Baubles, Bangles and Big Bucks From the Charity Set
When is a social splash a soft-sell? When a retailer tosses the party.
In recent months, managers of local jewelry and fashion boutiques have been courting the charity set, plying them with catered tidbits, fine wines and entertainment--all in an effort to boost sales and goodwill.
The events are favored by charities because the retailers underwrite the parties, allowing the organizations to raise funds without having to spend money. The retailers gain exposure and are able to directly market their products to an audience that can afford their prices.
Last week, Roger Martin of Chanel at South Coast Plaza welcomed members of the Fashionables, a support group of Chapman University in Orange, to a boutique luncheon featuring a lecture on fragrance by Coco Chanel protege Josette Legouix.
On Wednesday, Tiffany & Co. in Costa Mesa will be visited by the Designing Women support group of the Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach. Festivities will include a reception and an awards ceremony on behalf of young art students.
And on Thursday, Bulgari--jeweler to Sharon Stone, Elton John and Oprah Winfrey--will mark its recent opening at South Coast Plaza with a $75,000 soiree for Angelitos de Oro, a support group of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, at the Robert Mondavi Wine & Food Center in Costa Mesa.
Also on Thursday: a chance to schmooze with Vanity Fair special correspondent Dominick Dunne during a reception at the Calvin Klein boutique at South Coast Plaza. A percentage of the clothing sales rung up that night will benefit the National Victim Center in Washington.
As guests arrived at Chanel, they were invited to choose from crystal goblets filled with Chardonnay or Champagne. Lunch, served at flower-bedecked banquettes, was poached salmon with caper sauce, spinach and strawberry salad, and shortbread cookies frosted with white chocolate. When they weren’t dining, guests were ogling the boutique’s spring/summer collection.
The event marked the first time the Fashionables had participated in a Chanel “soft-marketing” event. Was it uncomfortable, knowing they had been invited to view merchandise?
Not for Fashionables President Mary Lou Hopkins Hornsby. “Roger paid for the lunch, and we made $1,000 on it,” she said. “And Chanel always gives us a $1,000 gift basket for our Christmas benefit. We made $7,500 on it in one hour last year.
“Chanel is so supportive you want to come to the store. We felt no pressure to purchase anything.”
Members of the Fashionables paid $50 each for the Chanel fest, with proceeds going toward the construction of the All-Faiths Chapel at Chapman University.
Martin, who is gaining a reputation in social circles for his eye for detail (he was the one who thought of pairing sliced strawberries with the spinach salad) says his events are all about what Coco Chanel loved--”wit, style and grace.”
“We try to re-create the world of Coco Chanel for our guests,” he said. “People want to experience a feeling of romance and adventure. There is really no pressure for them to buy.”
But they do. After cozying up to displays brimming with ear baubles, gilt chain belts and scarves, the Fashionables were hard-put not to use their plastic.
“I enjoy these get-togethers because they’re unique,” said Mary Ann Miller of Newport Beach. “All of us go out to lunch, to fashion shows, but this is different, intimate.”
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Millions of dollars’ worth of ruby, diamond, emerald and pearl pieces will be on view Thursday when Bulgari--the jeweler featured in the movie “Ready to Wear”--presents its one-of-a-kind Rome collection during a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception for members and guests of Angelitos de Oro.
“A lot of people don’t know about Bulgari, so we want to show them what we have to offer,” said store manager Bob Vaziri. “It is not necessarily a party to make people want to buy,” he noted, “but those who appreciate Bulgari probably will--not right away, someday.”
The Bulgari store is too small for the grand-opening celebration, so guests won’t get to view the Chandra collection preferred by Sharon Stone--handmade porcelain bracelets and necklaces studded with gems--or even the silver watches, clocks and cutlery pieces that are favorites of Elton John.
Winfrey’s wrap-watch--”it wraps around your wrist, no hinges,” Vaziri explained--will also be missed.
“For this event, we want to show them our handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces that take two years to create,” Vaziri said. “They are coming from Rome.”
