Beenes Thrive in a Garden of Delights
At the Hotel Bel-Air, the vines and the flowers seemed in summer heaven under a cool roof of sycamores. But the audience’s minds were on fall--Geoffrey Beene’s fall collection, which has had raves in the world’s fashion press. Nancy Vreeland had done it again: She had stroked the charity mood and come up with a Los Angeles County Museum of Art Costume Council winner, bringing, under the aegis of Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue, the award-bedecked haute couture designer to town for some revelry--a fashion show and a cozy sit-down dinner for 175 in the Garden Room.
It mattered little that Giney Milner, honorary chairman, and Terry Herst appeared in the same Geoffrey Beene. Felisa Vanoff, later the star on the dance floor with Nick (both are former professional dancers), wore her “summer Beene.” Ann Johnson, Ruth Dahab and Kathy Offenhauser were loyal to Beene. Pamela Clyne and Alyce Williamson were elegant in Mary McFaddens. Beene aficionado Alice Avery clapped for nearly every design on the runway--the peplum jackets, the wonderful bulky green and orange coats, the veiled sequined tulle chapeaus worn with suits and gowns, the red metallic shirts with cuffs trimmed with stars and stripes, the raucous feather jacket with slitted red metallic skirt, the “liberty” metallic star bursts and the gold brocades.
Beene had been to the Russian Impressionist show at the museum earlier, exultant over “the tremendous amount of inspiration,” particularly Matisse’s color. This from a Tulane graduate whose parents wished for him a medical career, but who became entranced with the fashion in I. Magnin windows on San Francisco’s Union Square, bobbed to Paris where he worked for Molyneux for nothing and looked up to Schiaparelli as a mentor.
Talk Turned to Parties
Among those applauding were Gerald and Virginia Oppenheimer. He’s the son of the late Doris Stein, and the Oppenheimers’ recent gift of $800,000 to the museum for a research and design center (and Doris’ 109 hats) have museum lovers grateful. They were at Mary and Brad Jones’ table, and gathering there, too, were Frank and Martha Kilroe, Laura-Lee and Robert Woods, Eleanore Phillips Colt, Alyce and Spud Williamson, Kennedy and Bobbi Galpin, Peggy Ward, Nancy Dinsmore, Mort and Katie Kline, Robert and Midge Clark, Toni Webb and more.
Nancy and Tim Vreeland were joined by Beene, Helen O’Hagan, head of corporate public relations for Saks, and Giney Milner, escorted by Bill Frye, and the chat at that table turned to Blenheim Palace and the parties Giney had come from hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and attended by the Walter Annenbergs and Bunny Wrather.
Co-honorary chairman Nelly Llanos complimented the bouquets of roses that floral designer Milo Bixby had created with cuttings taken by Patty Burschinger and Terry Stanfill from private gardens East to West. And Joan Hotchkis, who booked Clark Keen’s Orchestra, would have been pleased at the energy of the dancers; that included just about everyone--Jeanne and Bob Morrissey, Saks’ Martin Fischer and his wife, Andrea (he’s manager and vice president), Saks fashion coordinator Patty Fox, Betty and Maury Leonard, Peggy Ward, Peggy Parker and Walter Grauman, Kathryn and Rudy Belton, Georgie and Paul Erskine, Maggie Murray, Robert and Linda Morris, Ken and Betty Morgan, Alexander and Marie Luz Mallace (in an Ungaro), Carlotta and Rusty Keely, Topsy and Tim Doheny, Brian and Vicki Corbell, Dona and Dwight Kendall, Clarice and Ed Ellis, Mabel and James Pollak, and Linda and Donald Pennell, relating the budding film career of their son Jon. For Edward Maeder, the museum’s curator of costumes and textiles, the occasion commanded that he wear his high school forensic pin from Wisconsin’s Marathon County Bar Assn.
Keith and Bill Kieschnick will be among those with reserved seats just across from Westminster Abbey for close viewing of the royal wedding procession when Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson on July 23 in London. But before she leaves town, Keith has been finishing important business as president of the Blue Ribbon of the Music Center.
This week she lunched with chairman Nancy Livingston at Bernard’s in the glamorous redecorated Biltmore. Blue Ribbon dynamo Maggie Wetzel was along. They were refining the Blue Ribbon’s very-blue-ribbon upcoming dates: First, the Adolfo show Sept. 2 at Saks Fifth Avenue when the designer presents his fall collection and comes to town to become a Founder of the Music Center. Then, Oct. 28, Mrs. Henry (Caroline) Singleton is offering her magnificent Holmby Hills estate for an afternoon tea. It will be the official time to welcome new members recently elected to the Blue Ribbon board: Mrs. Joseph (Dorie) Pinola, Mrs. Philip (Betty Ann) Koen, Mrs. William H. (Dina) Oldknow, Mrs. Thomas V. (Ruth) Jones, Mrs. Roy E. (Ruth) Naftzer Jr., Mrs. Otis (Bettina) Chandler and Mrs. Julian (Jo Ann) Ganz.
