Black Tie & Tales

+ Belle of the ball
From the Asolo Starry Night dinner celebrating “Yentl” at the Harbor Acres home of Aimee and Chris Cogan was Caragh Bella Cogan, the hosts’ 4-year-old daughter. Wearing ankle-length orange tulle fit for a princess and white patent leather shoes, she was seen leaving as guests were arriving; she was off to a play date with two of her many (32 to be exact!) cousins. 

Among the grown-ups spotted at the Yentl event: Phillip and Nancy Kottler, Carolyn Keystone and Jim Meekison, newlyweds Dr. David and Yara Shoemaker, Bob and Beverly Bartner and, of course, the irrepressible Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. 

+ Long time coming
Twenty-five years ago, SPARCC fashion shows were held in various homes around town with anywhere from 12 to 25 women in attendance. Models wore fashions by labels such as Foxy Lady and Conrad Egan, tickets cost $12 and a box lunch was served. Although the proceeds benefited SPARCC, it wasn't until five years later that the SPARCC Treasure Chest opened, and, ever since then, models have sashayed down the runways in hand-picked items from the Treasure Chest. Last year, 600 ladies attended the SPARCC Second hand Rose Fashion Show and Luncheon, which takes place Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Check-in and boutique sale start at 10 a.m.; luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $95. Call 349-3346 or 365-0208, Ext. 106.

+ Big names and big words …
 Were on the menu for the inaugural Women in Medicine Luncheon benefiting Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation Friday, Jan. 20, at Sarasota Yacht Club. The program was a panel of experts from the Neuroregeneration Institute at Harvard Medical School: Ole Isacson, M.D., Penelope Hallett, Ph.D. and James Schumacher, M.D.  Hallett reported on the institute’s research into therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on Parkinson’s and highlighting promising discoveries, such as the RAB3B gene that appears to protect dopamine in brain cells. 

The Women in Medicine event replaces the foundation’s traditional annual Healthcare Education event. Chairperson Ann Charters would welcome feedback from attendees to Kaye Chase at [email protected] or 544-7370. 

+ Tidbits
Navy is the new black … And it suddenly looks downright youthful, especially in three different looks worn by Chris Currie, Diana Armbrust and Sue Jacobson Friday, Jan. 20 ...  BFFs … Lillian Richman started out to have a little cocktail party celebrating the natal anniversary of her dear friend, Nancy Markle, and like topsy, the guest list just grew — to about 40! ... Up the stairs or down the stairs? … Looks exactly like an M.C. Escher drawing, doesn’t it? Well it’s a pool, plain and simple, and there are no stairs or levels or uneven planes. At night, when it’s glowing, the Cogans’ pool is pretty deceiving!