Sydney's high society turned out at Mimi's in Coogee on Thursday for the 2026 Ladies Luncheon Committee for the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, but two names were conspicuously missing from the guest list.
Entrepreneur Ashleigh McDonald, who is now dating lawyer Nick Pitt, did not attend despite being a guest at last year's event. Pitt is the ex-husband of PR figure Montarna McDonald.
Reports emerged earlier this year that Montarna was blindsided when Pitt debuted his relationship with Ashleigh, the founder of 42 Private. Sources say Sydney's social set have been stunned by how quickly the five-month relationship has progressed.
It is possible Ashleigh missed out on an invitation this year given that Montarna herself was in attendance.
Montarna McDonald's Look
Montarna arrived with her close friend, Pilates instructor Bernadette Sukkar, formerly known as Bernadette Fahey. Montarna wore a chartreuse satin midi dress by Meshki with a chest cut-out, carrying a metallic silver Rabanne handbag worth $1,890 with a fringe finish and oversized sunglasses.
Sukkar chose an ivory Rachel Gilbert Elley dress worth $895, paired with white slingback Prada shoes worth $1,950.
Tzaneros Family Stays Away
Also absent were women from the Tzaneros shipping family, who reportedly avoided the gathering after hiring a crisis manager to handle their public image. The Tzaneros dynasty has kept a low profile since the collapse of family-owned ACFS Port Logistics, which owes more than $270 million to over 60 creditors.
Anthony Tzaneros' wife, Poppy, who comes from the O'Neil family behind property developer Addenbrooke, and his sister Barbara Coombes had recently stepped back into the spotlight to celebrate a Y2K-themed birthday party for Bernadette turning 36, despite the family's efforts to lower its profile. Family heads Terry Tzaneros and his wife Anne have reportedly barred relatives from attending events and drawing attention.
Louise O'Neil's Transformation
Louise O'Neil, daughter of the late billionaire Donald Hay, showed off her changed figure following the birth of her second child.
She tagged jewellery designer Carat Cake in Instagram Stories while wearing a tennis necklace worth $20,000, a bracelet worth $6,000 and oval earrings worth $3,000.
O'Neil, who shares two-year-old son Otis and 11-month-old daughter Ophelia with husband Jake O'Neil, wore a pink Magda Butrym dress worth $2,488 with white kitten heels. Sources say her new figure is the result of weight-loss injections.
The Holtznagel Sisters
Model Simone Holtznagel wore a strapless pink Salma dress by Rachel Gilbert worth $1,100 with a beige Jacquemus Le Bambino bag worth $1,690 and nude heels.
She styled her hair in voluminous waves with a wispy fringe and posed alongside her sister Madeline Holtznagel.
Madeline, who is dating pub baron Justin Hemmes, wore a beige floral minidress by Magda Butrym worth $3,244.
She accessorised with René Caovilla sandals worth $2,720, a Saint Laurent clutch and a diamond cuff, styling her blonde hair in a tight updo.
Other Guests
Socialite Kristina Macourt wore a brown maxi skirt under a black Rotate jacket worth $895 with a faux fur collar, paired with $780 Gucci sunglasses and a $4,100 Fendi handbag.
PR figure Roxy Jacenko made one of her first public appearances in some time, dressed in all-black with an Hermes Birkin bag and diamond jewellery.
Alyce Tran, who recently married partner Robert Simpkins, wore an ivory top tucked into a creased yellow skirt with a pink Prada drawstring bag worth $1,850. Her sister, stylist Carline Tran, wore an all-black ensemble.
Committee Members and Society Faces
Deborah Symond O'Neil, daughter of Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond, wore a pink textured midi dress by Zara. She posed with hotelier Harriet Waugh, who founded the Ladies Luncheon Committee, dressed in a white Dior gown worth around $13,100 with a colourful bow print. Newest committee member Zena Nasser White also attended after a period out of the public eye.
Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh, who has had a volatile relationship with WiseTech Global founder husband Richard White, wore a butterfly-printed gown with a pearl necklace and appeared to be enjoying herself with a friend.
Jewellery designer Zena K'Dor wore a polka-dot dress and carried a black Hermes Birkin, arriving with client and philanthropist Sharon Maroun, wife of Earthworx founder Anthony Maroun.
Other attendees included Laura Hazzouri, wife of billionaire Charbel Hazzouri, in an ivory gown; Remi Lindsay of Gavin Rubenstein's TRG in a pastel yellow gown; interior designer Melissa Olga Athineos in a white gown with a blue shawl, seen drinking Veuve Clicquot; interior designer Sarah Parry Okeden in a gold-dusted Chanel coat worth $8,102; and socialite Marine Mariolle de Tizac, wife of La Caisse managing director Charles-Edouard Mariolle De Tizac, in a blue gown.
The de Tizacs reportedly run in the same social circles as Ellie Aitkin, who was at the centre of a society love triangle after her husband, investment banker Charlie Aitken, left her for her best friend Hollie Nasser. Ellie and Charlie share two children, James and Poppy.
About the Luncheon
The Ladies Luncheon Committee for the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation was founded by Harriet Waugh in 2016 and has raised more than $3.5 million to support newborn intensive care and high-risk pregnancies. Waugh sits on the committee with Deborah Symond O'Neil and Madeline Holtznagel, after Georgie Curran retired from the group last year, with Zena Nasser White announced as the newest member.
