• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Social Scene

    Ready to rumble? At black-tie gala, Men of Menil learn the finer points of sumowrestling

    Clifford Pugh
    Mar 14, 2012 | 4:29 pm
    • Byamba and Mark Watts, president of The Friedkin Group, match wits in the ring.
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Waka and Scott McGill, a professor of the classics at Rice University face off.
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Yama, front, clockwise, Waka, Byamba and Noro
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Yama and Byamba go stomach to stomach during a match.
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Photo by George Hixson
    • Noro takes a breather at the end of a match.
      Photo by George Hixson
    • Many in the black-tie crowd pulled out their cameras to snap the action.
      Photo by George Hixson

    There aren't many black-tie galas that open with, "Are you ready to rumble?" But those are the exact words co-chair Greg Looser used at the third annual Men of Menil gala, just before he introduced four Japanest sumo wrestlers who fought 12 matches before the black-tie crowd at Richmond Hall, the Menil annex that houses minimalist sculptor Dan Flavin's works of fluorescent art.

    In coming up with the idea of importing sumo wrestlers for the occasion, co-chairs Looser, David Fitch and Harry Pinson admitted they were thinking outside the box for a fundraiser benefitting an old-guard Houston museum.

     

      "We wanted something a little bit risky, just a little bit out of the ordinary."

      "We wanted something a little bit risky, just a little bit out of the ordinary," Pinson explained.

    The after-dinner entertainment had the audience up and cheering, snapping photos of the matches with their cell phones and yelling the names of their favorite wrestler. Byama, a 360-pound wrestler originally from Mongolia, remained undefeated throughout the evening, although the crowd favorites appeared to be baby-faced wrestler, Yama, who, at 580 pounds was the heaviest wrestler, and Noro, who at 320 pounds was the lightest.

    In a bit of comic relief, two tuxedo-clad men were plucked from the audience for a brief match against the wrestlers. Mark Watts, president of the Friedkin Group, owner of Gulf States Toyota, which was the evening's lead corporate sponsor, and Scott McGill, a Rice University classics professor, stood their ground in the ring.

    While the idea of introducting sumo wrestling at a black-tie benefit is not an everyday occurence for a Houston event, it's not as farfetched as it might seem. The extensive Menil art collection includes priceless pieces from Asia Minor and founder Dominque de Menil always maintained a world view.

    And since the Men of Menil fundraiser has the theme of a gentlemen's smoker, it's open to different forms of entertainment. Last year, the dinner featured a quartet of magicians who performed amazing card tricks, including three card monte and shell games.

    "The general concept of this evening is a smoker at a private club that featured prize fights, so we tried to figure out what we could do that was closer to the original concept." Pinson said. "Someone said, 'how about sumo?' and everyone hooted. But we put it on the list (of possibilities) and the the rest is history."

    Organizers sought out Andrew Freund, executive director of the California Sumo Association, who produces sumo events all over the world. "I thought it sounded wonderful," Freund recalled. "We love to play at places where people are sophisticated, educated and understand the cultural significance of sumo."

     

      "We love to play at places where people are sophisticated, educated and understand the cultural significance of sumo."

      Among the places that sumo wrestlers have peformed is the Friars Club of Beverly Hills, Freund said. "Sumo is unique, exotic and it has 2,000 years of Japanese culture."

    The evening started with drinks in an open-air tent behind Richmond Hall before guests went inside for a dinner, catered by Jackson & Co., that included a man-size portion of osso bucco and duck salad on a nest of pasta. After the matches ended, guests gathered for an after-dinner brandy and cigars in a tent in front of the hall.

    Menil director Josef Helfenstein was pleased to report that the evening raised more than $443,000 — a record amount for the event.

    In the crowd of 260 were former Mayor Bill White, Deputy Consul General of Japan Takahiko Watabe and Daniel Watanabe, who helped coordinate the wrestlers’ visit.

    Also on hand: Albert Chao, Adrian Patterson, Ford Hubbard, Murry Penner, Dr. Michael Kaplan, Perry Radoff and sons Russell and Bradley, Bill Stewart, Michael Metz, Mark Wawro, Eddie Allen, Jared Crane, Ransom Lummis, Shannon Sasser, Danny David, James A. Elkins IV, Scott Ziegler, Thomas Wessell, Meredith Cullen and Robert Jamail.

