The city of Mission Viejo will honor those who lost their lives while serving the nation in a Memorial Day Observance at the Civic Center, 200 Civic Center. The event takes place 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday, May 29.
The program includes local dignitaries, members of the Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton and a musical tribute by Dawn Wright, the voice of the Anaheim Ducks.
The keynote speaker will be Marine Corps Colonel Andrew Bergen, who will discuss the importance of remembering the people who died while serving with the country’s armed forces. He’ll be joined by guest speaker Frans Vandenbroek, a Vietnam veteran, Purple Heart recipient and local resident.
Tribute banners will also be on display from mid-May through the end of the month. The event is free to attend and coffee and light refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
IF YOU GO
What: Memorial Day Observance
When: 8:30 a.m.-noon, Monday, May 29
Where: Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center
Perhaps the best way to describe The Preserve Golf Club is that it fits.
And that’s no small task. The 20-acre course is an easy physical fit for the 200-acre Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, but it’s the ambience, flow and environmental reverence that are most fitting here. That’s because the member-owned community is a living, breathing testament to sustainability when like minds come together.
The Santa Lucia Preserve has undergone only a few transformations in a history that dates to the 1800s, and many of the historic buildings reflect a lifestyle common to the wealthy of the 1920s. In addition, the vast landscape recalls the idyllic life of California lore that was seen on large Mexican ranches where cattle and horses roamed hillsides and a family atmosphere was evident.
Even though there remains a neighborly feel, the 300 home lots on 31 square miles are spread out and tucked back enough to be, for the most part, unseen from the winding roads or golf course, which has the feel of 18 scenes on the set of an old Western.
“Although a course that is spread out doesn’t lend itself to ease of maintenance, it couldn’t feel more private, which makes one truly feel the serenity of this place,” said golf course superintendent Tim Taagen. “If the course was more constricted … the natural balance wouldn’t have been achieved.”
In typical Tom Fazio fashion, the course architect did a masterful job making the layout blend with the setting. Tee boxes are wide and deep; fairways are accessible, angled and go up and down; and the greens are quick and tricky, with undulations the norm.
“His ability to blend a course such as The Preserve into the natural surrounding is what sets him apart from other designers,” Taagen said about Fazio. “Members are extremely happy with the original design and particularly the minor tweaks during reconstruction last year.”
Those tweaks included converting fairways to Santa Ana Bermuda grass to handle cool and warm temperatures, in addition to rebuilding the bunkers. The changes also were done because of dry conditions at the time.
“During the drought it became very important to look at water savings to protect the course from future droughts,” Taagen said. “The USGA has done an in-depth article on keeping golf courses viable through drought, and we were a major area of focus for this study.”
Because of the special nature of The Preserve Golf Club, focusing on his job is jokingly tough for Taagen, who has been working at courses for 40 years, the previous 32 in Colorado.
“My son nailed it when he asked if I worked at ‘Jurassic Park’. This place is wild and … blends so well with nature that it feels like it has been here forever,” Taagen said. “When I look around at all the beauty I have to pinch myself and wonder how I was able to be lucky enough to have been chosen to be the steward of this course.”
His reasons for coming, however, were simple: a respect for the course designer and love at first sight when seeing the property.
“Having built and maintained a Tom Fazio course earlier in my career I was well aware of his abilities; he is by far the best architect I have ever worked with,” Taagen said. “I could have stayed in the Rocky Mountains for the remainder of my career, but being part of something that can make golf sustainable was intriguing. Nothing compared to what I felt when I came through the gates for the first time. This place is truly special and nowhere on earth will you find anything quite like it.”
FYI
The Santa Lucia Preserve is the only private community to have just 300 home sites within 20,000 acres of a permanently and privately protected natural habitat. Besides golf, here are other amenities:
Dining: Locally sourced ingredients are the staple of morning and afternoon meals at the Clubhouse. The Ranch Club Hacienda, a couple miles away, is a gathering place for friends and family, with continental breakfast and dinner served five nights a week and an a la carte menu on weekends.
Accommodations: The Hacienda has nine guest rooms, each decorated to reflect the casual elegance of the 1920s sporting estate era, and the Gray’s Ranch House, with seven guest rooms and a courtyard, are available to members and their guests.
