R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : Not Just Playing the Trump : Ivana Speaks Frankly About ‘Women Who Dare’ to Succeed, Herself Included

Ivana Trump talked about survival, success and life after “the Donald, the ex-husband” at a luncheon staged by the Big Canyon/Spyglass Hill Committee of the Orange County Philharmonic Society.

Except for (in Trump’s words) “a few very brave gentlemen,” most of the 600 people who showed up for the luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Tuesday were women, many in elegant suits and some with their hair swept up in Ivana-style ‘dos. The $75-per-person luncheon was expected to net about $40,000 for the philharmonic’s music education programs for children.

Ivana on Ivana

Wearing a bubble-gum-pink suit, with her hair piled higher than that of any woman in the room, Trump addressed the luncheon audience on the theme “Women Who Dare.”

“Some of you think you know me because my name and picture are in the press so often, but you really don’t know me,” Trump said. “According to the press, if I so much as speak to a man, I’m having an affair with him.”

What followed was not a tell-all session about herself but a discourse on the qualities necessary for success, delivered by Trump in a thick accent that recalled her native Czechoslovakia. She talked about setting goals and organizing one’s time and resources.

“The Donald, the ex-husband, admitted to the press that there was no doubt I was an excellent executive,” said Trump, who has gone from running a hotel and casino to starting a company, Ivana Inc., and producing a line of perfume and other body care products as well as jewelry and clothing.

During the talk, Trump tried to portray herself as a regular person, although she admitted her long resume made her sound like “a superwoman.”

“I’m a single parent, a working mother, an executive and an author,” she said. “My greatest accomplishment will be to raise three wonderful children.”

Still, she dropped hints that her life isn’t exactly ordinary.

“I have a very active social life. It may look glamorous, and it is, but it also takes an enormous amount of time,” she said.

“I’m sure most of you recognize how much hard work and discipline goes into being a natural beauty,” she joked. “It takes me longer and longer every morning.”

The Audience’s Turn

When it came time for guests to pose questions to Trump, it was plain they wanted more news of her personal life. One woman asked about her engagement to an Italian industrialist.

“It’s a very scary prospect, after what I’ve been through,” Trump said. The wedding is set for “sometime in spring.”

How did she overcome the fear of finding herself a single woman after her breakup with Donald Trump?

“I refused to lay down and die.”

The lowest point in her marriage?

“When I found out my ex was fooling (around) on me,” she said. “Once that trust is broken, it cannot be replaced.”

The women studied every inch of Trump--from her frothy hair to her fuchsia shoes.

“She’s much more beautiful in person,” said one guest.

Trump’s appearance, underwritten by honorary chairman Mark Chapin Johnson, was a coup for the committee.

“She’s glamorous, and a lot of people want to see someone who’s glamorous,” said Ollie Hill, co-president of the committee.

Another guest had her ideas about why Trump drew such a large crowd:

“We’re all here out of vulgar curiosity,” she said.

The event included a lunch of grilled chicken breast with sun-dried tomato sauce and apple tarts, as well as informal modeling from Saks Fifth Avenue.

That evening, 150 underwriters, committee members and philharmonic supporters were invited to meet Trump in a more intimate setting. South Coast Plaza staged a small reception for Trump at the Center Club in Costa Mesa.

“We wanted to support the philharmonic and give people a chance to talk with Ivana,” said Billur Wallerich, spokeswoman for South Coast Plaza.

Among those attending the luncheon and reception were Margo Chamberlin, event chairwoman; Dean Corey, executive director of the philharmonic society; Christel Schar, co-president of Big Canyon/Spyglass Hill; Judie Argyros, Mary Jean Simpkins, Judi Jacobs, Maria Crutcher, Elizabeth Finnegan, Eve Kornyei, Ann Van Ausdeln, Arthur Voss, Paula Lingelbach, Tina Schafnitz, Cerise Feeley, Catherine Thyen, Arthur Voss, Zee Allred, Barbara Kilponen, Stephanie Wilcox and Kathryn Sherman.