The look of spring 2012

Houstonian Britt Maren works the runway at Carolina Herrera & Badgley Mischka

Britt Maren leads the line-up at the end of the Badgley Mischka show.
Photo by Peter Michael Dill/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Britt Maren at Carolina Herrera
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
At Badgley Mischka, from left, Grace Hightower DeNiro, Somers Farkas, Joanne DeGuardiola, Suzanne Johnson and Muffie Potter Aston
Photo by Clifford Pugh

NEW YORK — Former Houston model Britt Maren, who CultureMap caught up with at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February, is at it again. I spotted her on the runway at the Carolina Herrera show in an off-white silk crepe blouse with geometric applique, black pleated pants and red and black patent leather belt.

And at Badgley Mischka she wore three gowns, including a nude georgette gown that closed the show.

Maren, who was known as Maren Stavinoha before she moved to New York and hit it big as a top runway model, was a brunette in February, but is now a blonde again. Her big break came when Alexander Wang picked her to open his show a year ago and a few weeks later stylist Guido Palau chopped off her waist-length hair and bleached it backstage at Balenciaga in Paris before she hit the catwalk for the influential French fashion house.

As Renee Zellweger and Nicki Minaj looked on, Herrera presented a lovely collection of daywear in a beguiling print of canary yellow sparrows and gowns embroidered in geometric art deco patterns.

Mark Badgley and James Mischka mixed in their premier Badgley Mischka collection with their lower price Mark + James line. The Badgley Mischka gowns were more glam, but I liked the more casual Mark + James pieces better, particularly a turquoise crepe chiffon pant and a watermelon-colored romper.

Among those having a good time at the Badgley Mischka show were Suzanne Johnson, wife of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, and four friends all outfitted in shiny form-fitting Jets jerseys. Johnson said the shrunken jerseys, which are studded with Swarovski crystals, are available for all NFL teams — including the Houston Texans — at NFLshop.com.

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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