THE CROWD:A fall Harvest for hungry children

“I have four children and when I pick my kids up after school I know one thing — they are hungry and they need a snack,” offered Robin McMonigle, co-chair of the 2006 Harvesters luncheon last week in Newport Beach.

“Imagine what happens to the children who are not able to have the snack,” McMonigle added.

Consider the plight of the children who have no regular dinner. Does this sound impossible? Far from impossible.

Estimates run as high as 250,000 people in Orange County suffer from hunger on any given day, many of them children. A film clip taken from a documentary provided by The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County was shown to the more than 500 guests of The Harvesters.

Two young children are featured, the older child helping the younger one to get ready for school. No parent is shown in the docudrama. The older child says to the younger, “Just go to school today so you can have lunch.” The tent full of very fortunate women went silent.

McMonigle joined Harvester’s chair Carmela Phillips on the fashion runway created inside the massive white tent on the property of The Island hotel, Newport Beach. The Harvesters have come together each year for the past 14 seasons at the hotel to fight hunger, raising significant sums for the food bank.

This year marked a milestone, as underwriting topped the $1-million mark, all of it going to support food distribution.

Amid the glamour of the annual fashion luncheon was a contrasting tone of humbleness.

“There but for the grace of God go I,” shared one woman passing me standing in the back of the tent as McMonigle and Phillips continued to address the crowd on the disparity between those that have and have not in this community.

Despite the seriousness of the cause, the event has become one of the most social and most fashionable on the calendar.

The day begins with a massive silent auction and morning champagne reception, as many of Newport’s best-dressed women converge on The Island Hotel, now being run by the much respected Ray Jacobi, who has returned to the property following major national assignments over the past decade.

Jacobi was a prominent influence at the former Four Seasons Newport, turning the property into a world-class destination. Local social leaders welcome his return.

The Island hotel joined forces with another major sponsor of the day, South Coast Plaza, producer of the fashion show that is the highlight of the party.

Recent fashion events on The Rivera have been, shall we say, shocking. 7th Avenue will be in trouble if the Paris runway rules. Designers are taking women where many don’t want to go. Having so stated my own personal view (take it or leave it) on the current “artistry of fashion,” the South Coast Plaza presentation was just the opposite.

It was glamorous, ultra chic and the fall winter collections — including work by Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Cavalli, Gucci, Armani, Fendi, Karan, Dior, Chloe and Chanel — brought sincere applause from a crowd of the best of the best-dressed women in town.

The topper of the show was the partnership of Chanel. It seldom, if ever, participates in a show with other designers.

Luncheon followed the fashion show in the Palm Garden. The color of the day was a rich chocolate brown, in part a tribute to underwriter Louis Vuitton, as the Palm Garden was transformed into a most elegant fall setting.

Cartier, sponsors of the morning reception, also hosted and sponsored informal modeling during luncheon. The Island served an exceptional lunch of Chilean sea bass with a dessert of chocolate-domed crème brulee.

In addition to the over the top efforts of chairs Phillips and McMonigle, special recognition must be paid to vice chair Heather Madden, auction chairs Michelle Roth and Karen Joffe, founders Jill Johnson Tucker and Jennifer Van Bergh and a committee of dedicated women, including Teddie Ray, Diane Cotton, Maria Cooper, Susan Bridgford, Ginni Valley, Kathy Schoenbaum, Ann Smyth, Debbie Nelson, Melissa Misetich, Melinda Serra, Michelle Janavs, Jana McGrath, Cheri Skellern, Liz Hurley and Jennifer Segerstrom to name only a few.

Also deserving major applause for their unwavering support are South Coast Plaza execs Debra Gunn Downing and Kathryn Glassmyer.

Caroline Jones from Cartier and Karen Watkins from Louis Vuitton, two major retail sponsors, were also front and center for the event. Spotted in the crowd were best-dressed gals Sheila Sonnenshine, Mary Buckingham, Marion Palley, Debbie Millar, Carole Follman, Allison Olmsted, Jennifer Condas, Paige Kunkle and Susan Paek.