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No one likes to get bumped from an appointment. But because it was for a member of the Trump family, my mother-in-law, Jan Ridge, happily obliged to the schedule slide from her favorite cosmetologist. The last two years, Lara Trump (Donald’s daughter-in-law) has turned to Naples’ own Fabian Cisneros to style her golden locks for various photo shoots. “She is as kind a person as I’ve ever met,” Fabian says. Lara works as an associate producer for the television news show Inside Edition and married Trump’s son, Eric, in 2014 in Palm Beach. After growing up in Ecuador, Fabian went on to study hair all over the world, including in France, England, Israel and Canada. Since moving to Naples 12 years ago, he has built his business mainly through referrals. Fabian stays on the cutting edge of style by attending Fashion Week in both New York and Miami. He told me he would love to have the chance to get his hands on the Donald’s ’do, but admitted Trump’s unlikely to change his signature look. Call Fabian locked-out on that one. ...
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Naples’ sun and sand has proven to be an inspiring and profitable setting for New York Times best-selling author Glennon Doyle Melton (pictured, left). She announced her move to Florida on her wildly popular blog, Momastery in 2012. “We are 3 miles from the most gorgeous sand and water you can imagine sticking your little toesies into. I feel better. A LOT better,” she told her readers. Since then, the Virginia native has published two best-sellers. Glennon’s publicists boast her blog and social media posts reach 7 million weekly readers. In September of 2016, Oprah Winfrey blessed Glennon’s Love Warrior: A Memoir as the latest selection to her book club. That propelled the writer’s intimate account of her husband’s infidelity up the nonfiction best-seller lists. Oprah’s company, Harpo Films, has the film and TV rights to Love Warrior. And Glennon’s story has continued to evolve. In November, she announced she is dating retired soccer star Abby Wambach (pictured, right). “Oh my God,” she wrote on her social media accounts, “she is so good to me.” Nice to see the love warrior winning the battle for happiness. ...
Indeed, restaurant folk are a rare and generous breed, and bunches of them joined forces for Julie Balink (pictured), wife of popular chef Harold Balink, at Blue Coyote for “Joining Hearts & Hands with Julie & Harold: A Cancer Beatdown.” Area restaurants donated food and wine, while local businesses contributed to a sparkling silent auction to raise funds and awareness for ovarian cancer, which Julie has been fighting successfully for more than two years. Chef Harold and his wife are a fiercely private couple, but after Julie’s diagnosis, Harold took to Facebook. In a speech at the fundraiser, Harold said, “I talked about our fight on Facebook because I believed that if Julie knew that people were thinking about her, it would give her strength, and, sure enough, the word spread. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly awesome.” ...
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Activist Elizabeth Smart (left) came out strongly against comments made by the president-elect. Smart made a December visit to Naples, to recount her harrowing childhood abduction for Power of the Purse, an event whose proceeds provide grants for at-risk women and girls in Collier County. After Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood audio recording leaked, Smart told The Salt Lake Tribune, “The worst part about it is listening to people trying to belittle it, just saying, ‘Well, it’s locker-room talk, it’s locker-room banter.’”
Women’s Foundation of Collier County committee member Melissa Phillips read Smart’s book, My Story, and pitched the idea of bringing in a well-known figure for the group’s annual event. Along with speaking engagements like the one at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Smart has also partnered with the Department of Justice to create a survivor’s guide …
Get those auction paddles ready! One of the most sought-after artists in the world, Eric Fortsmann, created a painting specially for the 2017 Naples Winter Wine Festival, to be held Jan. 27-29. Fortsmann is known for bringing still images to life on canvas. He called his work Intentions, a small way of saying thanks to everyone who supports the festival, and said, “I can’t wait to see it in action!” …
Talk about eye candy for car lovers. Guests of the wine festival will also bid on supercars that are part artwork, part automobile: the Audi MY18 R8 Spyder and the most luxurious McLaren ever made, the 570 GT. Those hot rods will no doubt get heartbeats racing under the tent at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples and add to the $146 million the event has raised for Collier County children since its inception. “The Naples Winter Wine Festival is known for offering items that are truly unique,” said 2017 co-chair Scott Lutgert. “These two fabulous cars further solidify that reputation.” So Scott, you’re saying I can’t take one for a spin? ...
