Former Model Malena Belafonte Is Trying to Reinvent Fashion Shows With a Boudoir Performance

While many bemoan that American fashion shows lack the luster of yesteryear, Malena Belafonte is trying to rejigger the tried-and-true by blending runway looks, live music and circus-like spectacles.

The former model, dancer and next of kin to internationally renowned musicians will present a two-hour show at Sony Hall in New York City on Wednesday for about 250 guests. “Malena Belafonte’s Boudoir” will be a two-hour show with models, dancers, acrobats and performers including her daughter Serafina, who will debut a single that will be available simultaneously on Spotify.

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There will also be a tribute to the eyewear designer Corey Woods, who died unexpectedly in June at the age of 36.

Along with editors, photographers and VIPs, there will be other guests from outside the fashion spectrum. Aiming to take the show’s concept to other places, Belafonte, who produced the show with her husband David, said that the plan is to welcome a broad base of attendees. The Danish-born Belafonte started modeling at age 18 after the photographer Gunnar Larsen discovered her. She said that the theatrical, live, avant-garde shows that he orchestrated somewhat influenced her own shows, which she has produced periodically for several years.

“I get bored with fashion shows. Everybody can do a fashion show. That’s fine — go for it,” she said. “But I would like to add an ‘oomph’ to it.”

Having competed in the European version of “Dancing With the Stars,” Belafonte will dance during the boudoir show with the Albanian-born Krisi Dalipi. She described dancing on the show as “phenomenal. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life apart from giving birth to my kids. I miss that dancing and performing,” adding that she would love to be on the ABC show in the U.S.

Gucci, Dior and Calvin Klein are among the designer houses that she modeled for. As a teenage model, she documented her travels creatively, whether that be with a camera while in Ethiopia for a shoot, or writing an article about nefarious men who would prey on weary Scandinavians arriving at Gare du Nord in Paris. Belafonte attributes her “producer gene” to her late father Aksel Mathiesen, an acclaimed composer who created “very big” concept tours for classical music. Her mother Irmgard Mathiesen was an accomplished soloist. “Then I married into this family [the Belafontes] and it was like, ‘Forget it,’” she said. (Her late father-in-law Harry was the award-winning actor, musician and activist.)

Although she was romantically linked to Paul Stanley of the hard rock band Kiss in her single days, Belafonte said she did not borrow anything from the group’s over-the-top concerts. “But I so appreciate their artistic genius,” she said. “I had a wonderful time with Paul when we were together. I was very, very young but it was so much fun to watch them. You can tell I am very attracted to theater and circus.”

Belafonte said she told her father-in-law Harry about the idea for the show years ago, and he thought that it was “a genius idea.” She added, “And he never thought anything was a good idea. He loved the whole touring part of it.”

As for her own father, Belafonte said, “He would be so proud. Sadly, he committed suicide before I had kids. There’s a whole lot of stuff that he missed,” adding that her children’s musicality comes from him.

Wednesday’s show will feature emerging brands including John Ashford, Heike-NY, Henry Picado, Mieux Swimwear and others that will be styled by Rahel Tadesse. The goal is to take the show’s concept to other cities to showcase brands that have stores in those respective areas, she said.

The show’s final chapter will be a tribute to Belafonte’s collaborator Woods. Her son Amadeus will sing a song to honor the New York City-based designer whose “very cool shades” were worn by Beyoncé and other major musicians. Woods became a close family friend of the Bellafontes’ after he started creating very theatrical eyewear for Belafonte’s shows since 2016.

Noting how Woods had been excited about taking part in Malena Belafonte’s “Boudoir,” she said, “He would come to every single one of our kids’ performances. He would just show up in his ‘ginormus’ shades, his red shoes and fur coat. He was larger than life.”

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