American Rag's Werts Honored by City of Hope
Mark Werts Sr., founder and chief executive officer of lifestyle retail chain American Rag Cie, will be honored as this year’s City of Hope “Spirit of Life” recipient at the medical center’s annual Award of Hope Gala, set for Nov. 8 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Werts opened the first American Rag store, in San Francisco, in 1984. The Los Angeles store on La Brea Avenue opened the following year. In 2006, the retailer opened a third American Rag store, in Newport Beach, Calif., as well as the World Denim Bar, an emporium of premium denim adjacent to the Los Angeles store. Carrying a mix of contemporary and designer apparel, accessories, vintage clothing, home deacute;cor, and gifts, the stores have become well-known destinations for international shoppers. Werts also took his brand to a wider audience when he made the shift from retail to wholesale through a licensing agreement for American Rag Cie–branded apparel, sold exclusively at Macy’s stores nationwide.
The Nov. 8 gala will help raise funds for the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., where more than 300 physicians and scientists work to find the causes of and cures for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, including diabetes and HIV/AIDS.
In 2006, co-honorees Self Esteem President Richard Clareman and Hana Financial Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Sunnie Kim raised more than $1 million for City of Hope’s research, treatment and education programs.
Last year’s honoree, Rock & Republic founder Michael Ball, also raised more than $1 millionat the sold-out event, which included a performance by Grammy Award winner John Legend.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the event, contact Csynthia Savage at (800) 272-2310. —Alison A. Nieder
