Fashion

The Rainbow of Hope fashion show and luncheon benefiting the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation will hit the runway on April 5 at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel. Produced by the Newport Harbor Alumnae Chapter of Delta Delta Delta, organizers Marilyn Damm and Dawn Sather and volunteers Dawn Tetrault, Lura Barrone, Nancy Tracy, Susan Wachtler and Betty DeLamater are working to ensure a success that will raise funds to help local children afflicted with various types of cancer.

Alicia Robinson and S.J. Cahn We'd like to believe we've always been this fashionable, but these days in particular, O.C. seems to be the new L.A. Every time you turn around, big-name fashion designers are jetting in to bask in their customers' approval and give personal tips on their clothes. The latest instance of this was an exclusive appearance by sportswear baron Tommy Hilfiger on Tuesday at Macy's at South Coast Plaza. Hilfiger was promoting his high-end H Hilfiger line, which is new, and exclusive, to Macy's stores.

GREER WYLDER Fashionistas can find young, urban stylish collections from hot designers at Barneys New York CO-OP, opening today at South Coast Plaza. Barneys New York CO-OP features a bohemian look with touches of recycled, flea market and surplus finds to display its hip fashions from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg, Theory, Rolland Berry, Rozae Nichols, Wyeth by Todd McGill, Vince and Juicy Couture, Generra, PS Paul Smith, Trovata and Rogues Gallery.

Marisa O'Neil Summer's here, with its warmer temperatures, sunnier skies and an excuse to buy new clothes. Or, at least to allow for some wistful window-shopping. In Orange County, fashion runs the gamut. You've got your casual surfer style, your pricy designer styles, flirty dresses and unique amalgamations of all of the above. Then there's Fox's "The O.C.," where even teenage girls carry Chanel handbags. And Newport-Mesa is a shopper's paradise with upscale malls, chain stores, unique boutiques and tons of sportswear manufacturers.

Mathis Winkler It was 1960. Florine Roper, the wife of a retired Newport Beach doctor, had grown tired of making friends on cruises and tours, only to return home and lose contact. Her desire for a meeting venue with her new friends prompted Roper, then 59, to organize the Thursday Morning Club. Roper, who died in 1998 at age 97, achieved her goal with the club, which celebrated its 40th anniversary Thursday at the Balboa Bay Club. "It gives women, many of whom would be shut out and isolated, an opportunity to get out, meet people and make new friends," said Judy Button, 62, who joined the club three years ago. A part-time saleswoman and independent beauty consultant, the Costa Mesa resident said she found time to get involved only after retiring five years ago as a sales representative for an electronics company.

Location: 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Known for: "Overlooking the ocean, Fashion Island offers distinctive shopping and dining in a coastal resort setting. " That's what it says on its website; that's reason enough to go. Situated on 75 acres on a slope above the Pacific, the center attracts more than 13 million people a year to its mix of indoor and outdoor shopping and dining facilities.

South Coast Plaza kicked off its first weekend celebrating makeup, hair and beauty with a MAC Cosmetics exhibit Friday that organizers said is unlike any other in the nation. Posh Paradise marked the launch of South Coast Plaza Style, which highlights the shopping center's beauty boutiques, concepts and salons, said Debra Gunn Downing, the center's executive director of marketing. At Jewel Court on Friday stood four display windows adorned in deep-colored leaves representing the fall and winter seasons.

CORONA DEL MAR — A varsity soccer player in her freshman year at Corona del Mar High School, Kirsten Morehouse can now add paid Nordstrom fashion blogger to her resume. The 14-year-old is no stranger to the Web. She started a fashion blog at 13 with friend Nina Nelson called InBTeen , for young adults who feel in between teen and adult fashions. The pair wrote age-appropriate online style guides on trends. When she started high school this year, she was at Nordstrom with her mother and noticed a board in the dressing room of the juniors department, Brass Plum.

The Irvine City Council this week approved the purchase of a hand-painted carousel that used to be at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The Venetian-themed carousel, which has 32 colorful animal figures and two chariots, can accommodate up to 40 children at a time. The 38-foot-diameter carousel is expected to become part of the Great Park's Kids Rock playground, which is under construction. "The carousel will be an attractive addition and will add a dimension to the preview park that I know people will enjoy," Councilwoman Beth Krom said in an e-mail.

Fashion Island welcomed nautical lifestyle and clothing brand Sperry Top-Sider earlier this month at a 2,100-square-foot space between the Nordstrom and Pacific courts. The store is the 75-year-old Massachusetts-based company's first Orange County location and the largest on the West Coast, according to a news release. The brand's full range of men's, women's and children's footwear and apparel will be sold at the store. Signature accessories, such as tote bags and board shorts crafted from recycled sailcloth, will also be featured.