HIS YEAR’S three main fashion shows are over and |
might as well join in on the never-enciing analysis.

First was the Leone party
in benefit of the Richmond
Association for Mentally Handi-
capped People. Word is, the $$$
were much smaller than expected.
Unless there's prestige attached to
the beneficiary or its board, peo-
ple aren’t interested, } guess.

It may also not have been
advertised sufficiently that Leone
was not having an auction (last
year’s auction for the Vancouver
Museum was unbearabie.

Louise Aird
BRIGHT LIGHTS

Van native PR person Nicola Parker, is enjoying early retirement
atter selling Westcoast Stage Lighting.

There was a raffle, conducted by — properly. Oh well, there’s always

Norm Grohman, in which
Western Living’s sales manager
Janet Macdonald won driving
lessons from Rass Bentley, and
during which Air New Zealand
shamelessly plugged itself.

North Van’s Robert Abernethy

44 Luckily, this
couple opted out
of parenthood. 9#

and his Memphis Slax entertained
the post-show crowd, what was
left of it — everyone had hightail-
ed it to H Giardino by then.

West Van social reporter Valerie
Gibson has started filming parties
for BCTV, which is fun, and she
and journalist daughter Michelle
roved the room spotting the pro-
minent.

{ spent the evening watching the
show, but spoke to a few peopte:
ex-show producer Guy Scott, who
did so well! on his sale of
Wesicoast Stage Lighting that he’s
retired at 40; West Van PR lady
Nicola Parker; Avalon Hote!
owner Ken Hutchinson; and
West Van's Pero Plavsic, co-
owner of Senor Frog's Restaurant,
who was dateless for a change.

For whatever reason, just 200
people showed — which would
be an OK crowd anywhere but in
the cavernous Sinclair Centre. The
food was great, but instead of the
usual champagne, there was un-
chilled once-sparkting wine and
most people dida’t bother to dress

next year. ...

Unfortunately, people did dress
for the Boboli show at the
Bayshore. One aerobics fiend
wore a nauseating green velour
mini; another wore her Ungaro
label sticking out of her dress:
another appeared in a powder-
pink leather bomber jacket with
matching shoes, and one wore a
Laura Ashley number which |
might wear daffodil-picking in
Berkshire.

This was a very different crowd
— t recognized only Double Ex-
posure’s Bob Robertson and Lin-
da Cullen, who both looked nice,
and Ray and Grace McCarthy,
who apparently never stay home.

Thankfully, the evening went
quickly, because I got stuck ata
table of six women sans social
graces.

The dinner was nice, although
one restaurateur noted that the
Bayshore staff is either dysiexic or
was taught to serve them from the
leit. But West Van ladies Rhoda
Rizkalla and Collette Chilcott,
who organized the event, did a
superb job of decorating the room.

Odd at evening's end, though —
there was no entertainment, so
when the fashion show ended,
everyone kind of dribbled out and
went home. ... But I’m sure the
Vancouver Symphony will be
pleased to receive the $20,000
raised by the show.

Then there was the Halt Ren-
frew's bash, which raised $24,000
for Arts Umibretla. Good party —
the Waterfront Centre Hotel serv-
eda splendid dinner and everyone
was cheerful! and relaxed.

Again, many didn't dress -- |
think organizers should stop with
the black tie optional -- the “op-
tional’ obviously confuses people.

Nevertheless, hands-down
best-dzessed all three nights was
Le Meridien’s gargeous PR dizec-
tor Karen Hall — pink taffeta at
Leone, black taffeta at Boboli,
powder blue satin at Holt’s. | hope
others took note.

Holt’s had the most creative
show. The theme was a series of
answering machine messages —
something about a girl falling for a
guy with a motorcycle, then the
motorcycle appeared in a cloud of
dried ice.

But | Aave to tell this story.
There was a new-to-town couple
at our table — | guess they picked
this party for their debut because
Holt’s is the only prestigious store
name they know, and because this
party draws the social heavy-hit-
ters.

The dinner conversation began
with this, all from the husband,
who negiected tu ask our names
or about what we do: “1 was
born and raised in Ottawa, but I'm
not smart so I got expelled from
the besr schools, but my family’s
prominent so | got this big (federal)
job then we thought we’d move
here so we looked for a house and
were so upset because we
couldn't find anything suitable so
we went to Bermuda to rest, but
our Louis Vuitton luggage broke
(meaning they bought it in
Bangkok) so we went to Toronto

Wednesday, October 28, 1992 -—

North Shore News - 29

Guests dress poorly at fashion sh

photos Louise Aird

AVALON HOTEL owner Ken Hutchinson (left) showed up at the
Leone fashion show recently and nad 2a drink with new Italian
Consul General Gieuseppe Valdevit.

to get it fixed at Creed’s but
Creed’s is closed so we went to
New York to Tiffany’s and bought
diamonds — Tiffany's really knows
diamonds (!!!) —- see? (yanks a
large rock trom his wife’s hand
and jams it onto Heather
Belzberg’s finger).

“And now we're renting in
Point Grey but we hadto knock
out a wallto fit the rosewood ar-
moire. ....We cut him off here
because my head was dropping
into my soup and Betsy Hago-
pian’s eyes were glazed over —
takes a certain kinda guy to make
Betsy's eyes glaze over.

Luckily, this couple opted out of

parenthood. ...

All shows used the same fabu-
lous models, including North
Shore boys Rodney Madon and
breathtakingly hunky pilot Doug
Cupithorn.

Oh yeah, the clothes. Also pretty
much the same -- Donna Karan,
Versace, Donna Karan, a little
Ungaro, Donna Karan, some
Feraud, Boss, Armani, and Valen-
tino, DKNY, more DKNY, a
sprinkling of Lacroix, Mondi,
Montana and Jaegar, a Klein or
two, then more Donna Karan.

Who says Canadian fashion
buyers have no imagination?

LE MERIDIEN’s PR director Karen Hail (left) cut a stunning figure in black tafetta at the Bohkoli
fashion show, organized by West Van's Rhoda Rizkalia and Collette Chiicott.

CHR

ISTMAS FAI
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