Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of old Hollywood glamour and ticket holders for the sold out 2015 What Women Want (WWW) event in Parksville will feel like they have stepped back to a bygone era on Friday.
Hepburn was an inspiration to many, including WWW organizer Donna Andres.
Beyond her pretty face and acting career, Hepburn was also considered a humanitarian and a genuinely great person and that is why Andres picked the fashion icon as the inspiration for what she said will be an enchanted affair.
Andres initiated the first, What Women Want at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre (PCCC) three years ago and she said this year will be even more spectacular.
The owner of Lady’s Mantle in Parksville said Hepburn’s style is timeless and personifies grace, elegance and charm and she wants to bring some of that to Parksville.
With Tiffany as the theme the decorations will be blue and white and over the top according to Andres.
She said the evening she and a team of volunteers have been planning will provide an opportunity for women to focus on the things they love; clothes, shoes, accessories and pampering, all while sipping spirits and enjoying appetizers.
Although women are encouraged to embrace the theme of the evening and wear an Audrey inspired little black dress, they may want to pick one from the closet that has some wiggle room.
Teresa Patterson, owner of the Pacific Brimm restaurant, said WWW will be the largest catering event she has ever taken on and she is looking forward to wowing the women with her tasty treats.
Patterson will be preparing more than 14,000 appies including Pasta Al Pomodoro which she said was one of Hepburn’s favourites. The bow-tie pasta includes Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and Parmigiano cheese.
Hepburn has been quoted as saying, “Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.”
With that in mind, Patterson has created some Tiffany Treasures in her honour.
The bite size gluten-free brownies will be topped with a Tiffany blue cream and pearl drops. Patterson is famous for her chocolate fountain table and she said guests can look forward to the cascading chocolate at the event.
Besides serving up sensational food, Patterson is also running the bar and has some Tiffany inspired drinks planned for the night.
She said they have a partnership with Hester Creek which supports their fundraising efforts for Haven House and has helped in bringing in some exceptional wines.
The night features a fashion show and live entertainment with performances by local band Butterside Down, Tyrone Heigh from the Parksville Fire Department and jazz duo Mitra and Andy.
Longevity Medical Aesthetics led by Dr. Andy Biro will be doing live demos on stage including botox injections and cosmetic fillers.
They will reveal an exciting makeover at the event showing the transformation of a client after skin rejuvenation treatments.
Door prizes include two round trip tickets to any WestJet destination, a $500 cash voucher to spend at participating vendors, an overnight stay at the Oswego Hotel in Victoria as well as a weekend getaway to Mount Washington.
Harris Oceanside Chevrolet is providing complimentary safe rides home.
There is also a fundraising side to the event with net proceeds going to the Haven House women’s shelter.
