Steve Madden at The Doe Fund's 2012 Gala: Operation Opportunity, And Something About Spring 2013
Steve Madden at the 2012 DOE Fund Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on October 25, 2012 in New York City. Courtesy www.shaharimages.com
Gather round, cuz a hurricane is the perfect time for a story of altruism. So, grab some chips, sip your bev and look here: While only eight percent of Americans have served in the military, veterans make up twenty percent of the homeless population. Needless to say, that’s really not cool. Famed shoe man Steve Madden agrees and last Thursday, the designer put his money where his mouth is by put his money where his mouth is and came out in support of something called The Doe Fund’s 2012 Gala: Operation Opportunity at Cipriani 42nd Street. A bit about the non profit: It was founded in 1985 to help break cycles of poverty and addiction by providing job placement, social and educational services to formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals. The Doe Fund Veterans Program, entitled Operation Opportunity, was founded in 2009 as a way to extend these services to military veterans looking to re-integrate into civilian life. Nice. Madden’s got our soldier’s backs…and our civilian feet, which we got some word on at the event. After sipping on a few of Cipriani’s famed bellinis and enjoying a performance from soul and R&B legend Aaron Neville, we had a chance to sit down with the iconic shoe designer to find out what the Doe Fund Means to him: (interview after the jump):
Essential Homme: Why Doe?
Steve Madden: It’s a great cause that doesn’t have any political affiliation, so anyone can get behind it. It’s really about assisting people in learning to help themselves. Putting a face to it, it no longer becomes numbers and facts.
EH: But why Doe for Steve Madden, personally?
SM: I get to look myself in the mirror and say that I did something besides self-enrich myself. You get to a point in life when you ask, ‘What’s this all about? What am I doing? It can’t just be all about me and money, you have to give back a bit.
EH: We’d be remiss if we didn’t ask something about the upcoming men’s collection.
SM: Oh, that.
EH: Can you blame us?
SM: It’s interesting, we’re actually making a lot of the women’s shoes for the men’s line: Stud smoking slippers and combat boots. Expect to see that in the coming months.
EH: Looking forward to it and congratulations.
Steve Madden speaks at the 2012 DOE Fund Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on October 25, 2012 in New York City. Courtsey shaharimages.com
The scene at the 2012 DOE Fund Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street Courtsey shaharimages.com
Aaron Neville plays at the 2012 DOE Fund Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on October 25, 2012 in New York City. Courtsey shaharimages.com
