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    Dressed to thrill

    Who wore it best? Haute couture gowns and big jewels highlight Liaisons au Louvre gala

    Clifford Pugh
    Jun 22, 2013 | 11:26 am

    PARIS — For the Liaisons au Louvre Trois gala Tuesday night, host Becca Cason Thrash asked the ladies and gents to go all out — and they did. The invitation requested "extremely formal attire" and guests responded with glittery haute couture designs — some of which weighed more than a child — and impeccable tuxes.

    Thrash, in a Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture sequined skirt that weighed 40 pounds, quipped, "I'm just going to stand here like the statues." Actress Milla Jovovich estimated her silver Saint Laurent gown with a thigh-high slit totaled "at least 30 pounds." While stunning, it weighed her down so much that she removed her stilettos after the first course was served to relax.

    Models Olga Kurylenko, in a form-fitting pink Azzedine Alaïa fitted knit gown with a fishtail skirt, and Bianca Brandolini, in mid-calf-length blue silk and satin Dolce & Gabbana dress with white lace trim, drew the attention of European paparazzi, along with Caroline Casiraghi. The daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco wore a flowing pink and red floral off-the-shoulder gown byGiambattista Valli that fueled swirling rumors that she is pregnant. (She was seen drinking and smoking at the party, so we're guessing she's not.)

    The invitation requested "extremely formal attire" and guests responded.

    Gela Nash-Taylor made a high fashion statement in an Alexander McQueen gown with a tulle train that she expertly navigated through the crowd to avoid getting it stepped on too many times. "It's McQueen when McQueen was McQueen," she noted. (The designer died in 2010; Sarah Burton now designs the line.)

    Others going for a high-fashion look were former Dallasite Ana Pettus in a black Givenchy haute couture gown and Tracey Amon, the stylish wife of Swiss tycoon Maurice Amon, in a navy dress by Raf Simons at Dior that rose above the knee in the front and trailed to the floor in the back. She accented the dress with an oversized jeweled pin in the shape of a lobster.

    Diana Ross, who wowed the audience with a performance of her greatest hits, saw red for the occasion in a special gown. "When I saw this project, I just had to do it, so I pulled out my vintage Bob Mackie," the singer told a style.com reporter backstage after the show. "I just loved this energy here tonight."

    Houston women ratcheted up the glamour quotient several notches in eye-catching gowns and stunning jewelry. Greggory Burk stood out in a deco-beaded high-neck gown from her close friend Naeem Khan's fall 2013 collection (Stacy Keibler wore a similar gown to the Oscars) while Melissa Mithoff drew admiring glances in a black-sequined gown with an exposed back, also by Khan.

    Diane Lokey Farb looked red-carpet ready in an emerald Armani Privé haute couture gown accented with stunning Chopard jewels. Unlike most jewelry worn by notables at such events, her necklace and earrings weren't borrowed.

    Elizabeth Petersen said she chose her contemporary coral gown with lace insets by Elie Saab for comfort. "I was going to wear a gown with a more editorial look, but I want to be able to dance."

    Other Houstonians who stood out were Judith Oudt in a silver Oscar de la Renta gown, Joyce Echols in a gown of black lace (she couldn't recall the designer), Renée Lewis Cary in a bright fuchsia Oscar de la Renta gown, Sara Dodd in a J. Mendel goddess gown, Sallymoon Benz in a glittering Jovani gown accented with Bulgari jewels, Hallie Vanderhider in a burgundy Vera Wang gown, Ann Wolf in vintage Oscar de la Renta, Tami Dias in a navy Ralph Lauren gown and Caroline Starry LeBlanc in an aubergine Roland Nivelais gown.

    As for the men, designers Valli and Andrew Gn both wore V-neck T-shirts under their tuxes — a much more casual look that stood out amid the impeccably cut tuxedos. Monsour Taghdisi and Henry Richardson looked dashing in Lanvin and Gucci tuxes, respectively, while Fady Armanious, in a white-and-silver Dolce & Gabbana jacket, and Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, who accessorized his white tux shirt with a large brooch in place of a tie, proved that men can also make a fashion statement.

