Shelby's Social Diary

Best wardrobe switch ever? It's one woman, two spectacular gowns at Rolling Stone rocking bash

Chairing a gala that has a split personality — a sedate seated dinner followed by a rocking after party — calls for wardrobe creativity. Just ask Ann Short, who chaired "Cabaret Da Camera" with husband Don Short. Think dressing for the Sarah Rothenberg dinner recital while being fashionably correct for the late-night bash with Rolling Stone keyboardist Chuck Leavell.

Happily for Ann, she's close friends with international designer Zang Toi. The major talent created two gowns for her starring role at the Da Camera gala and was on her arm at the St. Regis Hotel throughout the evening.

For the dinner portion, the designer created a black velvet "Louis XV" gown trimmed in mink and embroidered with Swarovski crystals.

For the dinner portion, the designer created a black velvet "Louis XV" gown trimmed in mink and embroidered with Swarovski crystals that Ann wore with a Kokin-autographed "Millionaires Row" feather fascinator. When the party got rocking with Leavell, Ann changed into Toi's red silk satin gown decorated with love birds, that touch in celebration of her 20th wedding anniversary. She finished off the look with a Kokin top hat, also autographed.

The French-themed evening honored 25 years of Da Camera trustees and board members. Rothenberg, the non-profit's artistic and general director, presented a musical program featuring Da Camera Young Artists Sonja Harasim, Aaron Perdue, Julia Fox and Geraldine Ong.

Kicking the action up a notch were after party chairs Jennifer and Josh Gravenor, who were on the packed dance floor as Leavell rocked the night.

The guest list included Lillie Robertson, Nancy and Walter Bratic, Chinhui and Eddie Allen, Mimi Lloyd, Da Camera board chairman Laura Sayavedra and husband Leo Sayavedra, Claudia and David Hatcher, Robert Azencott, Annette and John Eldridge, Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner, Sharyn and David Harris, Harvey Marks and Lynn Detrick, Alex and Lou Ann Chae and Joe and Susie Ting.

Da Camera, March 2013, Zang Toi, Ann Short, Don Short

Photo by Pin Lim Forest Photography

unspecified

let's roll

Soccer star and Grammy-winning singer will lead Houston Art Car Parade

Courtesy of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art

Art Car weekend returns April 9-12.

If you see a lot of unusual-looking automobiles on the streets and freeways next month, it’ll be for one simple reason: the Art Car Parade is back.

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art announced the return of the Houston Art Car Parade Weekend presented by Team Gillman, taking place Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12. This will culminate in the Houston Art Car Parade – its 39th – on Saturday, April 11, featuring more than 250 one-of-a-kind, rolling works of art.

The four-day celebration transforms the city into a canvas of color, creativity, and community, with the parade serving as the weekend’s crowning spectacle, drawing more than 315,000 spectators annually and making it the largest free cultural event in Houston. Serving as the 2026 Featured Artist is Phillip Pyle II, a visual artist, graphic designer, and photographer whose work engages with issues of race and popular culture through the lens of graphic design.

This year’s grand marshals, former Houston Dynamo player Brian Ching and singer/The Suffers frontwoman Kam Franklin, represent two powerful pillars of Houston’s cultural identity: sports and music. Ching and Franklin join a distinguished list of past marshals, including Bun B, Carl Lewis, Marilyn Oshman, J.J. Watt, Dan Aykroyd and George Clinton.

“This year’s Orange Show Art Car Parade honors Kam Franklin and Brian Ching as Grand Marshals,” said Orange Show executive director Jack Massing. “Selected for their positive contributions as Houstonians, both are dedicated community leaders committed to fostering creativity through music and sports, helping build a happier, healthier city.”

Attendance remains free and open to the public, reinforcing the Orange Show’s mission to make art accessible to all. For those looking to immerse themselves in the parade’s energy while supporting its mission, the VIPit offers a festival-style atmosphere with limited tables and reserved grandstand seating starting at $250. Admission includes complimentary food and beverages from Houston favorites, private restrooms, and premium parade views. Proceeds directly fund year-round Art Car programming at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, including Art Cars in Schools, a curriculum aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards that brings hands-on creative learning into classrooms across the region.

For more information, visit the Orange Show website.

art car parade brian ching kam franklin houston