Shopping Party

Foodies, fashionistas and celebrity bartenders mix up a good time at CityCentre shopping party

Much needed retail therapy was the excuse for a shopping soirée that had Houstonians flocking to the west side for "CityCentre's Night Out" presented by CultureMap Thursday, a day when not even the threat of rainfall would dispirit foodies and fashionistas from checking out goodies at this mixed-use destination.

No need to feel guilty about dropping some green, though, as a group of participating restaurants and boutiques offered enticing night-only specials.

Dryden Kreps, for example, lured consumers with a $50 gift card with each $250 spent, a deal that roused CultureMap editor in chief Clifford Pugh, while dishing style advise to shoppers, to score a vintage-inspired blazer with a zip out vest designed by Circle of Gentlemen. The retro look was complete with a sparkle of lime green in the zipper brooch.

Proceeds from this bev plus Sandler's burger benefited Victory, the nonprofit that won CultureMap's Charity Challenge.

With a map on hand that detailed all the special sales, guests meandered from Elaine Turner — where fashion contributor Heather Staible, with a flute of bubbly on hand, was busy styling gals with spring attire that included pieces in citrus colors — to Grub Burger Bar, where food authority Eric Sandler had crafted a sinful concoction he called the Texas Legend burger. Grilled jalapenos, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, pulled pork and one onion ring on a toasted bun . . . not for faint of heart.

Brio Tuscan Grille, Jamba Juice, J. Crew, Muir Fine Art Gallery, Olive and Vine, Salata, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and The Tasting Room got in the action. But it seemed that the final stop for the evening was Straits Restaurant, where contributor Marcy de Luna had assembled a lineup of celebrity bartenders that included. KHOU Ch. 11's Lily Jang and Rekha Muddaraj, Mix 96.5's Lauren Finkelstein, Urban Swank girls Felice Simmons and Shanna Jones plus this happy reporter.

Shaking nonstop for hours to pour the signature drink, a pear infused libation, this sextet gained new respect for the real mixologists who keep partiers lubricated night after night. Proceeds from this bev plus Sandler's burger benefited Victory, the nonprofit that won CultureMap's Charity Challenge.

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Beyonce Super Bowl

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”

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