Recreation: Activities include an equestrian center; 100 miles of trails for hiking, biking and riding; 42 miles of roads for cycling; a fitness center and children’s activity center; and Moore’s Lake, which has a boathouse, dock and sandy beach.
Membership: Preserve Ranch Club membership is available with the purchase of a home or home site and/or a Preserve G
The seventh hole at The Preserve Golf Club shows how each hole is a layout in itself. One of 300 houses on the massive property shows how open spaces are always in play.
olf Club membership (full equity). The Preserve Golf Club membership is limited to 300 golf members, with a limited number of non-equity golf memberships available as well.
“More Senior Moments,” a comedy, is the story of Rose, who catches her husband with another woman in the nursing home and “decides to go on a quest for the sexual adventure she has been denying her self for the past 60 years.”
It’s a sequel to “Senior Moments,” an award-winning play by Don Fried. Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano will include two vignettes from the original production.
IF YOU GO
What: “More Senior Moments”
When: Friday, May 26 through Sunday, June 11. There will be 10 shows ,including three Sunday matinees.
Where: Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano
Tickets: $20
Reservations: caminorealplayhouse.org, or call 949-489-8082
For resort, the Just Cavalli creative team portrayed young women living a rock ‘n’ roll romance. The house’s signature codes — baroque details, wild animal patterns, floral motifs — were all incorporated in an eye-catching wardrobe that definitely targeted girls who want to have fun. There were some day options, such as a two-tone cape evoking marine-like atmospheres, as well as sweatshirts with embroideries and micro studs. But frisky, evening attire was at the core of the lineup. Skin-tight vinyl pants were matched with a silk bomber, chiffon minidresses were trimmed with lace and featured lace-up details, while micro metallic embellishments punctuated the leather jackets. A military appeal emerged in the rounded buttons decorating high-waist denim pants and a white brocade suit featuring short pants. Once again, the brand’s creative team managed to deliver a coherent collection rooted in the Just Cavalli heritage yet appealing for the new generation of party lovers.
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Flagpole’s resort 2018 collection made a case that signature swimsuits in an updated colorway, paired with stunning visuals, make for a fresh collection. From designers Jaime Barker and Megan Balch, the line features figure-flattering swimwear with pristine tailoring. For their new collection, the seasoned designers created an array of swimwear and beach ready-to-wear in a fall-inspired palette of muted and soft maroons and blues. Shot at La Muralla Roja in Alicante, Spain, the location perfectly embodied the spirit and palette of the collection. The new hues were introduced to their signature color-blocked design on both classic and new styles. Standout shapes include a backless one-piece, underwire one-piece and a cropped rash-guard with inside shelf bra. The girls also brought back the front tie style and applied it to a strapless one-piece. Rtw that successfully translates from beach to street includes chic maroon, side-slit palazzo pants; quick-dry trouser boardshorts, and an array of cover-up-esque skirts and knit tops.
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READY FOR TAKEOFF: Historic Russian watch label Raketa is gearing up for international domination. The brand, which stems from Russia’s oldest factory, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory in St. Petersburg, is banking on a renewed appetite for Russian labels and has opened what chairman and head of design Jacques von Polier describes as “our first corner beyond the Iron Curtain.”
On Thursday, the label celebrated its introduction at high-end watch store Freret-Roy, just off the Rue de la Paix and around the corner from Place Vendôme, with a cocktail party.
Polier took over the company in 2010, employing Swiss engineers alongside the local production team. He has spent the past few years rebuilding and repositioning the brand in line with his belief that there is a place for Russian labels on the global luxury market.
“Russia has a great international culture, but doesn’t have many brands,” he explained. “After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Russian people dreamed of the West, but I’ve always believed that was temporary. We can become for Russia what Louis Vuitton is for France.”
The brand has forged links with celebrities — Russian model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova, Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica and Bolshoi Theatre dancers Anna Tikhomirova and Artem
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TOWN HOUSE PARTY: Jo Malone London opened the doors to its Marylebone town house on Thursday night, to celebrate its new editorial platform “Talk of the Town House” and all things British.
