Mary Colby Tea

Description

Casa Romantica’s annual Mary Colby Tea & Fashion Show supports our mission of providing arts education for children and cultural programming for people of all ages, and and preserves Mary Colby’s gift to the community. All funds raised through ticket sales and via sales at the event’s silent auction directly underwrite the costs of providing the Music Academy, Dance Workshop, Spring Break Arts Week program, a student art exhibition, several arts education workshops, and structured field trips serving all of Capistrano Unified School District for free, with free tuition, free supplies, and no administration fees.

The Mary Colby Tea includes a traditional assortment of canapés, desserts, and cream teas with champagne, and a boutique silent auction featuring items generously donated by businesses and organizations.

St. John Knits will present a fashion show of their pre-fall collection for guests. A pop-up boutique in the Main Salon across from the silent auction tables will donate 10% of all proceeds made from purchases at the event back to Casa Romantica for its arts education programs. This is the second consecutive year that Casa Romantica has partnered with the major fashion label.

This event is held in remembrance of Mary Elizabeth Colby (1914-2008), the first woman buyer for the Robinson’s department stores. She founded the store ‘Ports of Call’ in Pasadena and in Beverly Hills, and settled permanently in San Clemente. Her San Clemente-based ‘Mary Colby Antiques’ was one of the largest antique galleries on the West Coast. Mary hosted an annual community Tea each year in San Clemente, and bequeathed her private china collection to Casa Romantica to educate young people in the beauty and value of their heritage.