“I need Monica! . . . Blond Monica.” The elusive blond in question materialized in front of the show coordinator and the techno beat started up again as the lanky models ran through their paces before showtime. The show in question was the spring fashion show presented at the Chicago Hilton by the Women’s Board of the American Cancer Society. Billed in the program book as “Fighting cancer fashionably,” this signature event, started in 1985, has become a staple for the board. This year’s showcased retailer, St. John Boutique, was to debut its fall collection. With the room awash in St. John, a more appreciative crowd could not be found. “I’ve done my share of St. John research,” declared Yvonne Christian-Williams, decked out in a canary-yellow version of the classic silhouette. Men were scarce at this shindig, except for NBC-5’s Warner Saunders and two stalwarts (and board member spouses), Wendell Berg and Don Lynch, who summed up the event thusly: “The amount of work that went into planning this was akin to the Normandy invasion.” The show raised $250,000.
1. Lori Lennon. 2. Tracye Tackbary. 3. Meg Nagel. 4. Leslie Keebler. 5. Rachel Dowdle, Megan Hussey. 6. Maria Largent. 7. Warner Saunders. Photos: Dianne Brogan.
