Shelby's Social Diary
Mardi Gras roars off to an early start with a sexy fashion preview: Got beads?
You can never be too rich or too thin or wear too many bangles and beads at a Mardi Gras ball. Just ask the lively contingent that rolls down I-45 each winter for the bevy of galas, some private events of the various krewes and others wide open for ticket purchasers. With those lavish nights-out looming on Google Calendars, the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau took over the couture area of Saks Fifth Avenue for a fashion preview.
The retailer sent a variety of black-tie looks down the catwalk, a nod to the younger crowd in the gathering, supporters of Women of Wardrobe which was beneficiary of the evening. Designer gowns tempting the credit cards included those by Naeem Khan (we can dream, can't we), Badgley Mischka, BCBG (friendly price points), David Meister and Carolina Herrera. Fashion writer Joy Sewing provided commentary on the various gowns.
Heading the guest list were Dress for Success exec Nancy Levicki and Lauren Levicki and rapper Willie D. The fashionable crowd included Ting Bresnahan, Katie Flaherty, Karla Gutierrez, Ivette Wilhelm, Christine Hopkins, Leah Cast, Dee Brown, Hollie Wells and Jeff Shell of Neal Hamil Modeling Agency.
Any of the selections would be appropriate for The Tremont House 30th annual Mardi Gras Ball, this year themed "Pearls and Prohibition" on March 1 or Tilman Fertitta's San Luis Salute, which promises to rock the boardwalk on Feb. 28.
Mardi Gras Galveston kicks off Feb. 21 with festivities continuing through March 4.