Irwin Mitchell Hosted White Party

The Safety in Beauty Campaign hosted a White Party in London on 2 July 2016.  Cosmetic Surgery and International Personal Injury Law expert Cheryl Palmer-Hughes attended the event, along with members of our cosmetic surgery team, and here are her thoughts.

Upon my arrival there was a fantastic welcome reception including a white rose wall and Brazilian dance troupe who welcomed guests into a room complete with white carpet, white seats (including comfy white cushions, much to my delight!) and white wall coverings to get the party started. The evening then moved into the Grand Connaught Room where guests were able to enjoy a welcome dance from the dancers whilst sipping on cocktails as they eagerly awaited the awards ceremony.

The party itself was aimed at not only raising awareness of The Safety in Beauty Campaign, but also to raise funds for the Katie Piper Foundation. The party’s host, and founder of the Safety in Beauty Campaign, Antonia Mariconda, has long championed better regulation of the beauty industry. 

The campaign was launched in October 2013 in response to the growing dissatisfaction and devastation among consumers who have been on the receiving end of dubious treatments. I sit on the panel of the Safety in Beauty Advisory Team, along with Mandy Luckman, Partner at Irwin Mitchell and head of the cosmetic surgery team.

In June 2015, Irwin Mitchell jointly launched the Beauty Tracker app with Antonia and Safety in Beauty. Beauty Tracker is a free app available from the App Store designed to help consumers and users of beauty treatments, therapies and procedures, build a personal diary to track their treatments and therapies and also includes top tips and advice about products and services.

And so onto the “Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards”. The calibre of nominees was impressive and it was an absolute delight to partake in the awards ceremony itself. One could be forgiven for thinking that the attendees to the party were only there for the paparazzi and to show off their glamorous outfits.  Amidst all of the glamour and celebrity attendees, there was a very important message being spread across the room. A number of people in attendance have either, campaigned against, or suffered from, botched surgery or aesthetic procedures. As well as that there were many professionals from within the industry and it was clear that there are many hard working individuals across the beauty industry who feel strongly about consumer care and better regulatory control of products and procedures. 

Our guest Abi Clarke was a victim of a botched procedure herself, and as she shared her story with the likes of Arlene Phillips, the Safety in Beauty message gathered momentum. There were serious undertones to the evening and everybody had a story to share about their reason for supporting the Safety in Beauty Campaign. The party was a collaborative celebration of everybody’s hard work towards better standards across the beauty industry and the support for the campaign was overwhelming. 

Mandy and I had the honour of presenting The Safety in Beauty Campaign Diamond Awards, which were given to individuals, brands, and organisations within the medical, aesthetic and beauty industry, who were dedicated to raising standards and awareness in the industry as well as in the public domain. Judging was completed on a non-conflict basis by a panel of mixed industry judges as well as 12 members of the public who formed an undisclosed panel. The criteria set was high, and merits superseded popularity or any vote driven outcome.

It was clear from the ceremony itself that nominees felt empowered by the campaign and it was also evident from the atmosphere in the room that there was a motivation to help the campaign and improve standards. As nerve wracking as it was to stand in front of more than 300 eminent beauty industry professionals and personalities, all in their finery, the award winners I greeted were grateful, humble and clearly proud of the work that they do. Amongst the winners was another of our guests, David Ecclestone, who won the Doctor of the Year award. David proudly raised his trophy in the air whilst strutting his stuff on the dance floor later on, with a grin from ear to ear, and the passion that he exhibited for the campaign was contagious. It was difficult not to feel a sense of pride in being so closely affiliated with such a worthwhile cause, and it was an honour to be in the midst of such tenacious and dedicated individuals.

Anyone who was short listed for the awards was already a winner for going the extra mile in a highly competitive consumer driven industry. I hope to see many more familiar faces, as well as some new campaigners, at next year’s event!