Bubbles and Benefits

Live out your champagne dreams while shopping: It's a week of drink at arearetailers

A look from Caycee Black's collection. The designer will be at TootsiesThursday.
Muse Boutique is hosting a champagne benefit event.

There’s lots of bubbly and benefits this week at local boutiques, so why stay at home when you could be living your champagne dreams?

— All of River Oaks Shopping Center is a runway Wednesday for the American Heart Association fashion show from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Landmark Theatre. Center retailers Rebecca & Drew, 310 Rosemont, La Mode and Em & Lee are among the retailers sending looks down catwalk. Tickets are $40 at the door and include cocktails and light bites. All proceeds benefit the American Heart Association.

— Just because Tootsies is moving to West Ave. next year doesn’t mean the parties are stopping. Designer Caycee Black makes a personal appearance from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday during Champagne and Cupcake Happy Hour. Fifteen percent of the sales benefit Heroes For Children. A $5 donation is suggested.

The champagne keeps flowing Friday from noon-2 p.m. during the Sip + See with Sachin + Babi lunchtime fashion show by husband and wife design team Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia. Saturday, Tootsies gives shoppers some denim direction with expert jeans specialists, new styles and on-the-spot alterations.

— Muse Boutique on West Alabama opens its doors for a shopping event benefitting The Center for Success and Independence and the Diaper Foundation Thursday at 6 p.m. Sip while shopping and get 15 percent off your purchase when donating underwear, bras, socks, slippers, tennis shoes, sweatshirts and bed linens.

— Fairy dust and dumplings anyone? The Fairy Godmother Project is celebrating its volunteer corps with a happy hour at Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar from 6-8 p.m.Thursday.

The event is open to the public and volunteers can nosh on complimentary bites and shop from Silpada Designs, Mary Kay and BookYourGoldParty.com. A portion of the proceeds benefits FGP.

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Stepping Up

RodeoHouston teams up with Texas bootmaker for limited edition collab

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lane Boots

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) concert lineup has been announced, and concert tickets have gone on sale, which can only mean one thing – it is time to get rodeo ready. For 20 days in March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is taking over the NRG Stadium complex, where Houstonians will display their best Western-inspired attire.

This year, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo collaborated with popular Texas-based brand Lane Boots on a one-of-a-kind limited edition collection. Muffy King, director of marketing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, designed the boots with help from a team of experts at Lane Boots. Together, they looked at what is trending in existing boot designs and the fashion industry as a whole to come up with a unique look.

"It was important to us that the boot meant to celebrate the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo be representative of the 'Cowboy Core' aesthetic that is a major influence in fashion right now. These fundamental choices were a natural way for us to incorporate and represent our mission-driven pillar – Western Heritage," King tells CultureMap.

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of HLSR. The round braid on the sides represents the ropes used in competitions. The starburst effect around the star and the state of Texas symbolizes the lights on the RodeoHouston stage. The Texas on the back of the boot highlights HLSR's focus on supporting education in the Lone Star State. Departing from Lane's recognizable blue-soled boots, these feature a distinct orange sole with the HLSR logo stamped on the bottom, reflecting the branding seen across Texas ranches.

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

"We wanted to showcase the unique feature Lane has become known for in Western fashion, but with our own Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo flare," said King. "For both the Rodeo and Lane Boots, this was a real testament to the partnership and collaboration that took place to make these boots a reality."

The boots were released online earlier this month, and according to King, they are "flying off the shelves quickly" and have been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Lane Boots produced 2,025 pairs of boots at their factory in Leon, Mexico. Each pair has an individual stamp and a special message on the inside of the boot shaft.

"The story behind the boot naturally lends itself to being relatable to many individuals across all walks of life," King says. "It was a very seamless process that resulted in an aesthetic that allows whoever wearing them to incorporate their own story and personality into the boot."

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. If any inventory remains when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins, they will be available at the Lane Boots location in NRG Center.

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

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