Testing fashion’s waters

Lindsay Sandham

Modeling the summer’s hottest looks, 17 Newport Beach lifeguards

strutted their stuff Saturday during a Bloomingdale’s fashion show at

Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

In return for modeling Bloomingdale’s fashions, the store will

donate $1,000 to a the charity the lifeguards choose. The models were

also offered a 20% discount on merchandise on the day of the show.

Bloomingdale’s has done charity fashion shows in the past with

Newport Beach firefighters, but this is the first time lifeguards

have participated, said Erin Bianchi, a spokeswoman for

Bloomingdale’s.

“We were very impressed,” she said of the nine men and eight women

who modeled clothing Saturday.

The lifeguards decided as a group that their donation would go to

Project Wipeout, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian’s project

devoted to saving lives and preventing injuries by educating people

about beach safety.

“As lifeguards, we deal with many spinal injuries every summer,”

said Nolan Bobroff, who’s been a lifeguard with the city of Newport

Beach for six years. “Whatever we can do to help.”

Participants agreed that it was fun, although many of the men said

the clothes they modeled were not their usual style.

“We tried to do like a preppy look,” said John Aguilera, a sales

manager for Bloomingdale’s. “The good thing about working with the

lifeguards is they were having fun; they didn’t care what we put on

them.”

Aguilera added that they all had great personalities and that he

tried to fit the styles to them.

The lifeguards modeled casual styles, beachwear and bathing suits.

People who don’t usually model might be nervous parading in front

of hundreds of people in a swimsuit, but it didn’t bother the

lifeguards.

Jennifer Broderick said she didn’t mind because she works in a

bathing suit every day.

“You’re a lot less nervous when you’re with fun people you work

with,” said Hillary Karges. “Especially when you’ve never done this.”

Ashley Parole said she enjoyed trying on clothes she wouldn’t

normally buy.

“It was weird wearing clothes of that price,” said Mike Nichols.

“I had a great time. It’s a chance to volunteer and get money for a

good cause.”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at

(714) 966-4625 or lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.