Glamour isn’t reserved for the weekend

It was an exceptionally glamorous mid-week evening on the California Riviera as the ladies of the Sound of Music Guild in support of the Orange County Performing Arts Center joined forces with Valentino Boutique at South Coast Plaza for a gala reception.

The chic Valentino store opened with considerable buzz as a foursome of Newport power hostesses -- Sally Crockett, Eve Kornyei, Kathie Porter and Danni Good -- pulled out all the stops attracting a crowd of some 200 O.C. fashionistas to explore the Valentino display. Mink handbags were flying off the shelves.

Among the ladies sampling the clothes, little tailored jackets were all the rage. Even men’s suits were being tried on by some of the more fashion addicted gents in the crowd -- tried on and talked about by all.

Graziano de Boni, president and chief executive of Valentino, jetted in from its New York headquarters for the opening affair, joined by his team including June Haynes, director of stores for Valentino U.S.; Judy Bassaly, Valentino marketing manager; Carlos Souza, marketing executive; and Kayla Abjuga, manager of the new South Coast Plaza boutique. The gracious de Boni addressed the crowd, thanking them for their enthusiastic support, with special appreciation offered to the Sound of Music patrons.

As Wednesday evening champagne flutes were filled to overflowing, reporters from fashion publications including Women’s Wear Daily interviewed the patrons as male and female models showed off the Valentino line.

Newport’s Diane and Jeff Palumbo made a major splash. The glamour couple of the evening was surrounded by flashing cameras. Valentino chief executive de Boni was all but ready to escort them both back to New York with modeling contracts as a husband-wife team.

Marsha and Darrel Anderson were in the crowd, also looking extremely chic. Harbor Isle’s blond bombshell Debbie Simon was spotted in the salon, as was Ollie Hill; Martha Green; Ann Howard; Stan Hanson; Dan Good; Harriet and Sandy Sandhu; Leslie and Larry Cancelleri; and Jennifer and Anton Segerstrom.

Following the in-store reception a private dinner was thrown at the Pelican Point estate of Randy and Sally Crockett bringing together the Valentino family with the South Coast Plaza family and the Sound of Music family.

Hostess Sally Crockett set up a formal sit-down dinner in the living room of her oceanfront mansion. Round tables covered in tufted floor-draped rust colored raw silk carried out a fall-themed dinner set in front of the Tuscan-inspired fireplace. Arriving guests were greeted by the Crockett staff and catering partners Crème de la Crème, serving pre-dinner cocktails prior to being ushered into the seated dinner celebration.

Every detail was creatively managed by Sally Crockett in concert with the Valentino group. As the guests sat in their tortoise faux painted Chivari chairs, golden colored, leaf-patterned service charges were removed from the place settings as an autumn soup of warm chestnuts in broth was served in Valentino-designed china featuring a golden etched Greek-inspired pattern over a burnt-rust colored rim. Staff offered wine, including Pinot Grigio Santa Margarita, a favorite table variety in both the U.S. and Europe, which also happens to be a vineyard owned by Valentino.

The dinner service included a main course of white fish served with a medley of fall vegetables, roasted and served on a separate service plate to ensure the distinct flavors of the offerings.

During the meal, the dapper Graziano de Boni once again paid tribute to his staff, his associates at South Coast Plaza including executive Debra Gunn Downing and Kathryn Glassmyer attending the formal dinner, and most importantly to the ladies and gentlemen of the Sound of Music who had come to welcome Valentino to the O.C.

As dessert was served, a sampler of sweets, including a pumpkin mousse in a caramel crusted shell, in keeping with the fall theme, a toast was made to the good health and the good life shared by all in the crowd. Indeed, it was a store opening befitting the talent and reputation of one of the world’s leading design houses -- Valentino.

* THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.

20051117gzf7uqke(LA)20051117iq2o2vkn(LA)Above, Anton Segerstrom, Diane Palumbo, Danni Good, and Graziano de Boni come together for the opening of the Valentino Boutique at South Coast Plaza. 20051117iq2o3ukn(LA)Left, Carlos Souza and Kayla Abjuga at Valentino in South Coast Plaza. 20051117iq2o4ckn(LA)Sally Crockett, Graziano de Boni, Eve Kornyei and Kathie Porter join forces for the Valentino opening benefiting the Sound of Music Guild in support of the O.C. Performing Arts Center. 20051117iq2o3dkn(LA)Stan Hanson, Anton Segerstrom, Graziano de Boni, and Randy Crockett at Sound of Music reception at South Coast Plaza.