers

By Whitney Casser

Photo credit: Getty Images for Fashionable Mom

TO VIEW THE FULL STRUT SLIDESHOW, CLICK HERE. 

Style maven, world-famous model and mother of two gorgeous girls, the iconic Iman attended New York’s most recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week greeted by a flock of eager photographers and fashion enthusiasts. —

And while she stunned onlookers in a purple lace top, matching skirt and black stilettos—Iman wasn’t navigating the catwalk with her signature swagger. This time, she was cheering on more than 20 other moms who were rocking the runway for Fashion Week’s first ever Strut: The Fashionable Mom Show.

“This is the perfect example of moms following their dreams and making them happen,” says Denise Albert of multi-platform lifestyle company The MOMS.

The idea for a fashion show dedicated to mothers was hatched when Albert and her business partner, Melissa Gerstein, decided that they could combine the habitually separate worlds of fashion and motherhood in an amazing production featuring real women.

“We hit the ground running hard and brainstormed daily ideas,” remembers Gerstein. “Our golden ticket came when we decided to approach Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the Director of Fashion for Lincoln Center. She loved us and the idea, and blessed it from day one. She opened so many doors for us and the rest is history!”

With moms in mind, Wolkoff—an IMG Consultant—reached out to her contacts in the fashion world and started networking on behalf of the budding show.

“When Strut was first proposed to me by the team behind The Moms, I recognized its concept as engaging and nuanced,” says Wolkoff. “I ‘green light’ initiatives that are presenting something unprecedented with a thoughtful spin.”

As plans started to come together, the widespread family and home life communities became enthusiastic about the parent-focused fashion project, as well. Clorox sponsored a Twitter-azzi pit right off the runway and major brands like T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, Matrix, Coldwater Creek, Clorox and Quinny, among others, got on board.

And to give the show an extra bit of flair, Frederick Anderson and Douglas Hannant of Douglas Hannant donated a beautiful set design, complete with brilliant autumnal colors, a tree-lined double-runway and fake leaves that crunched underfoot.

To read the full New York Family story click here.

By Eric Messinger

Have you met Latham?

Latham Thomas, a local specialist in maternal and child well-being, helps NYC families achieve optimal health through her new holistic lifestyle hub, Mama Glow. We sat down with the wellness expert to ask all about the Mama Glow philosophy and to get the scoop on the upcoming Mama Glow Salon Series taking place on April 16th. The event will feature Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein’s acclaimed documentary, More Business of Being Born, along with a panel discussion held by Rebecca Minkoff, Lyss Stern of Diva Moms, Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein from The MOMS and Dee Poku of the WIE Network. Be sure to show up early for cocktail hour at 6pm – the film will begin shortly after! (Click here for tickets!)

Tell us about your professional background and how Mama Glow grows out of that.

Well, I’m a graduate of Columbia University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. My passion lies in women’s wellness particularly in and around pregnancy. I had such an incredible experience being pregnant and it was largely due to lifestyle factors. I first launched Tender Shoots Wellness in 2005 to offer culinary, nutrition and yoga services for busy moms-to-be. The outgrowth of that work and a new vision for events, products, etc. resulted in Mama Glow. I empower expectant and new moms and help them ignite their glow power through nutrition, yoga, lifestyle and labor support. I also co-founded Mama Glow Film Festival, which is a platform for maternal advocacy through film and philanthropy. I’m an author, too–my first book on pregnancy and wellness comes out this November.   

The graphics on your website are gorgeous—and of course it’s no a coincidence that the main silhouettes are of women with graceful bumps—baby bumps. Do you see Mama Glow as exclusively for expectant and new moms, or primarily?

Thank you. Mama Glow is a lifestyle hub that was conceived specifically with mothers and mamas-to-be in mind, but we offer a range of services and events for women outside of that demographic. Mama Glow is about harnessing your creative power, and integrating self care–before, during and after pregnancy. We primarily serve this population but all women can certainly join in the conversation.

You have a background in integrative nutrition and you’re a holistic health coach. How did your particular interest in pre-natal health and maternal well-being  grow out of that? Was it there from the start? Did it start when you became a mom?

My interest in maternal health peaked when I became pregnant with Fulano. I was always interested in food as medicine and using healthy lifestyle practices like yoga, meditation and organic living to create an abundant and balanced life. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I saw this space was wide open and our unique needs as expectant mothers just weren’t being met. I had an amazing pregnancy and birth and I wanted to do my best to ensure I could help other mothers feel the way I did. My mission is to make moms feel luminous and help them harness the lifestyle practices that work for them to optimize their glow power.

To read the rest of this New York Family article click here.