Stars strut down the runway for a good cause
Stars walked the catwalk for a good cause, dishing on some industry secrets before they headed down the runway.
NEW YORK – Backstage before the Heart Truth Red Dress fashion show, some stars were shy, cramming behind curtained dressing rooms and avoiding the press until their hair was teased and their makeup was just right. But on the runway, walking the catwalk, the ladies showed no inhibitions whatsoever.
Lindsey Vonn hobbled down the runway on crutches, lifting them at the end of the catwalk and pumping them in the air as the audience applauded and whistled in support of the injured skier.
Backstage, Vonn was too distracted to chat with the press as she hunted for a chair to sit on so she could rest her leg while her team searched for her Cynthia Rowley body-hugging dress.
Joan Van Ark was more talkative as she prepped for the runway show.
She dished to FOX411 that she was wearing “butt-lifter” underwear beneath her unique Mark Zunino jumpsuit, adding that she opted for the flattering undies instead of tight Spanx.
“I have worn the Spanx. I do need them, but I am not going to wear the full-body Spanx again,” she told us.
The former “Dallas” star added that she was happy to be ditching the styles of ‘80s and embracing new trends today.
“I loved the big hair, but that was then and this is now,” she said. “I love what’s going on [today] and it’s hot… and it’s sleeked back.”
Ireland Baldwin turned up backstage with the hairstyle Van Ark admires, showing off her light blonde locks sleeked back behind her ears.
The model told us that confidence is what makes a great model these days, and she’s managed to stay strong even though she’s grown up under the media’s scrutiny. Her secret? She doesn’t let the paparazzi get to her.
“I think It’s more when I’m around my parents; I get the occasional little disputes now and then [with the paparazzi],” she said. “They don’t bother me too badly.”
Baldwin’s confidence was clear as she opened the show, stomping down the runway in a Donna Karen New York one-strap red gown, dancing before she disappeared backstage after her strut.
The other ladies followed Baldwin’s lead, bouncing around on the runway and shaking their hips.
Bella Thorne twirled and waved her arms in the air as she hit the end of the runway, and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star NeNe Leakes brought the attitude to the catwalk, wagging her finger at the audience and pouting her lips as she walked.
The dancing on the catwalk, which was more prominent than in previous years, may have been organized to make up for the lackluster lineup, which featured several tough-to-recognize pseudo celebs.
The 2014 show seemed like a downgrade to regular Red Dress attendees. The show was at the cramped stages at the Lincoln Center Fashion Week tents.
By far the most-recognizable faces at the show – which featured the likes of Kris Jenner and her daughters Kendall and Kylie last year—were Vonn and singer Colbie Caillat, along Anna Sofia Robb and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis.
Backstage, De Laurentiis, who is known for Italian cooking, spoke to us about the importance of eating healthy to avoid heart disease.
“Before I came here I had a banana, walnut, almond milkshake, and for breakfast I had oatmeal with olive oil,” she said proudly.
The show was organized by the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and it aimed to educate women about heart disease and how it can affect them.
Visit GoRedForWomen.org to learn more about the cause.
Fox News' Diana Falzone contributed to this report.
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