SFA/USA: High Fashion at Mark Taper

Los Angeles has many magnificent benefits and the one that lights up the Mark Taper stage Monday evening June 1 with the haute couture and high drama of three of America’s top designers--Bill Blass, Carolina Herrera and Carolyne Roehm--will be one of them.

Nancy Vreeland has arranged for the Music Center and Saks Fifth Avenue to join in SFA/USA to benefit the Music Center Unified Fund. The chief committee coterie--about 40--lunched in spring silks and linens Tuesday noon at the home of Arletta Tronstein in Holmby Hills. And the good news from Nancy is that patrons (who always lend the financial pizazz to benefits) number 154--almost too many for the dinner party on May 31, arranged and hosted by Arpad and Kathryn Domyan, at L’Orangerie to allow patrons to rub elbows with the designers in an intimate setting. It’s getting less intimate daily: “We expected only 50 patrons (at $500 each),” Mrs. Thomas Vreeland sighed coyly.

She’s anticipating grossing mucho on the chance gifts: the glorious ($40,000 was hinted at) wild Russian sable jacket from Herrera, $3,000 gift certificates from each of the designers, the $16,000 platinum/diamond necklace from Harry Winston, and a crocodile bag from Saks’ Chanel.

The occasion will bring Saks’ contributions to the Music Center to $100,000, and vice president and general manager Martin Fischer, fashion director Patty Fox, and assistant general manager Betty Leonard were lunching with the ladies to celebrate that.

More in Mrs. Donald Tronstein’s garden room enjoying the chicken and mushroom puff pastry and the lemon mousse were Anne Johnson, Dori Pinola, Kathryn Belton, Terri Childs, Patsy Moller, Diane Keith, Patsy Ketchum, Debbie Lanni, Maria Mallace, Ruth March, Nancy Peterson, Joni Smith, Barbro Taper, Peggy Parker, and Felisa Vanoff.

After the fashion show at the Taper, they’ll sashay back to the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the black-tie dinner dance. You can be sure the ladies are already shopping.

KUDOS: The Muses, a support group of the California Museum of Science and Industry, have chosen Dr. Alexandra Levine as their Woman of the Year for her work with AIDS and cancer patients. The executive associate dean and professor of medicine at USC will be honored at the Muses luncheon May 6 at the museum. Mrs. Harry Volk chairs the event with help from Mrs. Robert Chumbook, Mrs. Glenn Dumke, Mrs. John F. Marten, Mrs. Gordon L. Richardson, and Mrs. Vernon Underwood. . . .

William E. Badham, headmaster of the Curtis School, was presented the national George Washington Honor Medal for his achievement in education by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge this week. Mrs. John Burgess of the Los Angeles chapter awarded the honor at the flag ceremony on campus. Badham has been headmaster since 1954, and is known for his staunch beliefs in patriotism.

UP, BUT DOWNS: The Big Apple Committee of the Pasadena Guidance Clinics is enthused about its second annual Kentucky Derby Party at “Roberts Downs” in San Marino on May 2. Patty Pillsbury, chairman, plans that guests at the home of Marilyn and Jud Roberts will sip mint juleps and view the race on multiple screens live from Churchill Downs, while enjoying Southern cooking.

She’s got lots of assistance from a crowd including Sharri Markey, Bev Fitzgerald, Roberta Grady, Mireya Jones, Hillette von Tscharner, Lou Lund, Nancy Ettinger, Biji Wilcox, Nancy Waayte, Carolyn Fox, Marilyn Roberts, Shirley Botsford, and Karen Capehart.

TENNIS, CRUMPETS: In memory of Cary Grant and his benevolence to the John Tracy Clinic, the clinic’s Women’s Auxiliary will salute him May 16 and 30 at their 41st annual Tennis and Crumpets Tournament. The theme is “Hooray for Hollywood,” celebrating the city’s 100th birthday. More than 50 private courts will be used.

BIG DATES: Burt Lancaster will narrate the Saint-Saens/Ogden Nash “The Carnival of the Animals” in the American Youth Symphony’s benefit performance May 3 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Also to be heard, under maestro Mehli Mehta’s baton, will be Shostakovich’s “Festival Overture.” The champagne reception comes with a $100 ticket purchase. The symphony includes instrumentalists between the ages of 17 and 25. . . .

USC will pay tribute to its “best and brightest” May 4 when pianist and USC professor Daniel Pollack performs for 600 dinner guests in the Grand Hall at the USC Associates’ annual dinner. The Associates are USC’s premiere support group. President Kristoffer Popovich is working with dinner chairman Albert Centofante on arrangements. So far, Associates have raised $2.6 million this year. . . .

Members of the “Fabulous 500” of Assistance League of Southern California will be honored for their generosity May 3 at Louise Larsen’s Beverly Hills home.

FILL THE FRAMES: Five works from the “Avant-Garde in the Eighties” exhibition previewing Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have been selected to be considered for purchase by the Museum’s Modern and Contemporary Art Council. At a black-tie gala Saturday evening, with dancing under the stars in the Times Mirror Central Court to Jay Saunders and his orchestra, gala-goers will vote (a $250 ticket merits three votes) to purchase all or but a few of the five. Michael Smooke is chairman of MCAC. The Fill the Frames committee co-chairmen--Sue Antebi, Elyse Grinstein, Freya Ivener and Terri Smooke--however, have declared that each additional $25 buys another vote.

PAST PERFECT: Elayne and Tom Techentin celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a black-tie gala at the Valley Hunt Club for a couple of hundred friends. Romantically, friends including Michael and Susan Connell and Olin and Ann Barrett had ordered up a white limo to take them to the VHC (which Tom heads as president) and sent them a bridal bouquet and a boutonniere, evident (along with Laney’s new heart of diamonds) at the front door. Best man Z. Wayne Griffin, there with his wife, Cinny, was first on his feet with the toasts. Among good friends, Bob and Carolyn Volk, Fred and Sandi Edwards, Carol and Warner Henry, Rary and Frank Simmons, John Watkins, Joan and Peter Graves, Barbara and John Poer, as well as Elayne’s mom, Mrs. Z. Wayne Griffin, and the Douglas Greggs and the Clifton Cappses. . . .

The mood was edging toward the school’s centennial in 1988 at the Marlborough Spring Perspective gathering headed by Mrs. Henry Elder the other day on campus. And getting quite a lot of attention was Eleanore Phillips Colt, Class of ’28 and the West Coast editor of Vogue for almost 40 years. She’s featured as Marlborough Woman of the Year and interviewed by Kilbee Brittain in the new alumnae magazine winter edition. Reminiscing were Leah Coulter, Jo Kroger, Kacey Doheny, Michele Crahan, Laurie Stoneman (Alumnae Council president), Tappy Hunt, Linda Hartwick, Gretchen Gibbs, and many more.

ART, ARCHITECTURE: The Art Museum Council at LACMA stages its 25th annual Art and Architecture tour April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., marking its 25th anniversary. According to Laura Maslon, proceeds will go the museum’s acquisition fund. Among highlights will be the home of exercise guru Richard Simmons and the Beverly Hills home of Shelby Goodman. Reservations require a $50 check. Information: (213) 857-6000. Joan Burns, Nancy Miller, Marie Christopher, Georgina Rothenberg and Barbara Belzberg are on the committee.