Political season in Southwest Florida was nothing short of a whirlwind in a blender thrown into a volcano (and that’s putting it mildly)—and yet, we still managed to carry on with the social swirl, sparkly soirees and some fun without too many ruined friendships or social media smackdowns. In fact, lots of folks managed to actually keep their senses of humor. Take, for instance, at the Law & Order Ball last September, sponsored by the Rotary of Fort Myers South to benefit local law enforcement. It happened at Germain Arena barely 48 hours before Donald Trump was set to take the stage at the same venue, and police officers, politicos and socialites mingled during cocktail hour and did their best to dry off from torrential thunderstorms as they rushed through the doors. At one point, in the VIP area, as a group that included jewelry designer Mark Loren, State Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, Major Crimes star G.W. Bailey and Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott chatted it up—BOOM—the electricity in the stadium suddenly went off for a few seconds. After the generators were switched on and everyone was still silent, Scott quipped, “Well, I guess that means that Trump’s arrived early—good thing we’re all here!” It got a much-needed laugh at a tense moment when we all thought we might be struggling through the ball without lights or A/C. …
That Monday, when The Donald did show up for his rally at Germain, my friend Kellie Burns was on the front line covering the appearance for NBC2 and said she spotted Ricky Medlocke of Lynard Skynard fame in the stands. But, alas, he made like a free bird and flew away before the guest of honor arrived. …
Someone else who spread his wings recently was Warren Wright, an anchor at FOX4 who took a job as host of the nationally syndicated morning show Studio D, which films in Miami. Warren’s a master of reinvention—not only did he anchor at FOX4 and at Waterman Broadcasting, but he was also elected to the Fort Myers City Council and ran for Lee County Board of Commissioners a few years ago. He’s left politics behind for the soundstage, and a glittering group gathered for his official goodbye party at the home of Marc and Lori Collins. There was a plethora of local folks from the worlds of politics and media and many glasses were raised to Warren’s success. …
One celebrity who’s decided to return to the roost for good is rocker Cliff Williams. The AC/DC bassist has officially retired, but not without plenty of fanfare. The last show of his final tour happened in Philadelphia, and groupies in the audience from Cliff’s home base of Fort Myers included his better half, Georganne, and a gaggle of her BFFs including Lori Frantz; Sheri Loren; Sara Krivisky; Mary Love and her hubby chocolatier, Norman Love; and even more—all had stage-side seats and backstage passes. Wow, talk about the cool kids. …
And cool kids aren’t afraid of hurricanes, not even a fierce Category 4 storm like Hurricane Matthew as he loomed a little too close for comfort. Community Cooperative, which runs the Soup Kitchen and other lifesaving charities, went on with the October show anyway when it came to their annual girl’s night out event, Becoming Cosmopolitan at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. It was a cloudy, blustery night as Matthew skirted us, but local ladies donned their cutest high heels and showed up for what Community Cooperative billed as the “Ultimate Hurricane Party.” The dance floor was hot and the DJ played into the night as ladies kicked up their heels and the nonprofit collected an impressive $90,000, all in the midst of a hurricane watch. …
The weather was far better at JetBlue Park a couple of weeks later for the Junior League’s pre-Taste of the Town event, Best of Taste in the Park, where some of our most fabulous local restaurants presented their tastiest dishes. There was Black Salt, The Melting Pot, Immokalee Seminole Casino and more. Celebrity judges were tasked with the grueling job of tasting more than a dozen amazing dishes; one judge, John Scanlon, of the Scanlon Automotive Group, swore he gained at least 3 pounds just during the dessert judging.