Despite the ongoing rain showers in the British capital, the brand pulled out all the stops to keep guests’ spirits up, filling its elegant 18th-century Marylebone town house with elaborate flower arrangements, gigantic Instagram-friendly paper planes, waiters in newsboy caps and a tequila bar.
The party’s set-up did the trick as guests, which included the likes of Emilia Wickstead, Courtney Love, Alice Temperley, Chelsea Leyland and Natasha Zinko, let their hair down moving between the dance floor and the tequila bar.
“That’s the ethos of Jo Malone, it’s very English but it’s also very chic. You can let your hair down in the evening but at the same time be an elegant lady during the daytime. We are all those things, aren’t we?” said model and brand ambassador Karen Elson, who was cohosting the party with longtime friend Poppy Delevingne.
Delevingne and Elson also star in the campaign that marks the launch of the brand’s new platform, which includes a digital site and a newspaper. Both said they wanted to embrace the opportunity
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PARIS — Danish model Ulrikke Høyer has spoken out on social media after being dropped from Louis Vuitton’s cruise show in Japan last weekend, allegedly because of her weight.
Photos of the 20-year-old model on her Facebook and Instagram pages, dated Thursday, are captioned “Too Fat for Louis Vuitton,” and have been met with a wave of sympathy online.
They are accompanied by a lengthy text in which Høyer recounts her version of the story, calling out casting director Alexia Cheval of Ashley Brokaw for allegedly saying the model had a “bloated stomach” and “bloated face,” and that “Ulrikke needs to drink only water for the next 24 hours,” after pre-show fittings in Tokyo.
A U.S. size 4-6 who has worked for Louis Vuitton several times as well as for houses including Stella McCartney, Chloé, Versace, Elie Saab, Joseph, Lanvin, Kenzo and Valentino, the model claims she was subsequently canceled from walking the show, despite having been confirmed at fittings in Paris in late April, and losing half a centimeter on her hips between that time and when she traveled to Japan last week.
Ashley Brokaw refuted the accusations. “At no time did anyone from my team say to her to drink only water and not eat,” she said. “Not only
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SOCIALIZING WITH SOPHIA: Harrods is getting social for spring with a storewide campaign called “Social Butterfly” that celebrates the British social season known for its garden parties and horse racing events.
British footwear designer Sophia Webster, who is best known for her whimsical butterfly-appliquéd shoes, felt right at home with the new season theme and teamed with the retailer to create a special afternoon tea menu where she re-created her signature butterfly shoe designs into sweet treats. She also designed an exclusive Swarovski-encrusted butterfly sandal which will be available for Harrods customers on a made-to-order basis.
“Some of my most iconic shoes are all butterfly-themed so it was great for us to be involved, especially because they have never had a designer takeover their afternoon tea in the past,” Webster said.
Sophia Webster’s “Social Butterflies” afternoon tea at Harrods.
Courtesy
She had multiple tastings to perfect the menu, which focuses on fruity, fresh tastes and plenty of color, to be in line with the designer’s cheerful aesthetic.
“We tried really hard to match the colors to the collection,” said the designer pointing to a biscuit shaped like her popular “Chiara” butterfly sandals, with bright pink, blue and yellow icing mirroring the latest color combinations she introduced
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THE RED DRESS: The 2017 Cannes Film Festival red carpet continues to heat up with Rihanna and Bella Hadid making their way up the Palais des Festivals steps tonight for the première of “Okja” starring Tilda Swinton — both dressed in Dior. (The night’s leading lady opted for a custom gown by her go-to designer and bosom buddy, Haider Ackermann.)
“Cannes is where all of fashion and entertainment comes together,” said Hadid, fresh from the makeup chair of Dior’s Peter Philips. “It’s one of the most beautiful red carpets in the world, but there’s also the most incredible light here,” added Hadid who wore a quilted red gown from the house’s spring couture collection.
Her favorite movie is ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ she said, adding “It’s generic, but such a beautifully made movie.” So does she have any acting aspirations? “For sure, one day. I’m really bad at memorizing words, so that’s something I have to figure out,” said Hadid. “But it’s such an incredible career, and if I’m lucky enough to get into it eventually, I’d be so happy.”
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