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. The Mary Colby Tea includes a traditional assortment of canapés, desserts, and cream teas with champagne, a High Tea Fashion Show presented by up-and-coming couture collections, and a boutique silent auction featuring items generously donated by businesses and organizations to benefit Casa Romantica’s programming for school-aged children. 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.