What: Carrie Colbert "More Color Please" launch party and book release.
Where: FM Kitchen & Bar.
The scoop: More than 200 fashion bloggers, designers, fans, and friends filled the patio of the popular restaurant near Washington Avenue on a sunny, picture-perfect day to celebrate the launch of Carrie Colbert's new coffee table book, More Color, Please: The Walls of Houston, and the launch of CarrieColbert.com, a new website that urges women "to live, think and dress with more color."
"Color is an attitude and a mindset," Colbert told CultureMap. "I've got a great team ready to produce colorful content every day. Whether it's fashion, food, city guide, or travel, inspirational well-being articles, the more colorful the better. That's what our brand is about."
Colbert, a former engineer with a keen interest in fashion who found success with the Wear + Where + Well fashion and lifestyle blog, has been working on the new endeavor for most of this year, while taking time out to give birth to a daughter, now five months old.
"Fashion is actually having a colorful moment," Colbert said, pointing to her rainbow-colored skirt and off-the-shoulder magenta sweater. "Maybe it's a push towards positivity and happiness that the world needs right now. We do believe in the power of colors to influence our mood and attitude. It's fun to see that movement spreading."
Guests, many with young children scampering about, posed for photographs in front of a mural painted by Houston artist Sebastien "Mr. D" Boileau that matched the cover of Colbert's book, which features the colorful walls of Houston alongside inspirational quotes. Boileau also created works of art on the spot, while illustrator Rongrong DeVoe, whose work has been featured in Vogue, InStyle, and BuzzFeed, drew fashion illustrations of guests.
The book, which retails for $80 with 10 percent of proceeds donated to Harvey relief efforts, is available on the new website, along with branded "More Color Please" T-shirts, infant onesies, and exclusive products from Houston designers, including Colores Collective earrings and Willows Crown hair accessories.
Guests noshed on chips, salsa, guacamole, queso, and campechana, along with sparkling rosé provided by FM Kitchen & Bar's chef Ryan Hildebrand, who also created a specialty "More Color Please" milkshake throughout the lunchtime event.
Colorful balloons lined the entrance to the patio, and guests left with flower arrangements as a gift from Colbert and "More Color Please"-branded macarons from Macaron by Patisse.
Who: Seen in the crowd were the new site's COO Julie Weinstein, Donae Chramosta, Tracy and Harry Faulkner, Caroline Harper Knapp, Ashley Rose, Jenny Weber, Lauren Mills, Traci Ling, Sukaina Rajani, David Peck, Hunter Bell, Issa Chou, Valerie Dittner, Chuck Randall, Joe Baden, Katherine Le, Jack Brasington, Mike Chabala, Beth DeLozier, Esther Freedman, Sage Coralli, Chloe Dao, Estela Cockrell, and Madison Payne.
Kathryn Swain.
