The Country Friends recently announced that philanthropist Karen Gregg Hoehn will serve as honorary chair of the nonprofit’s annual Art of Fashion runway show and luncheon on September 10 at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. South Coast Plaza, event partner for the 22nd straight year, will showcase spectacular fall fashion from its unparalleled collection of luxury retailers and international designers.
Keilene (Kiki) Hayward and Irina Fenison are co-chairs of the event which draws hundreds of attendees to The Inn’s lawns to sip, shop, and bid on silent and live auction items. KFMB-TV/News8 Anchor Anna Laurel will take the stage this year as emcee.
“We are so thrilled to honor Karen who has done so much over many years in service to our community,” Janean Stripe, President of The Country Friends Board of Directors shared with GB Magazine. The nonprofit selected Hoehn as honoree because of her long commitment to community centering on youth, local schools, the arts, and various other nonprofit organizations. She and her husband Robert have established a robust art presence at the University of San Diego. Karen served as Art of Fashion co-chair in 2012 and the Hoehns have been generous Art of Fashion sponsors for many years. Karen has been a driving force behind The Rebelle Rally, a renowned off-road navigation race, competing over the past decade with daughters Jo Hannah and Susanah.
Hayward previously served as AOF co-chair and has also co-chaired several fundraising luncheons. A self-taught cook and former personal chef, Kiki also has an eye for design. She often volunteers at The Country Friends Consignment Shop which sells furniture, crystal, art, and accessories, with proceeds benefitting San Diego County-based charities.
Fenison, born and raised in Moscow, earned a master’s degree in special education, working with children who have disabilities. She and her family moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1995. A former longtime project manager for a major electrical supply company, Irina relocated to San Diego in 2015. She and her husband Michael support a range of nonprofits and charitable causes.
Laurel, an award-winning news anchor and reporter at KFMB-TV/News8, is known for her incisive story-telling and deep commitment to giving people a voice. The daughter of a Southern Baptist minister, she grew up with a broad world view, one that continues to shape her journalism background.
The 2026 Art of Fashion will include a champagne reception sponsored by Linda Sansone and Tamara Lafarga-Joseph and shopping at South Coast Plaza mini-boutiques on The Inn’s lawn. The program and South Coast Plaza runway show will follow, after which guests are invited to enjoy a four-course luncheon. For information: (858) 756-1192 or visit www.thecountryfriends.org.
