The couture salon of Neiman Marcus is seldom more packed with dressed-to-kill swans than it is on the evening that the Houston Chronicle announces its Best Dressed honorees. And so it was Wednesday night when 200 or so fashionistas and a respectable turnout of their men gathered for the much-anticipated unveiling of the lucky ladies of 2011.
No one could have been happier than Julia Frankel. After a lengthy hiatus from the list, she emerged, wearing Oscar de la Renta, to step into the spotlight as one of three women entering the Best Dressed Hall of Fame. To earn that highly-coveted post, one must make it to the heights of Houston fashion recognition three times.
Joining Frankel in the Hall of Fame spotlight were Kelli Blanton and Sheridan Williams, who reached the fashion pinnacle on the fast track, having been named Best Dressed every other year consecutively, something of a rarity. (Honorees must skip a year between their moments of fashion fame.) Unfortunately, Williams was ill and unable to attend.
It was an unusual list in the fact that there were no second-time honorees in the mix. Rather joining the Hall of Fame stars were first-timers in the fancy frock brigade were Gracie Cavnar, Arvia Few, Susan Krohn, Nidhika Mehta, Carmen Maria Montie-LeChien, Elizabeth Petersen and Rosemary Schatzman.
For this 29th annual announcement party, the honorees were introduced by Houston Chronicle publisher Jack Sweeney and congratulated by Neiman's dashing GM Bob Devlin, who serves as host with the most for this annual cocktail reception.
Just how are these women selected? Nominations come from past Best Dressed honorees and are presented to an anonymous editorial committee of the newspaper for review and selection. Criteria includes a certain profile on the charitable social scene, an unspecified amount of work in the non-profit trenches and, of course, great clothes.
The women will be presented at the annual Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Luncheon and Neiman Marcus Fashion Presentation Benefiting the March of Dimes set for March 24 at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Neiman's is bringing in the Akris Fall 2011 show for the runway. Best Dressed Hall of Fame veteran Phoebe Tudor chairs the luncheon and the mother-daughter team of Dr. Yvonne Cormier and Claire Cormier-Thielke are raffle chairs.
Among the fashion forward populating Neiman's couture salon were Becca Cason Thrash, Gary Petersen, Cynthia and Bucky Allshouse, Karen Mayell, Sharon Michael Owens, Ursaline Hamilton, Debbie and Rudy Festari, Dr. Kelli Fein, Anita Smith, Sue and Lester Smith, Danielle and John Ellis and Joanne King Herring.
Also on hand were Melissa Mithoff and husband Michael, she rumored to have been on the list this year but not. Count on Melissa as a good bet for 2012.
For more photos from the evening, click here.
Blowing kisses to the crowd, the Best Dressed honorees, back row, from left, Carmen Maria Montiel-Lechin, Gracie Cavnar, Julia Anderson Frankel, Arvia Few and Susan Krohn. Front row, from left, Kelli Blanton, Nidhika Mehta, Elizabeth Petersen and Rosemary Schatzman.
