Disco Discourse, Manifesto Destiny

In the tradition of pairing fashion and fund-raising, about 800 trendy club-goers got the chance Friday to preview fall styles and groove to old and new disco at the Empire Ballroom in Costa Mesa--all in the name of charity, of course.

Nightclub promoters Robert Frias and Shervin Talieh combined a can drive for the Salvation Army with their “Winter Style Manifesto” fashion show. Guests brought a can of food, saved a few bucks at the door and got to munch on appetizers from Piccola Cucina. In return, South Coast Plaza stores Cignal, In-Wear Matinique and Charles Jourdan and Laguna Beach boutique Soho showed the captive audience their winter wares.

In keeping with the sartorial manifesto of these shops, men and women will suit up in basic black or a palette of earthy browns and ivory. Hemlines, for evening and day, show plenty of leg; trousers cut in a slim silhouette are the alternative. For him, the key is layers: a vest, a jacket and possibly a leather overcoat.

These clothes are wearable, practical and mostly classic.

Fashion-lovers (that’s with a capital F) had to wait for the second part of the show for the glamour and excitement.

Focus was supposed to close in on the chic and seductive ‘dos styled by Carlton Hair International in Crystal Court, Costa Mesa. But it was the fabulous dresses by Costa Mesa designer Sandra Harvey that drove the crowd mad.

Models slinked down the catwalk wrapped in shiny patent jersey, velvet matte jersey, silk charmeuse and stretch silk velvet. Harvey included her signature accessory--ostrich boas--in a striking green. The evening touted a debut of the new faces of Public Models, Newport Beach’s model agency. Most seemed best tuned for runway, while others apparently wanted to be a model or just look like one.

Stay tuned: Organizers plan repeat performances featuring other designers and charities in coming months.