    With the success of the sumo-themed party, some were already surmising what the entertainment might be next year. Fencing, anyone?

    unspecified
    news/society

    most read posts

    Houston is one of America's most overpriced cities, study finds

    This Houston suburb had the highest apartment rent prices in June

    Netflix chef's modern Mexican restaurant opens in Houston this month

    Silk and Sequins

    Cultural fashion takes center stage at Runway to Asia in Houston

    Joel Luks
    Jul 10, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Asia Society Runway to Asia fashion show 2025
    Photo by Annie Mulligan
    Rekha Muddaraj, Shazia Sultan, Danny Nguyen, Zang Toi, Bonna Kol, Phoebe Tudor, and Leigh Smith.

    If fashion is a language, Runway to Asia spoke it fabulously fluently.

    The ballroom of The Post Oak Hotel shimmered with silk, sequins, and sartorial splendor as Asia Society Texas debuted its first-ever Runway to Asia style-studded affair — a glamorous gala-meets-catwalk moment where heritage was hand-stitched into haute couture.

    More than 300 guests filled the swanky venue for the event, greeted by models perched like living mannequins in Danny Nguyen’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, each ensemble a fabric-forward love letter to cultural identity and avant-garde vision. This was a glamnifesto on what it means to wear your roots with pride and purpose.

    Leading the stylish charge were co-chairs Leigh Smith, Shazia Sultan, and Phoebe Tudor, who curated the afternoon like seasoned couturiers. Attendees noshed on a three-course lunch before the real feast began: a full-throttle catwalk presentation honoring two design dynamos — Danny Nguyen, Houston’s own silhouettist supreme, and international fashion luminary Zang Toi.

    Rekha Muddaraj, former KHOU 11 anchor turned emcee extraordinaire, welcomed the crowd with poise, passing the mic to Asia Society Texas president Bonna Kol, who framed the gathering as more than just fashion, but part of the nonprofit’s mission to celebrate cultural diversity through art.

    The applause crescendoed when Michael Buening, the organization’s director of performing arts and culture, announced the event had raised more than $300,000 to fund more than 20 annual programs.

    Pro tip: philanthropy always looks better in couture.

    Then came the honors. Nguyen was honored with the Texas Trendsetter Award, praised by Shazia Sultan for blending traditional elegance with avant-glam silhouettes. Meanwhile, Tudor crowned Toi with the Global Icon Award, charting his runway rise from Malaysia to Manhattan.

    Toi’s “Opulence of the Orient Express” collection brought the house down with 37 jaw-dropping looks: Ottoman-inspired caftans, midnight velvet suits, pearl-dusted evening gowns, and coat-dress hybrids that defied the laws of layering. Each ensemble whispered luxury and screamed craftsmanship.

    The raffle added a thrill of retail roulette with prizes including a luxe Hill Country escape, personal styling sessions with the honorees, and golden tickets to Zang Toi’s Fall 2026 New York show.

    Soaking in the scene were Sushila Agrawal, Nancy Allen, Fady Armanious, Kristy Bradshaw, Divya Brown, Tripp Carter, Theresa Chang, Anne Chao, Molly Crownover, Kari Dagley, Chloe Dao, Debbie Festari, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Brigitte Kalai, Mandy Kao, Sippi Khurana, Karen Kwok, Teri Lee, Kelley Lubanko, Christy Lynn, Petra Martinez, Sneha Merchant, Duyen Nguyen, Cabrina Owsley, Akemi Saitoh, Miya Shay, Sue and Randy Sim, Shawn Stephens, Y. Ping Sun, Ileana Trevino, Janae Tsai, Stephanie Tsuru, Heidi Turney, and Asha Virani.

    Asia Society Runway to Asia fashion show 2025
      

    Photo by Annie Mulligan

    Rekha Muddaraj, Shazia Sultan, Danny Nguyen, Zang Toi, Bonna Kol, Phoebe Tudor, and Leigh Smith.

    fundraisersasia society texas centerfashion show
    news/society
    Loading...