THE CROWD

B.W. Cook

The 15th annual Christmas at the Ritz officially opened the holiday

season on the Newport Riviera. Produced by the Fashionables, a support

wing of Chapman University, the Saturday afternoon soiree is a

much-anticipated gathering for family and friends who believe in Chapman,

believe in this community and believe in the power of long-standing,

trusted relationships.

Camaraderie was the fuel of the program as guests hugged,

table-hopped, shared war stories and bought a staggering number of raffle

tickets, with all proceeds benefiting the university. One of the donors

selling tickets, Ann Van Ausdeln of Costa Mesa, was even selling a string

of chances to one of the servers.

“Ann, you are really pushing those tickets,” I said, only to have the

Ritz server reply, “I’ll take 10 more. Last year, one of our staff

members won the $1,000 prize!”

Actually, the Fashionables’ raffle is one of the most exciting on the

social calendar. Prizes range from a stay at New York’s ritzy Carlyle

Hotel to extravagant local shopping sprees at South Coast Plaza and

Fashion Island, along with generous cash awards. Exclusive retailers

including Christian Dior, David Richy, Mi Place, Escada, Zegna, A’Maree’s

and Neiman Marcus also generously get in the act.

The raffle tickets were red, and so were most of the holiday outfits

on display worn by such fashionable Newport-Mesa women as Irene Matthews,

Adrienne Brennan, Elaine Martin, Whitney Mandel and Lido Isle’s lovely

Joan Riach, one of the hard-working event organizers.

Fashionables president Donna Bunce held court, presiding over the

exclusive affair and introducing Chapman President Jim Doti and very

special guest Miss America Susan Jeske, who sang the national anthem to

open the program. Jeske, who holds Guiness records for the number of

times she has performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” shared with the crowd

her mission -- working to prevent violence in American schools. The tall

brunet beauty hails from Littleton, Colo., site of the Columbine tragedy.

Winter white was also the mode of day, fashionably speaking. Rusty

Hood was best-dressed in a black and white suit that took the prize for

classic elegance. Patricia Ann Marshall, attending the party with her

husband, Robert, is always among Newport’s most elegant women. Marshall

choose a winter white suit and hat to match. She was a knockout.

The success of the gathering was due in large part to the generosity

of the honorary chairs, the Knott sisters. Virginia Knott Bender, Marion

Knott Montapert and Toni Knott Oliphant proudly shared the spotlight with

their customary grace and modesty as they were applauded for their

support of Chapman University. President Doti shared the excitement over

a gift that will be translated into a concert hall on campus named in

honor of the Knott-Oliphant family.

Another grand gal on the coast, Pat Rypinski presided over the

luncheon as its chairwoman. The creative dynamo, with her chic fashion

sense and exquisite jewelry, attended her party with husband Alan

Rypinski, mingling with friends including Noddie and Bill Weltner,

Cynthia and Carl Nolet, Sue and David Hook, Ollie Hill, Charlene Prager,

Leslie and Larry Cancellieri, Cerise and Larry Feeley, Phyllis and Roger

Shafer, and special benefactors June and Ross Wankier. Other major donors

included the beautiful Sandra Brodie, and George and Judie Argyros.

Dotti Stillwell was in the crowd also. The young and good-looking

couple-about-town Anne and John Wortmann shared lunch with the very

philanthropic Arlene Cheng. Vesta Curry and her daughter Joanne Curry

joined Elizabeth Colyear Vincent, and superstar restaurateur Liza Goodell

(Troquet) was in the crowd along with fashionable Pat Groth, June Wian,

Tricia Berns, Nancy Wynn, Ann Stern, Mary Ann Wells, Gayle Widyolar,

Marilyn Von Klien Smid-Rudolph, and another of the best-dressed, Margaret

Richardson, in a very handsome silk dress and coat inspired by Indian

design.

One of the primary fund-raising objectives of the Fashionables over

the past decade has been to assist in the building of the All Faiths

Chapel. The dream will become reality in 2002 as ground breaking is

scheduled in the early part of the year. A champion of this project was

the late Mary Lou Hopkins Hornsby, who along with Mildred Mead shares the

distinctive title of president emeritus of the group. Scott Hornsby, 92,

looking as dapper as ever, joined friends in honor and in memory of his

late bride.

Other prominent faces in the crowd included Zee Allred and Drago

Gligie, Linda and Ron Beale, Ben Cagle, Sally Crockett, Jane Grier, Pam

Paul, Joan and Dick Stevens, Michelle Rohe and Mary Roosevelt.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.