Models walked a runway on the lawn of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe Thursday as The Country Friends hosted its annual Art of Fashion show and luncheon, pairing high-end designer collections with a decades-old mission of funding local human care agencies. The event featured fashions from Balmain, Ferragamo, Max Mara, Eleventy, and Monique Lhuillier, bringing together philanthropy and front-row glamour.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the show was held in partnership with South Coast Plaza, and this year marked the 22nd consecutive year the Costa Mesa luxury retail destination has served as presenting partner for the runway show, according to GB Magazine. That long partnership is how a North County charity luncheon ends up showcasing fall and winter collections from major international labels normally associated with Rodeo Drive or Fifth Avenue rather than a horse-country village.
The day's program included a champagne reception on the inn's lawn, a three-course luncheon, a live auction, and photo coverage of the show. Event co-chairs Kiki Hayward and Irina Fenison helped lead the day, while Janean Stripe, president of The Country Friends, oversaw the organization's signature fundraiser. KFMB-TV/News 8 anchor Anna Laurel served as emcee.
A Philanthropist's Decades of Local Support
Longtime San Diego philanthropist Karen Gregg Hoehn served as honorary chair of this year's event, an honor GB Magazine attributes to her decades of support for local youth, education, and arts organizations. Hoehn previously co-chaired the event in 2012 and has remained a major patron alongside her family in the years since, the magazine reports.
The luncheon itself carried its own culinary credentials. The Union-Tribune's account of the luncheon was paired, according to SanDiegoVille, with the work of Patrick Ponsaty. SanDiegoVille names Ponsaty in connection with The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.
A Historic Venue Reborn With a $50 Million Overhaul
The inn hosting Thursday's show has its own storied past. SanDiegoVille reports the property was designed by pioneering regional architect Lilian Rice, who also shaped much of historic Rancho Santa Fe's Spanish Colonial Revival village center. Chicago-based GEM Realty Capital acquired the inn in 2023 for $100 million, and renovations have been planned under Steve Hermann, per the same outlet.
Fundraising mechanisms at the event stretch beyond ticket sales. Ranch & Coast Magazine has reported that South Coast Plaza mini-boutiques set up on the venue's lawn, including luxury retailers like Max Mara and Oscar de la Renta, contribute 10% of their event retail sales directly back to The Country Friends, on top of live auction bidding.
Where the Money Goes
The glamour is ultimately in service of a decades-old charitable mission. Event proceeds benefit local charities supported by The Country Friends, which help women, children, families, military members, people with disabilities, and seniors across the community, according to the Union-Tribune. For its 2026 funding cycle, the nonprofit selected 30 local organizations as beneficiaries, including Feeding San Diego, Ronald McDonald House San Diego, Interfaith Community Services, Mama's Kitchen, and Casa De Amistad, according to The Country Friends.
Since its founding in 1954, the volunteer-driven organization has raised over $15 million to support human care agencies across San Diego County, Ranch & Coast Magazine reports, a milestone marked when the group celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2024. Beyond its signature runway show, The Country Friends also operates a consignment store in Rancho Santa Fe, selling furniture, crystal, art, accessories, and related items to generate ongoing funding, according to the same publication. The shop contributes to that ongoing funding. Photographer Jon Clark captured Thursday's runway show and reception for the record, the Union-Tribune noted.
