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.

Meg Winchester, from left, Ivette Wilhelm, Christine Hopkins and Melody Smith at the Galveston Mardi Gras gown preview.

Photo by Omar Mejia

Meg Winchester, from left, Ivette Wilhelm, Christine Hopkins and Melody Smith at the Galveston Mardi Gras gown preview.

unspecified

roman chic

Gladiators and aviators take off at Houston Flight Museum’s ball

Houston Flight Museum Jet Setters Ball 2024

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Julie Barker, Tomorrow Thumann, and Nichole Lemasters.

It was a smooth take off and landing for the Lone Star Flight Museum’s annual Jet Setters Ball, presented by CenterPoint Energy. The November 22 fundraiser morphed the museum into a Mediterranean dreamscape, blending a Tuscan-inspired milieu with aviation thrills. The Roman fete honored Scott Rozzell, the museum’s immediate past board chairman, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of steering the organization through adventurous flight paths.

Guests were greeted by a scene complete with silver-painted living statues that doubled as chiseledgladiator eye candy. You could say chairs Cheryl Boblitt and Bill King, Penny and Dennis Murphree, and Diane and Steve Biegel were delightful pursers, ushering an affair that featured flavorful fare from Churrascos, gelato stations, and specialty cocktails served against a backdrop of historic aircraft.

Houston mayor John Whitmire delivered remarks celebrating Rozzell’s legal career and dedication to the museum. Meaningful highlights included a surprise video tribute from James A. Baker III, a special nod to 99-year-old World War II aviator Lt. William Bayer, who was in attendance, and Rozzell’s daughters, Kimberly McVey and Stacy Murphree, who delivered a heartfelt message of love and appreciation.

Between bidding wars, black-tie party-goers enjoyed hands-on experiences, such as piloting Rozzell’s Fairchild F-24 in a flight simulator and performing daring aerial pirouettes — safely, of course. Supporters explored the museum’s pristine collection of aircraft and STEM-focused exhibits, which showcased the museum’s mission of inspiring the next generation of innovators.

The evening welcomed more than 400 attendees and raised nearly $670,000 to bolster STEM programs and educational initiatives. Among them were former US Congressman Pete Olson and wife Nancy, Susan Bloom, Megan and Jason Ryan, Laura and George Pontikes, Carolyn Pardue, Anne-Laure and Steve Stephens, Denman Moody, and Lenora Sorola-Pohlman. Sponsors included Joan Skipper and Ed Peine, Bette and Ralph Thomas, Anthony W. Hall Jr., and Million Air.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Julie Barker, Tomorrow Thumann, and Nichole Lemasters.

museums lone star flight museum fundraisers