Record-breaking Funds Raised at 2024 Saks Fifth Avenue Lake Tahoe Fundraiser

It was a record-breaking day for Oscar de la Renta and Saks Fifth Avenue’s annual fundraiser for the League to Save Lake Tahoe on Saturday. This weekend raised $1.4 million for the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to protecting and preserving the Lake Tahoe Basin.

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More than $25 million has been raised in total; last year’s event brought in $1.2 million.

“This show gives us a unique opportunity to connect with our customers — existing and new — in a spectacular setting,” Alex Bolen, chief executive officer of Oscar de la Renta , said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with the League to Keep Tahoe Blue.”

Dating back to 1969 — when models walked barefoot at a Rubicon Bay beach house on the lake — the function began as a partnership between the late Bill Blass and Saks Fifth Avenue’s James J. Ludwig, a vice president and general manager of the retailer’s San Francisco branch at the time. Along with Eugene Levin, owner of Maurice Rentner (where Blass was the designer), they took notice of Bay Area customers vacationing in Lake Tahoe for the summer and relocated their fall presentation, usually held in August, to the area. It was in 1999 that Oscar de la Renta took it over.

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It’s now Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, co-creative directors of the house, who make the trip every year. Kim did not attend this time, however, due to another commitment. During a luncheon at the Schumacher family’s residence on Lake Tahoe, the brand unveiled the Oscar de la Renta pre-spring 2025 collection.

It’s the second event for Oscar de la Renta unveiling pre-spring 2025. In June, the house, which no longer presents collections to the press, choosing to target clients at charity events and luncheons instead, had a show at New York Botanical Garden.

“At Saks, we’re committed to offering inspiring, unforgettable experiences while using our platform to support important causes, and we’re proud to see the outsized impact this event has contributed to protecting the health and beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin,” Emily Essner, chief marketing officer at Saks, told WWD.

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