    To see Michelle Watson's fashion photos, click on "Enlarge Slideshow" in the main photo at the top of this story.

    Diane Lokey Farb in an Armanie Privé haute couture gown and Chopard jewels.

      
    Photo by © Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com
    Diane Lokey Farb in an Armanie Privé haute couture gown and Chopard jewels.
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    American in Paris

    Personal Paris: Houston frequent flyer reveals fave things to do in her favorite city

    Clifford Pugh
    By Clifford Pugh
    Jul 22, 2013 | 9:11 pm
    Personal Paris: Houston frequent flyer reveals fave things to do in her favorite city
    Photo by Eric Pouhier Wikipedia
    The Grand Palais is on Iannarelli's must-see list.

    Paris is almost like a second home for aircraft broker Janine Iannarelli. The founder of Houston-based Par Avion Ltd., Iannarelli travels regularly to the City of Light to buy and sell private jets to her international clientele. Last month, she was at the Paris Air Show, where she attended a lavish party in a chalet at the end of the runway hosted by Dassault Aviation, which introduced two new Falcon business jets, and a big party hosted by Breitling, which sponsors the largest aerobatic jet team in Europe.

    She also attended the Prix de Diane (France's answer to Ascot) at the Hippodrome de Chantilly, where the parade of hats was truly amazing. Iannarelli wore a design by Houstonian Gabriella Dror. And then she did what just about every stylish tourist does in the world's fashion capital: She went shopping.

    So we thought what better way to close out our Vive la France special editorial series, by asking Iannarelli for some of her favorite things to do in her favorite city.

    1. Go for a ride on a Bateaux Mouche

    Sure it may seem a little cheesy, but there's nothing like gliding down the Seine at night in one of the fabled excursion boats that passes by many of the city's most famous tourist attractions, Iannarelli says. "I don't care how much you know Paris or don't, it's something you won't forget." (Rent the 1963 movie, Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, to get an idea of how romantic it can be.) A ride last around 75 minutes if you're not on a dinner cruise.

    2. Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral

    Widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world, "it's a monument you need to see," says Iannarelli. "And it's even better if you've read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth."

    3. Stop by the Grand Palais

    While the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay are on everyone's list, Iannarelli loves the Grand Palais, the grand palace with an enormous glass roof built for the World Fair of 1900. The best time to go is on a Sunday afternoon when there's a special exhibit. "It's so quintessential Paris," she says.

    4. Shop at Le Bon Marché

    Sure, there are plenty of great luxury shops on the Avenue Montaigne and Rue Saint-Honoré, but Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche is in a class by itself. Founded in 1852, the store has one of the world's best-edited luxury selections, from the latest Chanel handbag, which Iannarelli purchased on this trip, to a wide variety of brightly colored socks that George W. Bush would love.

    5. Watch the world go by at the Jardin des Tuileries

    With a prime location between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, the top garden in Paris is a perfect place for people watching.

    6. Have a drink at the Plaza Athénée

    With the Ritz Paris closed until December 2014 for renovation, there's no opportunity to grab a drink at Harry's Bar. So try the next best thing: The downstairs bar at the Plaza Athénée, on the Avenue Montaigne, is a popular late-night gathering spot as musicians, singers and guests launch into impromptu performances around the piano.

    7. Shop at Hervé Leroux

    The designer who invented the bandage dress has his own boutique with designs you won't see everywhere else. "He's a little bit under the radar," Iannarelli says.

    8. Dine at Le Goutillon in Chantilly

    Its location an hour outside Paris isn't convenient, but ​Iannarelli loves the classic French cuisine and the great people watching. "It's very famous among the horsey set," she says. "Anyone who is anyone in the equestrian world is there."

    Enjoy a boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Notre-Dame Cathedral, a must-see in itself, is in the background.

    Paris boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche tourist boat
      
    Photo by Attila Terbócs Wikipedia
    Enjoy a boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Notre-Dame Cathedral, a must-see in itself, is in the background.
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