Thanks to VERTICAL Tampa Bay Magazine, on Friday, February 11th, PUSH Ultra Lounge turned into a fashionably, So Not Sari night! VERTICAL Tampa Bay is an amazing virtual magazine celebrating fashion, flavor, travel, culture and beauty in the Tampa Bay area, and my Friday night amazingly consisted of all of these elements. The night included fashion inspired by India, generous guests supporting a good cause and flavorful vegetarian food.

My evening began with bubbling champagne and delicious food on the rooftop… “delicious” doesn’t even bring it justice. It was the most creative vegetarian food I’ve ever had! The servers did an excellent job making sure my stomach was full and happy. Besides dessert (must save the best for last), my favorite mouth-watering dish was the mini portobello mushroom burger, which seemed to always be in my hand – no complaints here.
After mingling with some of Tampa Bay’s most elite, the fashion show began with the Creative Director of VERTICAL, Leslie Joy Ickowitz and guests of honor, happily enlightening the crowd on how the act of generosity turned into the So Not Sari event.

And then…the fashion show began! Kimberly Hendrix worked her creativity by combining Indian saris with the handmade k hendrix signature touch. The 12-look collection consisted of beautiful beading, vibrant colors and the creative craftsmanship that Kimberly is known for.

Kimberly’s pieces were auctioned off after the show with 50% of the proceeds benefiting the organization StreetSAFE, which provides for homeless children in the Bay area. Overall the live auction went very well with guests outbidding each other for their favorite garments and more importantly, a generous donation will be made to StreetSAFE.
And then there was…dessert! While waiting in line, I got a glimpse of what we were having for dessert but couldn’t quite figure out exactly what it was… I’ve never seen anything like it before. Soon I learned that it was the balloon au chocolat dessert a la by Puff ‘n Stuff Catering. The server pours hot rosewater onto the white chocolate balloon which would melt unto the dark chocolate cake beneath it. Honestly, it was the best dessert I have ever seen and tasted! To top if off, the rooftop view of downtown St. Petersburg was breathtaking.

Everything that VERTICAL Tampa Bay Magazine stands for came to life that night. Fashion, flavor, and culture… it was So Not Sari!
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