The Country Friends and South Coast Plaza present 2016 Art of Fashion Runway Show Sept. 15
The Country Friends presents its 61st annual Art of Fashion Runway Show on Sept. 15 in partnership with South Coast Plaza for the 12th straight year. Considered the premier style event in Southern California, the show will include the latest trends from the Fall/Winter collections of Bally, Brunello Cucinelli, Canali, Loro Piana, M. Missoni, MaxMara, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Versace, and select designer names at Saks Fifth Avenue.
The historic Inn at Rancho Santa Fe once again serves as the charming venue for this annual fall homage to fundraising and fashion. Art of Fashion will begin with a Champagne Reception complete with a photo lounge prior to the runway show highlighting the 2016 Fall/Winter collections of South Coast Plaza’s renowned international designers and retailers, followed by a luncheon and the opportunity to shop South Coast Plaza mini-boutiques offering the latest in clothing, handbags, jewelry, eyewear, and accessories. The event concludes with “Shop • Sip • Support,” a reception featuring a signature cocktail, as well as pear and cucumber martinis courtesy of Spa Girl Cocktails.
The Country Friends “is delighted to announce” that Lucia Capital Group has signed on as the title sponsor of this year’s Art of Fashion. Additionally, major sponsors include: Hoehn Jaguar Land Rover, Deb and Les Cross, Warren Family Foundation, Sheraton Carlsbad Resort, and Grand Pacific Palisades. Other sponsors include Torrey Pines Bank, John & Mary Rainsford Charitable Foundation, Maggie & Gary Bobileff, Joan Waitt, SKY Facial Plastic Surgery, Gigi Cramer, Lee Goldberg, The Mirandon Foundation For Hope, Banc of California, Dr. Melanie Palm, Art of Skin.
Led by event chairs Terri Salyers-Chivetta and Cheri Salyers, this year’s AOF committee has been hard at work securing an impressive array of opportunity drawing items, with top prizes including: a Costa Rican Getaway, complete with a five-night stay at El Mangroove, Autograph Collection, and two-roundtrip tickets on Alaska Airlines; a $1,000 South Coast Plaza shopping spree; a $2,000 gift certificate to Oscar de la Renta; and dazzling handbags from TOD’s, Roberto Cavalli, Max Mara, and Ralph Lauren, among many other luxurious prizes.
This year’s Art of Fashion will be emceed by award-winning journalist Kathleen Bade, who has been the primetime anchor for Fox 5 News at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. since the station’s launch in 2008. In keeping with tradition, the event will recognize those who have given their time and talents to help further the organization’s mission of supporting San Diego-based human care agencies. This year’s honorees include the women who have served as chair of Art of Fashion since 2005, the year its partnership with South Coast Plaza began. They include: Jeanne Lucia (2005 and 2008), Shandra Wilson (2006), Marci Cavanaugh and Kimberly Kellog (2007), Jean Newman (2008), Lisa Alvarez (2009), Andrea Naversen (2010 and 2014), Mia Park and Melanie Cruz (2011), Karen Hoehn and Suzanne Newman (2012), Anna Waite and Patricia Mogul (2013), and Pat O’Connor (2015).
The 2016 Art of Fashion Honorary Committee includes: Lisa Alvarez, Denisia Chatfield, Charlie and Terri Chivetta, Marjan Daneshmand, Jenny Craig, Leesa Davis, Connie Englert, Alexis Fowler, Kathleen Bell Flynn, Rosemary Harbushka, Jo Ann Kilty, Patricia Mogul, Andrea Naversen, Ann and Mike Plunkett, Kim Quinn, Laing Rikkers, Demi Rogozienski, and Anna Waite.
Proceeds from the Art of Fashion will benefit more than 30 charities, including Burn Institute, Girls Rising, Miracle Babies, Outdoor Outreach, Promises2Kids, Support The Enlisted Project, among many others.
Tickets begin at $225 for the fashion show and lunch, or $125 for the fashion show only. Guests can purchase tickets online at www.thecountryfriends.org or by calling (858) 756-1192, ext. 4, or events@thecountryfriends.org.