Tickets are $125.00 per person.

Presenting Sponsor

South Coast Plaza is a global shopping destination with more than 250 extraordinary boutiques, critically acclaimed restaurants and the celebrated Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Schedule of Events:

ARRIVAL TIME
Guests 10:00 am
Nani Pua Skin Care Champagne Reception
Stop, Sip & Pose at the Photo Lounge
Sample Tidbits from The French Gourmet
Shop South Coast Plaza Boutiques

FASHION SHOW SEATING
11:00 am
Presented by South Coast Plaza Designers

LUNCHEON ON THE LAWN
Seating at 12:30pm
Live Auction Opportunity Drawing

SHOP, SIP & SUPPORT
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Shop South Coast Plaza Boutiques

Media Partners

Main Media Sponsor: Ranch & Coast Magazine
Supporting Media Sponsor: Giving Back Magazine and Fairbanks Living Magazine

From cozy essentials to gifts that spark joy, discover the magic of the season shopping at The Country Friends.  Wear your festive mask and join us!

Vendors will be set up in the courtyard of The Country Friends consignment shop.  20% of proceeds to benefit The Country Friends chosen charities 

Enjoy up to 50% off selected merchandise in The Country Friends consignment shop.

*participating vendors will honor 20% giveback when you shop on their website. Vendors are offering preorders and customized gifts sets to be picked up the day of or will gift wrap and ship for you.

Fairbanks Ranch Country Club
15150 San Dieguito Road
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Enjoy a fun afternoon with new and old friends, shop new and exciting vendors plus enter to win fabulous opportunity drawing prizes. A special thanks to our Hospitality Director, Erika Fetter, Creative Director, Sage Billick and Special Events Director, Maggie Bobileff.

Tickets are $90.00 each, register now!

Opportunity Drawing

We’re giving away more than $8,000 in SKY treatments! Guests can purchase tickets at #SKY6Year to enter to win. One ticket for $10, eight for $50, twenty for $100. All of the money you spend on tickets will be donated directly to The Country Friends, so pick your favorite packages and decide ahead of time how much you want to spend for your chance to win!

Wednesday, December 11, 2019
10:30am – 2:00pm

You’re invited to a Trunk Show at a private home in Rancho Santa Fe. Featured vendors include, Sette Devini Designs, OLIVI’S The Lace Collection, Dana Stein Everyday Furs, CAYDEN Candle CO., Byron Lars beauty Mark, Image Spa MD & Headlines The Salon. Upon registration, an email with the address will be sent to you.

You and your guest are cordially invited to the Patron Party hosted by Denise & Bertrand Hug. Enjoy wine & tray-passed appetizers and the charming atmosphere of Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe. Please RSVP by August 30th.

September 5^th, 2019
5:00pm-7:00pm

Mille Fleurs
6009 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe

RSVP by August 30^th

The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe again serves as the historic venue for this annual fall fete, dedicated to fashion and fundraising. Honorary chairs are Deborah and Les Cross, recognized for their extraordinary 14-year commitment to the organization. Deborah also serves as event co-chair with The Country Friends President Suzanne Newman and Director of Operations Yvette Letourneau. Award-winning ABC 10 News Anchor Kimberly Hunt is the emcee.

“We are delighted to partner with South Coast Plaza once again on San Diego County’s premier fashion event,” says Newman. “Proceeds benefits dozens of local charities whose needs grew even greater due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”  The TCF Board of Directors selects charities each fall after careful review. Since its founding in 1954, The Country Friends has donated nearly $14 million to those in need with special emphasis on women, children, the elderly, the military and disabled.

Funds are raised through sponsors, patrons, a live auction, and opportunity drawing featuring designer handbags, clothing, and jewelry, including a pair of 18k white gold, lolite and diamond earrings John Matty Co./Fine Custom Jewelry valued at $4,000. Top prize is a $15,000 five-day Amazon River cruise including a four-night stay at luxury hotels in Lima and Cuzco, Peru, courtesy of Scott Dunn Exceptional Travel, Belmond Hotels and Aqua Expeditions. Alaska Airlines is once again donating round-trip, first-class tickets for two to anywhere the airline flies. Shop and dine at South Coast Plaza with a $2,000 gift card and $300 for lunch or dinner at the acclaimed Knife Pleat restaurant.

The Art of Fashion begins with a Champagne reception including light bites from the French Gourmet, and the always popular photo lounge on The Inn’s lawn. Guests are invited to shop South Coast Plaza mini boutiques featuring fashion, fragrance, and accessories from Camilla, Diptyque, Max Mara, Mulberry and Oscar de la Renta. Ten percent of sales benefits The Country Friends’ selected charities.

Centerpiece of the event is a professionally produced runway show that highlights the latest collections from South Coast Plaza’s premier international designers. After the show, guests gather on The Inn’s Croquet Lawn for a festive luncheon, live auction, and opportunity drawing. The Art of Fashion concludes with “Sip, Shop and Support,” the chance to continue boutique shopping.

Title sponsors are Les and Deborah Cross and “Runway” sponsor is Scott Dunn Exceptional Travel. “Couture” sponsors include Hoehn Jaguar Land Rover, John Matty Co./ Fine Custom Jewelry, SKY Facial Plastic Surgery, and the Warren Family Foundation. “Fashionista” sponsors are Bobileff Restoration and Service: Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati; The Mirandon Foundation for Hope and Torrey Pines Bank. “Designer” sponsors are Andrea Naversen Wait and Tamara Lafarga-Joseph.

