Fashion 4 Development hosted its 10th Annual “First Ladies Luncheon” in New York City this past week. This year, the First Ladies Luncheon took a walk down the memory lane and celebrated “Ten Decades Of Fashion (1920-2020)”. First Ladies from different nations, many statesmen and the biggest names of the fashion industry were gathered to celebrate the progress that fashion has made over the years, in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Celebrities like Charlize Theron, Diane Kruger, Diane Von Furstenberg, Naomi Campbell, and Victoria Beckham, have graced the previous installments of the Luncheon; and in this year’s iteration, Sudha Reddy has made history.
Reddy’s presence at the F4D First Ladies Luncheon is not just some personal achievement, it is a matter of national pride and honour. Sudha Reddy is the first person of Indian-origin to be present at the prestigious First Ladies Luncheon; and even sweeter is the fact that she was invited to the event so she could be felicitated with the “Fashion 4 Development Philanthropy Award”.
Reddy’s philanthropic spirit has touched many lives and has been recognised with many awards and achievements. She is the recipient of the Champions Of Change Award by the Telangana Government (2022) and the Young Indian Women Achievers Under 45 Award at Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO) in 2021
Sudha Reddy Reddy is the chairperson of the MEIL Group and Sudha Reddy Foundation. Her efforts as played a pivotal role in providing women and children with affordable healthcare and accessible education. Reddy’s extensive charity work includes a collaboration with Elizabeth Hurley to campaign for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in Paris and The Global Gift Gala where she worked alongside Eva Longaria to raise awareness about children suffering from chronic diseases.
Reddy has been achieving landmarks in the field of fashion for a long time. Previously, she had been the first celebrity of Hyderabad-origin to be invited to the Met Gala (2021) and Paris Haute Couture Week in 2022.
Through her work and efforts, she has been able to bring humanitarian aid and initiatives to the grassroots. Her contributions to the society as a philanthropist are incomparable and her spirit of goodwill and social service reflected quite evidently in her felicitation speech at the F4D First Ladies Luncheon.
Reddy’s look for the luncheon celebrated Indian craftsmanship and was unapologetically Indian.
She opted for a custom Tarun Tahliani for her appearance at the F4D First Ladies Luncheon; her ensemble was a royal ivory-lavender kalidar lehenga-saree with resham-dori work and 3D flowers. Reddy accessorised with a vintage Mughal-inspired 15-row Basara Pearl necklace.
And for the ball, Reddy chose a Tadashi Shoji brocade gown in pristine white with a tipper bow back. Reddy spotted a Neeta Lulla pearl head veil with the gown and carried an embellished Dolce & Gabbana shoulder bag and the Heart Of The Ocean necklace, a tanzanite blue diamond neck piece.
New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi handed Reddy the well-deserved award, followed by Reddy’s speech. Reddy spoke of her admiration for the event and expressed her happiness at being a part of an institution that has contributed towards the conversations regarding sustainability in such a diverse manner.
She said, “It was so insightful to meet like-minded thought leaders and achievers from different walks of life. It is my constant endeavour to represent Hyderabad at important world events and be a catalyst of change.”.
“I’m so overjoyed to be representing my city and my country at such an important world stage and to have my work be recognised by F4D. It is empowering not just to me but for every girl and every woman who comes from my part of the world, who has my skin colour and has similar dreams. This award and this title is a symbol of fashion and its power to bring in positive social change, economic growth and upliftment of underprivileged communities. I hope the conversations we have started and the initiatives we have undertaken reach their fruition and empower everyone around the globe.”
