Bayou City High style in October

Christian Siriano, Chloe Dao, Mark Bouwer & Cesar Galindo headline first Houston fashion week

Key players in Audi Fashion Houston 2010 are Neal Hamil, from left, Jared Lang and Cesar Galindo.

Photo by Shelby Hodge

When CultureMap first announced Audi Fashion Houston 2010 last month, numerous details were up in the air. With the official press launch at Wortham Theater Center Wednesday, the curtain lifted on key elements of the inaugural fashion frolick set for Oct. 11-15.

Confirmed to show their collections in runway presentations at Wortham Theater Center are Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, red carpet favorite Mark Bouwer and hometown talents Chloe Dao (another Project Runway winner), Cesar Galindo and David Peck. Italian men's design house Kiton joins the runway line-up as well, compliments of Saks Fifth Avenue. (We can't wait to see Kiton's $30,000 suits.) And Lauren Bush presents her Feed Bag line, to be shown with Peck's CrOp designs.

In addition to local models, organized by Page Parkes, nationally-recognized mannequins scheduled to join the catwalk parade include Caridee English, winner of America's Next Top Model; Kalyn Hemphill, winner of Models of the Runway Season One; and '80s supermodel Diane Dewitt.

Also new to the line-up of events surrounding the shows is the presentation of haute couture gowns from the closet of Lynn Wyatt. The international social icon and International Best Dressed Hall of Fame honoree will select a dozen of her favorite pieces for display in the windows of Neiman Marcus.

As mentioned in May, venerable model agency exec Eileen Ford will be honored at the closing gala with the first Annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Neal Hamil, who worked with Ford for 18 years as business partner, is organizing that evening. The week concludes with local retailers presenting trunk shows in association with Audi Fashion Houston.

Momentum Audi general manager Jared Lang, Fashion Houston 2010 president; Wyatt; Hamil and Parkes addressed the gathering in the Grand Foyer of Wortham Center where much of the fashion week activities will take place.

Marc Bouwer brings his high style gowns to Houston in October.

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no more magic of macy's

Macy's to shutter dozens of stores nationwide, including 1 in Houston

Courtesy photo

Macy's said it would be moving forward with closing 66 locations, including Houston's Alameda Mall store.

A major department store name is contracting its presence in Texas: Macy's is planning on closing six of its locations statewide, including a Houston store, by the end of April 2025.

Macy's is the New York-based brand, which includes Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Bluemercury.

According to a press release, the company will be closing 66 stores nationwide as a part of its "Bold New Chapter" strategy to make the company profitable again. In all, Macy's is planning on shuttering 150 "underproductive" locations by 2026.

The singular Houston Macy's that is included in the closure is located at Almeda Mall. A clearance sale is expected to begin this month and will last for approximately 8-12 weeks, according to a FAQ on the Macy's website. Shoppers who currently patronize that store will soon have to travel eight miles farther to Macy's Baybrook Mall location in Friendswood, or visit one of the three remaining locations in the city limits.

The five Dallas-Fort Worth stores that are closing include:

Macy's Village, 201 Stacy Rd. in Fairview
Shops at Willow Bend, 6209 W. Park Blvd. in Plano
Southlake Town Square, 321 State St. in Southlake
Market by Macy's WestBend, 1751 River Run #101 in Fort Worth
Highlands of Flower Mound, 6101 Long Prairie Rd. Suite 500 in Flower Mound

Though Texas is losing six stores, California and New York will be hit harder with the loss of nine stores each.

"Closing any store is never easy, but as part of our Bold New Chapter strategy, we are closing underproductive Macy’s stores to allow us to focus our resources and prioritize investments in our go–forward stores, where customers are already responding positively to better product offerings and elevated service," said Tony Spring, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. in the release.

shopping closings