Column: The Crowd: The Harvesters mark 25 years of making a difference

Twenty-five years ago, concerned women banded together and founded “The Harvesters” to make a difference in the lives of children and families on the verge of having to choose between paying their rent, putting gas in the car or going to the grocery store.

The year was 1992, and the Orange County population was beginning to expand exponentially along with tremendous business growth in tech, pharma and real estate development. It was estimated then, with a population over 2.4 million , that as many as 200,000 to 300,000 citizens were at the risk of going hungry every month.

Two and half decades later, with a population of3.1 million, the low-income population exceeds 315,000, many of whom live in danger of going without food. An estimated 4,792 of them are homeless, according to the O.C. Register.

The hard question must be asked: Why is the situation essentially the same? Twenty-five years later, some 300,000 Orange County residents, living in one of America’s most affluent regions, don’t make enough money to buy sufficient groceries to sustain themselves and their families.

A significant part of the explanation falls on exorbitant rent, and low wages for working-class service jobs in the region. The cost of living index has wiped out people who could previously make ends meet. And it’s getting worse. Some economists predict O.C. is in for major trouble five, 10 years ahead, as the working class will flee, unable to afford living anywhere nearby, ultimately leaving the well-to-do residents without people to clerk at the grocery store, man the gas station and so forth. Think about that.

In the meantime, citizens who care continue to battle hunger and homelessness. The women who founded “The Harvesters,” a financial support arm of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, remain vigilant, bringing in dollars for food. Jennifer Van Bergh and Jill Johnson-Tucker rallied upward of 500 supporters for the annual Harvester’s Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon Oct. 5 in the Pavilion at South Coast Plaza. The event, co-chaired this season by Crisi Hosea and Yvonne Moyano, has proudly raised more than $1 million net benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank. That dollar amount translates into more than three million meals. Second Harvest Food Bank, founded in 1983, and headquartered in Irvine, targets and serves the needs of hungry children, working-poor families and low-income seniors.

This season’s fashion event took on special significance inasmuch as it coincided with South Coast Plaza’s 50th anniversary year. An amazing, tented Pavilion was erected on SCP property to host this event, and others, serving as a glamorous backdrop for the fall and winter runway show presented.

The Plaza’s respected marketing guru Debra Gunn Downing joined community relations executive Kathryn Cenci, consultant Lee Healy and a team of pros producing a runway show worthy of the fashion platforms in Paris or Milan. The collections of designer houses Fendi, Lanvin, Marni, Max Mara, Moncler, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, the Webster, Valentino and Versace provided models who graced the catwalk with the latest fall and winter trends.

The daylong event began with a champagne reception sponsored by Veuve Clicquot and City National Bank preceding the runway show and followed by a formal luncheon and after-party. To learn more about the Harvesters, visit www.feedoc.or/harvesters.

Fashion, philanthropy and a little Anaheim Ducks hockey

The massive Pavilion tent at South Coast Plaza welcomed a sold-out fashion crowd for an evening billed as “Wild at Heart,” combining food, music, entertainment and the fall/winter fashion collection of designer John Varvatos.

As electronic music pulsated, the Varvatos models strutted the catwalk, displaying tailored clothing and sportswear, shoes, belts, bags and eyewear by the noted designer for the well-dressed modern male.

A hipster crowd sipped Veuve Clicquot champagne and raised money for the most worthwhile OC cause — Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), thanks in great part to the financial underwriting of South Coast Plaza honoring their 50-year anniversary in Costa Mesa.

Also behind the event were the Lady Ducks, a charitable wing of the Anaheim Ducks Foundation passionate about serving the needs of CHOC and the kids of the county. Up close and personal were local VIPs Susan and Henry Samueli, Anton and Jennifer Segerstrom, with Anaheim Ducks alumni Sean Pronger and Bryan Allen. Also in the crowd were Brooke Robinson-Wollner, Shelly Hilliard, Jen Maduko, Sriti Misra Fusillo, Suzy Elghanayan and Wayne and Julia Guenther.

Varvatos came on the men’s fashion scene with a major splash in 2000 and has been continuing to attract serious attention for what he labels as his “refined-rebellion” style. Winning numerous awards as “designer of the year,” Varvatos published a book, “John Varvatos Rock in Fashion,” in 2013. The book solidified the designer’s influence of music in his fashion. In 2017, Varvatos entered into partnership with Big Machine Label Group and John Varvatos Records.

As soon as the fashion show ended, the Pavilion tent turned into a late-night dance party with music from Vintage Trouble.

Fall fashion extraordinaire

It was a triumvirate of fashion events at South Coast Plaza showing fall and winter collections in keeping with the international retail center’s tradition of showcasing trend-setting designer goods. For the third extravagant event in the Pavilion tent, Harper’s Bazaar presented Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor fronting a runway show and “trend presentation” of fall 2017 latest looks.

The soiree kicked off at dusk with a cocktail reception in the Pavilion followed by the Harper’s Fashion Show and then an after-party designed exclusively for the ladies offering a Bazaar Blowout Bar with Dyson Supersonic, “glam” stations, photo booths, sketch artists and an array of Bazaar signature cocktails to keep the party buzzing.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.