THE CROWD:

It was the fashion show spectacle of the fall social season. The 15th annual Harvesters event in support of the Second Harvest Food Bank attracted nearly 500 guests, raising $700,000 to feed those in need in this ultra-rich county, where an estimated 450,000 individuals are without proper sustenance every month. Despite the obvious contrasts and contradictions between a glamorous fashion-show luncheon and a food line for the poor and disenfranchised, the money is one powerful piece of change.

Did you know that the food bank is a network operation that connects with some 400 local charities that distribute, prepare and provide meals to the nearly half-million recipients? In addition, there are another 30 organizations called Kids Cafes in the O.C. that cater to children’s specific dietary needs. Volunteers and paid staff work on shoe-string budgets.

The funds are even more important because the food bank is also supporting a capital campaign to raise $6 million to rebuild a donated headquarters building on the former El Toro Marine Base. Major donors among the Newport Beach based Harvesters include Vicki Booth,representing her parents’ Uebberoth Family Foundation; George and Eden O’Connell, Colt and Jackie Melby, Dianne and Charles Cotton, Julia and Mark Post, and Miland and Heidi Ambe.

Also supporting the cause are David and Shannon Beador, Michael and Nancy Bello, Norm and Cindy Morales, Bucky and Annette Oltmans, and chair of the fashion luncheon Robin McMonigle and her husband, John. Large dollars were contributed thanks to the gallant efforts of auction chairs Jennifer Condas and Susan Pack. More than $180,000 was raised from the massive auction efforts, emceed by Hal Brice. Also deserving kudos for considerable effort is Harvesters’ underwriting chair Melinda Serra, who, with corporate donors Cartier, Fendi, Versace, and South Coast Plaza made an important addition.

The real behind-the-scenes champion of the massive effort is South Coast Plaza. The fashion production, the focal point of the party, is surely a yearlong undertaking by SCP executives Debra Gunn Downing and Kathryn Glassmyer.

The team coordinated with high fashion design houses Valentino, Fendi, Pucci, YSL, Chloe, Marni, Cavalli, Donna Karen, Gucci and more to produce what is called “fashion entertainment.” Staged with pulsating sound and lighting, the crowd filled a massive tent surrounding the runway set up at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, the setting for the affair.

South Coast Plaza is also hosting a fabulous exhibition sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission. It’s simply called “Italy…at South Coast Plaza,” and for the month of October visitors at the shopping resort will be treated to a visual kaleidoscope of Italian design. Thursday, the event kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a luncheon at Antonello Ristorante at South Coast Plaza Village. From fabulous autos to the latest in fashion design, food, travel, home décor, jewelry design and more, Italy is center stage at SCP. Don’t miss the fun.

The O.C. auto show opened Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center. On Wednesday night the massive arena was closed to the public as patrons in support of Children’s Hospital of Orange County got a sneak peek. The CHOC charity night attracted the Newport-Mesa car crowd including the debonair David Irving representing Aston Martin and the Bob and Gini Robins’ family, of Ford fame, on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. While talking with Bob Robins his daughter-in-law’s name was called out over the loud speaker. She was the grand prize winner of a two-year lease on a new Infiniti car. Following a few screams of joy, the family returned the prize requesting that the value of the lease be given to CHOC.

The O.C. Auto Show runs through Oct. 7. Check out the prototype cars including the Chrysler Imperial and Lincoln Mark. They are spectacular.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.