Longtime supporters include The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, as well as Denise and Bertrand Hug, who once again are hosting the Art of Fashion Patron Party at Rancho Santa Fe’s renowned Mille Fleurs. Ranch & Coast Magazine is returning as the main media sponsor. Additional sponsors are Giving Back Magazine and Fairbanks Living Magazine.

AOF Patrons, established in tribute to The Country Friends and honorees Deborah and Les Cross include Brian Connelly and Lauren Reynolds, Charlie and Terri Chivetta, Elaine Becerra, Fariba Vafaee, Jeannie Ranglas, John and Marci Cavanaugh, Kim Quinn, Leesa Davis, Lisa Alvarez, Performance K9 Training, Sarah Sleeper, and Withers Bergman.

The Art of Fashion Committee includes: Anahi Arata, Andrea Naversen, Belinda Foley, Christina Macone-Greene, Esther Rodriguez, Fariba Vafaee, Laura MacKinnon-Chapman, Laura White, Lezlie Reynales, Linda Royster Cook, Lynda Kerr, Marla Zanelli, Mia Park, Tamara Lafarga-Joseph, and Valerie Parker.

For more information, or to become an Art of Fashion sponsor, please contact: The Country Friends at (858)756-1192, extension 4, or events@thecountryfriends.org.

ABOUT THE COUNTRY FRIENDS: The Country Friends is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, formed 65 years ago to provide needed funding for San Diego County-based charities. Its mission is “Helping San Diegans since 1954 :: One Hand at a Time.” The organization raises funds primarily through the Art of Fashion, and proceeds from its Rancho Santa Fe consignment shop, which specializes in exquisite furniture, antiques, rugs, silver, china and objets d’art. Since its founding, The Country Friends has raised nearly $14 million to support human care agencies, with special emphasis on services to women, children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

ABOUT SOUTH COAST PLAZA: Renowned as a leading international shopping destination, South Coast Plaza is home to more than 250 prominent boutiques, critically-acclaimed restaurants and the adjacent celebrated Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the Orange County Museum of Art. It is the West Coast’s premier shopping experience, with its proximity to beaches and John Wayne Airport, customized concierge services, and unparalleled collection of diverse retailers — from Gucci, Hermès, Cartier and Harry Winston to Dolce&Gabbana, The Webster, Dior, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy and more. South Coast Plaza is located in Orange County, California, in the city of Costa Mesa. Information: southcoastplaza.com or 800.782.8888.

“We are so delighted to team up once again with South Coast Plaza, known for its unmatched collection of luxury brands,” says Suzanne Newman, president of The Country Friends. “Art of Fashion is our signature event, an annual tribute to fall, fashion, and philanthropy, which raises crucial funds for San Diego County charities.” This year’s event, emceed by ABC 10 News anchor Kimberly Hunt, will benefit dozens of nonprofits selected by The Country Friends Board of Directors after careful review.

Newman noted that last year’s runway show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but she is hopeful this year’s show will go on as the vaccine roll out continues and fewer people become infected. However, the number of attendees may be limited in keeping with state and local guidelines, and safety protocols will be in place. Newman will serve as co-chair of the Art of Fashion with Yvette Letourneau and Deborah Cross, all of whom are on The Country Friends Board of Directors. Cross and her husband, Les, are also being recognized as honorary chairs because of their extraordinary, 14-year commitment to the organization.

Deborah joined The Country Friends Board in 2008, was elected president from 2014-2018, and now serves as first vice president. She and Les also are on TCF’s finance committee. The couple co-chair The Country Friends Legacy Campaign, and also headed up the inaugural “Giving Hearts Gala” in 2018 to benefit that capital campaign. A San Diego native, Deborah graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree and went on to earn a master’s degree in audiology. She worked as an audiologist for Kaiser Permanente for several years before starting her own practice at the age of 28, expanding the business to six offices in San Diego County.

Les, originally from Sydney, Australia, has worked in the medical device arena for most of his successful career. In 2011, he retired as chief executive officer of DJO Global, Inc., a leading provider of orthopedic devices. He later took the helm as chairman of the board of Alphatec Spine, retiring in 2015. Les now loves to consult, travel, paint, and join Deborah in giving back to community.

The Crosses have played active roles in charities that include the USS Midway Museum, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito. They also support Casa de Amparo, Support the Enlisted Project, Heifer International, Project Concern International, Susan G. Komen, Rady Children’s Hospital, and The Salvation Army, which honored Deborah as a “Woman of Dedication” in 2018 for her long community service. The couple has three children: Lara-Lee, Sarah, and Andrew.

ABOUT THE COUNTRY FRIENDS: The Country Friends is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, formed 67 years ago to provide needed funding for San Diego County-based charities. Its mission is “Helping San Diegans since 1954: One Hand at a Time.” The organization raises funds primarily through the Art of Fashion and proceeds from its Rancho Santa Fe Consignment Shop, which specializes in exquisite furniture, antiques, rugs, silver, china and objets d’art. Since its founding, The Country Friends has raised nearly $14 million to support human care agencies, with special emphasis on services to women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Information: events@thecountryfriends.org, 858.756.1192, extension 4, thecountryfriends.org.

ABOUT SOUTH COAST PLAZA: Renowned as a leading international shopping destination, South Coast Plaza is home to more than 250 prominent boutiques, critically acclaimed restaurants, and the adjacent celebrated Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the Orange County Museum of Art. It is the West Coast’s premier shopping experience, with its proximity to beaches and John Wayne Airport, customized concierge services, and unparalleled collection of diverse retailers — from Gucci, Hermès, Cartier, and Harry Winston to Saint Laurent, The Webster, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, and more. South Coast Plaza is located in Orange County, California, in the city of Costa Mesa. Information: southcoastplaza.com, 800.782.8888.