Southern Belles ‘n’ Hospitality
The event: The All Guilds Fashion Show, an annual benefit that netted more than $200,000 for Children’s Hospital of Orange County. To accommodate the more than 2,000 guests, the show was staged three times at the Anaheim Marriott: luncheons on Friday and Saturday and dinner Saturday.
Southern comfort: Inside the ballroom, guests beheld the grandeur of the Old South, thanks to a mural of a Tara-like mansion, a real gazebo and plantation-style ceiling fans. Tables were adorned with dolls dressed as Southern belles. On the runway, show producer-director Carlton Burnett had performers dancing to Southern tunes while models paraded in the latest styles from Fashion Island Newport Beach and Mon Amie Bridal Salon of Costa Mesa.
Peaches and green: General chairwoman Pat Calderone had the mammoth job of overseeing the event, “Splendor of the South,” from choosing the peach and green color scheme to picking the Southern fare--lamb chops with brandied mint sauce. “I’m from the South--I lived there quite a bit of my life,” Calderone said. “I thought the romance and softness of the South would be very conducive to a fashion show.”
Growing a show: To mark the gala’s 35th anniversary, the guilds honored chairwomen from past shows. The first show, held at the Disneyland Hotel in 1962--two years before the hospital opened--drew 400 guests and raised $2,332. Since then the shows have netted more than $2.75 million. Sellout crowds persuaded the guilds to add a second fashion show in 1986 and a grand finale dinner show in 1989. One reason for the high attendance: Guild membership has swelled to 1,800 members.
Faces: Jill Cagle, grand finale chairwoman; David Paulson, emcee; Gloria Zigner, executive director of the CHOC Foundation; Barbara Card; Susan Carter; Lu Cille Kelly; Jean Hamann; Lula Hatfield; Sylvia Burnett; Tony Calderone; Andrea Northcote; Carol Palermo; Leone Baroldi; Marge and Milt Linden; Fran Paulson; Liz Clem; Frances Stawicki; Dana Davis; Christina Hughes; Helen Wardner; Anne Neish; Carol Ojers; Mary Maldonado; and Sharron Ribacchi.
Bottom line: Net proceeds of $200,000 will be used for the hospital’s outpatient clinic. “Thank you for making the sick children of Orange County well,” Calderone told guests.
What’s ahead: The guilds will combine forces again in October to present CHOC Walk at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa. For information: (714) 532-8690.
