The Crowd:

The social and fashion worlds in Newport stood at attention last week as Nordstrom opened its new store in Fashion Island. Some 1,700 guests converged upon the retailer at dusk April 14 to celebrate the glamour of retail on the Orange Coast.

In obligatory Nordstrom style the massive undertaking was a supreme hit, every detail handled without a flaw. There were more valet attendants at the ready than possibly ever assembled for an Orange County opening. Catering was lavish — and delicious — provided by the iconic Los Angeles firm of Crème de la Crème. Cocktails flowed, the crowd gossiped and wandered, and music provided by the hip L.A. Allstars on floor one and DJ Lee Dyson on floor two kept the movers and shakers doing just that.

The opening evening was chaired by a host of local philanthropic folks; Susan Samueli, Eve Kornyei, Jean Weiss, Keri Dugan, Dana Agamalian and Elizabeth Tierney were among the celebrated. Proceeds, totaling more than $170,000 will be shared by the Orangewood Children’s Foundation and UC Irvine Medical Center.

In the crowd were St. John founder Marie Gray seen in the company of St. John creative director George Sharp and Nordstrom scion Pete Nordstrom. St. John has a major in-store boutique in the new Nordstrom, a focal point of the first floor salon. Also on hand for the opening were St. John Chief Executive Glenn McMahon, President and Chief Executive Bruce Fetter, Tammy Storino and Dan Burke.

One interesting observation. The crowd was “dressed to impress.� Men were in dinner suits and ties, and ladies in the latest designer dresses, carrying the proper bag and wearing their favorite “bling.�

Folks don’t dress this well to attend church, appear in court, or sit in the orchestra opening night at the opera. But to see and be seen at a department store, well, that’s another story all together.

As my friend Gail Bronson Boyd, a member of the exclusive team of diamond jewelry purveyors at Lugano Diamonds says: “We simply refuse to participate in the recession!�

That was indeed the mood at Nordie’s gala opening.

This is the final weekend for the Noah’s ARC Interior Design Challenge at all five Salvation Army Family Stores in Orange County. If you have not heard about this, make your way over to the Costa Mesa Salvation Army store on Harbor Boulevard and check out what local design students, associated with the Orange County ASID, have created.

The students have taken donated furniture and created room vignettes in different styles. In the Costa Mesa store, the theme is mid-century modern. In Huntington Beach it is all about beachside living. Antiques are the rage in Orange, Mediterranean in San Clemente. The West Anaheim store features an electric mix.

Benefiting from this fun exercise will be the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center, known as ARC, hence the name of the design event.

On Monday, comic actor Jerry Lewis will deliver an intimate lecture, open to all, at Chapman University’s Marion Knott Studios. The event is part of Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts open forums.

“I made a great success out of being a total idiot,� Lewis said.

Lewis may in fact be the smartest idiot on record. The 7 p.m. event may be attended by reservation. Call Amber at (714) 628-7267.

The beautiful Southern California Spring Garden Show at South Coast Plaza runs through Sunday. The 2010 edition marks the 22nd year the garden event has delighted local citizens. Check out the vast array of displays exhibited at South Coast Plaza’s Crate and Barrel/Macy’s Wing. Admission is free. Go to springgardenshow.com for all the details.

Respected Newport businessman and journalist Martin Brower, publisher of Orange County Report and former executive with the Irvine Co. and the Koll Co., has penned a personal memoir on his adult life over the past four decades, experiencing the growth and changes in Orange County.

What’s unique about Brower’s work is that it is written from his personal religious perspective as a Jew in a predominantly Christian community. Brower joins his equally accomplished wife, Tamar, presenting the book “Orange County Jew: A Memoir� at a coffee and book signing at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Morgan Chapel, Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach.

Neiman Marcus at Fashion Island welcomed the very hot and trendy designer Tory Burch for an exclusive mini-event in store April 15. Tax Day may not lend itself to the ideal shopping mood, but it did not dampen the excitement at the lunch hour meet and greet with Burch. The designer has garnered a reputation in recent fashion seasons for putting a “kick� in the classic American sportswear style; decidedly younger, hipper and more fun.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.