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    big bang, baby

    Houstonians go sexy, spacey, and silly in $800,000 Orange Show Gala

    Steven Devadanam
    Nov 2, 2021 | 5:47 pm

    Only one gala in Houston can make Halloween seem like an afterthought. Once again, the Orange Show Gala lived up to its (unofficial) title of Houston’s most over-the-top costumed affair.

     

    And oh, those costumes. From co-chair Melissa Dobrowski and her space goddess getup, to Marilyn Oshman in shades and space robe, a shirtless, “bang!”-tatted Dean Putterman, and Mark Sullivan and Libbie Masterson showing up as life-sized shotgun shells, all were on-point for the 40th fete’s theme, “The Big Bang,” an event that raised a bangin’ $800,000 for the work of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.

     

    As if the spacey, sexy, and silly costumes weren’t enough, music came via Morris Day & the Time (more on that later) and visuals included immersive art installations from the city’s best up-and-coming digital art teams including Input/Output; Moon Papas; and Hannah Bull of BamBullBlack, which transformed the 31,000 square-foot Orange Show warehouse into a psychedelic spaceship.

     

    The more than 500 guests guests were treated to specialty sips including Cosmic Cosmos courtesy of Ketel One, espresso martinis by William Price Distillery, and a decadent oyster bar from San Leon’s Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House, which created a massive ice table to keep things chill.

     

    Festooned visitors mingled, sipped, and perused the more than 160 silent auction items up for grabs. Co-chairs Beth Abramson-Meltzer and Lane Schultz furnished artwork from by Mel Chin, Sharon Kopriva, Michael Tracy, Angelbert Metoyer, Gerard Caliste, Bert Long Jr., and more. Local street art celebrity Gonzo247 treated the crowd to a splashy, live painting.

     

    Hot auction items also included trips to The Kentucky Derby, San Miguel de Allende, and The Grammys. Local opportunities included bespoke dinners from Steak 48 and B&B Butchers and a $10,000 pair of diamond earring donated by Valobra Master Jewelers — which one lucky guest scored during a balloon-popping “Big Bang Moment.”

     

    Dinner was a sumptuous feast catered by Tony’s and led by executive chef Austin Waiter. Later, Orange Show executive director Tommy Ralph Pace addressed the Orange Show’s 40-year history of celebrating and promoting creativity in the Houston community and beyond. Pace also announced a partnership with architect firm Rogers Partners to build a world-class facility on the current property.

     

    Then, it was time for The Time. Lead singer/head flirt Morris Day shook, strutted, and preened as astronauts, sci-fi characters, aliens, Astros, and more took to the dance floor.

     

    Speaking of big bang: The whole venue nearly exploded when Day and The Time kicked into the’80s dance phenom, “Jungle Love,” with a thunderous chant of the chorus, “oh-we-oh-we-ohhhh!” marking a wild, cosmic journey.

    Tony's chef Austin Waiter.

    Orange Show Gala 2021 Austin Waiter
      
    Photo by Emily Jaschke
    Tony's chef Austin Waiter.
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    news/society

    Silk and Sequins

    Cultural fashion takes center stage at Runway to Asia in Houston

    Joel Luks
    Jul 10, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Asia Society Runway to Asia fashion show 2025
    Photo by Annie Mulligan
    Rekha Muddaraj, Shazia Sultan, Danny Nguyen, Zang Toi, Bonna Kol, Phoebe Tudor, and Leigh Smith.

    If fashion is a language, Runway to Asia spoke it fabulously fluently.

    The ballroom of The Post Oak Hotel shimmered with silk, sequins, and sartorial splendor as Asia Society Texas debuted its first-ever Runway to Asia style-studded affair — a glamorous gala-meets-catwalk moment where heritage was hand-stitched into haute couture.

    More than 300 guests filled the swanky venue for the event, greeted by models perched like living mannequins in Danny Nguyen’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, each ensemble a fabric-forward love letter to cultural identity and avant-garde vision. This was a glamnifesto on what it means to wear your roots with pride and purpose.

    Leading the stylish charge were co-chairs Leigh Smith, Shazia Sultan, and Phoebe Tudor, who curated the afternoon like seasoned couturiers. Attendees noshed on a three-course lunch before the real feast began: a full-throttle catwalk presentation honoring two design dynamos — Danny Nguyen, Houston’s own silhouettist supreme, and international fashion luminary Zang Toi.

    Rekha Muddaraj, former KHOU 11 anchor turned emcee extraordinaire, welcomed the crowd with poise, passing the mic to Asia Society Texas president Bonna Kol, who framed the gathering as more than just fashion, but part of the nonprofit’s mission to celebrate cultural diversity through art.

    The applause crescendoed when Michael Buening, the organization’s director of performing arts and culture, announced the event had raised more than $300,000 to fund more than 20 annual programs.

    Pro tip: philanthropy always looks better in couture.

    Then came the honors. Nguyen was honored with the Texas Trendsetter Award, praised by Shazia Sultan for blending traditional elegance with avant-glam silhouettes. Meanwhile, Tudor crowned Toi with the Global Icon Award, charting his runway rise from Malaysia to Manhattan.

    Toi’s “Opulence of the Orient Express” collection brought the house down with 37 jaw-dropping looks: Ottoman-inspired caftans, midnight velvet suits, pearl-dusted evening gowns, and coat-dress hybrids that defied the laws of layering. Each ensemble whispered luxury and screamed craftsmanship.

    The raffle added a thrill of retail roulette with prizes including a luxe Hill Country escape, personal styling sessions with the honorees, and golden tickets to Zang Toi’s Fall 2026 New York show.

    Soaking in the scene were Sushila Agrawal, Nancy Allen, Fady Armanious, Kristy Bradshaw, Divya Brown, Tripp Carter, Theresa Chang, Anne Chao, Molly Crownover, Kari Dagley, Chloe Dao, Debbie Festari, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Brigitte Kalai, Mandy Kao, Sippi Khurana, Karen Kwok, Teri Lee, Kelley Lubanko, Christy Lynn, Petra Martinez, Sneha Merchant, Duyen Nguyen, Cabrina Owsley, Akemi Saitoh, Miya Shay, Sue and Randy Sim, Shawn Stephens, Y. Ping Sun, Ileana Trevino, Janae Tsai, Stephanie Tsuru, Heidi Turney, and Asha Virani.

    Asia Society Runway to Asia fashion show 2025
      

    Photo by Annie Mulligan

    Rekha Muddaraj, Shazia Sultan, Danny Nguyen, Zang Toi, Bonna Kol, Phoebe Tudor, and Leigh Smith.

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