party watch

Kate Upton joins stylish Houston A-listers for fab and fashionable fête

What: Bayou Bend Fashion Show & Luncheon 2019 presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Where: Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

The scoop: More than 160 guests enjoyed the fourth annual Bayou Bend Fashion Show & Luncheon. Visitors gathered at the timeless River Oaks estate for a seated luncheon under a stunning garden tent on the lawn, with décor by The Events Company/Richard Flowers.

Eyes were drawn to the fresh flower wall filled with vibrant roses, tulips, hydrangeas, and ranunculus. Tables were set with light blue linens topped with complementing centerpieces by Stems Custom Floral.

The highlight of the event was a runway show featuring the Adam Lippes Fall 2019 collection, showcasing 42 looks to an audience of museum patrons and fashion enthusiasts. Gary Tinterow made remarks, along with chairman Elyse Lanier and designer Adam Lippes.

City Kitchen catered the luncheon, serving poached Skuna Bay salmon with green mayonnaise; heirloom cherry tomatoes with samphire; avocado with shrimp ravigote served with roasted sweet peppers, capers, and basil vinaigrette; Boston lettuce salad with white asparagus and Hotel du Cap Vinaigrette; and new potato parfait, with creole mustard and dill. For dessert, guests were served a southern pecan ball with vanilla ice cream, toasted pecans, and chocolate sauce.

The 2019 Bayou Bend Fashion Show & Luncheon raised $307,000 for the Bayou Bend operating budget. The Galleria/ Simon Property Group was the principal underwriter and Neiman Marcus served as the retail partner for the event.

Who: Kate Upton, Whitney Crane, Courtney Sarofim, Jennifer Harris, Hallie Vanderhider, Fady Armanious, Carol Lin, Nancy Abendshein, Cherie Flores, Lindsay Holstead, Adam Lippes, Martha Long, Courtney Sarofim, Mona Sarofim, Rania Daniel, Kelli Kickerillo, Elyse Lanier, Jennie Segal, Marcy Taub Wessel, Rose Cullen, Anne Duncan, Jeanie Kilroy Wilson, Michelle Foutch, Cabrina Owsley, Terry Smith, Eliza Stedman, Laura Wheless, Polly Bowden, Ann Bookout, Kathy Goosen, Cyvia Wolff, Bobbie Nau, Stephanie Tsuru, and Phoebe Tudor.

Michelle Foutch and Cherie Flores.

Bayou Bend Fashion Show Luncheon Kate Upton

Photo by Wilson Parrish

Michelle Foutch and Cherie Flores.

Party Watch

Champagne and shells mark bold push to save Texas oyster reefs

Coastal Preservation and Restoration launch party

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Caroline Craddock, Tommy Garcia Prats, and Andrew Abendshein.

What: Texas Farm-Raised Gulf Oyster Tasting Celebrating the Launch of Coastal Preservation and Restoration

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Caroline Craddock, Tommy Garcia Prats, and Andrew Abendshein.

Where: La Griglia

The Scoop: Shell-ebrating sustainability never tasted so chic. More than 85 guests gathered on La Griglia’s breezy patio to toast the official launch of Coastal Preservation and Restoration (CPR), a new initiative aiming to restore 5,000 acres of Texas’s public oyster reefs by 2050, making it the largest reef restoration effort in the nation.

The soirée paired bubbly with brininess, as guests slurped freshly shucked Texas farm-raised Gulf oysters from Key Allegro Oyster Co. and Oyster Bros., complemented by elegant accoutrements and a touch of night sparkle.

John Eads, CPR’s founder and chairman, shared heartfelt remarks about the power of oyster mariculture to safeguard reef systems, bolster local economies, and buffer coastal communities. He was joined by Shellye Arnold, introduced as the organization’s incoming CEO, who brings serious conservation chops from her decade-plus leading Memorial Park Conservancy.

With organizations like Harte Research Institute, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Coastal Conservation Association Texas in the mix, the evening closed with a toast to the future, one where Texas bays thrive with purpose, oysters, and just the right hint of salinity.

Who: Mary Eads, Pam and Will Harte, Nancy and Butch Abendshein, Sis Johnson, Daniel and Lucie Arnoldy, Emily Clay, Susan Cooley, Dancie and Jim Ware, David Mincberg and Lainie Gordon, Rob Fondren, Carla Knobloch, Bob Stokes, and Bill King.

fundraisers