ORLANDO, Fla. – When you think of preventing substance abuse, fashion probably isn’t top of mind. But local philanthropist and pop culture fixture Jackie Siegel teamed up with Neiman Marcus to raise money and awareness about the nation’s opioid crisis. Neiman Marcus displayed 20 of Siegel’s most iconic outfits as the store celebrated its 20th anniversary in October. October is also National Substance Abuse Prevention Month.
“I just want to donate the rest of my life to spreading the word and doing everything I can to spare other parents from losing their children to a drug overdose, and it’s getting worse,” Siegel said.
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Siegel’s teenage daughter Victoria died of a drug overdose in 2015 and in honor of Victoria, a purple, custom-made gown stands front and center of the retrospective.
“It has a very special meaning because it was the first Victoria’s Voice gala that we held in Las Vegas after Victoria passed away. It was very emotional that night. It’s always going to be dear to my heart and I could never part with it,” she said.
Now through the Victoria’s Voice foundation, Siegel provides life-saving resources, like Narcan as well as education for school-aged kids.
“We have women all over the country going to schools and we also have paid public speakers. They hit about six schools a day,” Siegel said.
Neiman Marcus donated a portion of sales from guests who attended the exhibit’s opening night to Victoria’s Voice.
“We wanted to do something in the theme of live your luxury and 20 years of you know fabulous here, and who else do you think of, but Jackie Siegel?” said Gabriele Gannaway, Vice President and General Manager of Neiman Marcus.
That money will help to fund school visits, as well as online education like the “teen talk series” and “victory academy.”
“We raised a lot of money last night thanks to Neiman Marcus, and that money is going to go to saving the lives of people doing drugs,” Seigel said.
The display of Siegel’s iconic look coincided with Neiman Marcus’s 20th anniversary in Orlando. The store raised $5,000 for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation.
For more information on Victoria’s Voice and the resources it offers, visit online at https://victoriasvoice.foundation/.
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