The Blue Ribbon began as the Blue Ribbon 400, then became the Amazing Blue Ribbon 400, but has since expanded to 600 and is officially the Blue Ribbon of the Music Center.
There’s not a lot you can do when a rash of private parties fall on the same night--for example, Joni and Clark Smith celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary at the California Club, Tink and James Cheney honor the “vagabond Bob and Carolyn Volk,” and Harriet and Bill Plunkett host a soiree in their beautiful gardens. But Jackie Applebaum, public relations dynamo, and Elisabeth A. Familian, community expert, think there’s a lot that can be done to ease conflicting benefit dates.
The result is L.A. Master Planner, a direct mail calendar of events that puts social, political, economic, charitable and cultural goings-on in their proper perspective, listed by date, far in advance, 12 months a year, with monthly updates. It’s due out in early August.
Jackie Applebaum finds that attending more than one major function a day taxes even her considerable energy: “Seven years ago, I said to myself, ‘I cannot stand this. There’s no place you can check everything. It’s so frustrating to receive four or five invitations--all in the same week, even on the same day. A person should be able to look ahead and plan intelligently, take a vacation without missing the most important event of the year.’ ”
She enlisted the support of Liz Familian, and the two have sought thousands of listings and arranged to computerize it all. No more hit-or-miss. The format will be an 8x10 glossy schedule of events by date and hour. It will come with a classified directory of caterers, entertainers, hotels, photographers, printers, valet parkers, limousine services, bartenders, calligraphers, even caricaturists and ad agencies.
Rates are $600 for 12 issues (one year) to advertise. The annual subscription rate will be $120 per year. Any group may list an event for a $10 fee; however, only subscribers will receive the full 12-month schedule of events. The Master Planner will receive listings through the 15th of each month. Eventually, the owners hope to take the planner into other cities and Orange County. The address: P.O. Box 69713, Los Angeles, Calif. 90069; telephone (213) 273-5909.
The endeavor has the support of community leaders including Esther Wachtell, William Kieschnick, Sherry Lansing and Lynne Wasserman.
The 60th anniversary of the Crippled Children’s Society of Los Angeles County will also mark a special anniversary for the Frank family. The late Lawrence L. Frank helped found the society, as well as Lawry’s Foods Inc. Now, his son Richard Frank is chairman of Lawry’s and a member of the board of the society. And the founder’s daughter, Lorraine Pettifils, is an active benefactor. It all calls for a Gala Fiesta at Lawry’s California Center Monday evening for 300 guests. Celebrating the successful growth--the organization serves 2,000 clients at 11 facilities--will be chairman Rosemary Simmons, Lynn Day, Mary Alice Frank, Judy Maller, Ruth Todd, Darrell Walker, Paul Weston, Marilyn Graves (society director) and Diana Bryggman, among others.
Consul General of Belgium Andre Adam and his wife gave a reception at their Hancock Park residence to celebrate Belgian National Day.
Telluride Bliss: When Robin Baker married James Pettigrew, ski instructor/realtor, by the falls in Telluride, Colo., a pack of pals from Southern California were standing by in dress-up clothes under umbrellas to ward off the mist of the falls. There for the nuptials were her parents, Betty and Dick Baker; her brother, Dan Baker; and her sister, Laila Sperling, with her husband, James, of Salt Lake City. Among the 300 at the reception were Robin’s two godmothers, Ginie Braun and Virginia Dumbolton, both of Pasadena.
“Afternoon of Opera II--Ham Upon Wry” takes off today when the Los Angeles Guild of the San Diego Opera revels at the home of Beverly and Sidney Adair in Hancock Park. Ian D. Campbell, general director, is due for esteemed remarks.
Past Perfect: Brian and Vicki Corbell invited friends for lunch and an afternoon with Gayle and Sen. Pete Wilson at Pickfair. . . .
To remember their late friend Norma Coyle, the board of directors of the Travelers Aid Society of Los Angeles and Happy I. Franklin and S.J. Gaido hosted a summer celebration of cocktails, dinner and dancing at the Gilmore Adobe. . . .
Dolores Naar Nemiro has been elected chairman of the SHARE board. Judy Feder continues as president, and new board members include Martha Lyles and Joan Rush.
The board of directors of the Institute for Cancer and Blood Research entertained with champagne and hors d’oeuvres at the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art research center in Beverly Hills.
