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    Little Black Dress Games

    Spicing up the Little Black Dress: 10 of Houston's most fashionable women give the contest a sexy boost

    Clifford Pugh
    Mar 14, 2014 | 11:54 am

     Jeff Shell is always thinking of new ways to freshen up the iconic little black dress. In advance of the latest edition of the Little Black Dress Designer Competition, which Shell created six years ago, the Neal Hamil Agency director unveiled the names of 10 stylish Houston women who will serve as muses for the young fashion designers in advance of this year's contest.

     

    Before a packed gathering of Houston's fashion faithful at Tootsies Wednesday night, Yasmine Haddad, Ursaline Hamilton, Lucinda Loya, Beth Muecke, Judy Nyquist, Theresa Roemer, Roseann Rogers, Jessica Rossman, Holly Waltrip and Donae Chramosta took runway bows to big applause.

     

    Also joining in the fun were Jared Lang, general manager of Audi Central Houston, which sponsored the event, Tootsies owner Mickey Rosmarin, Maryam Afshari, Vivian Wise, Jeanne and James Ruberti, Karina Barbieri, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Hallie Vanderhider, Suzette Brimmer, Kay King, Todd Ramos, Monica Abney, Deborah Elias and Hershey Grace. Guests sampled hors d'oeuvres from Pondicheri and Corner Table and stopped by an unusual wine bar with a human Holly Golightly look-alike rising from the center of a round table.

     

    The event also featured a runway show showcasing the season's hautest little black dresses from Azzedine Alaia, Lela Rose, BCBG and other top designers, assembled by Toosties fashion director Fady Armanious and available at the store.

     

    A panel of celebrity judges will choose the 10 Texas designers who will create little black dresses for their muses. The fashion icons will select their favorite designs at a high tea party at Saks Fifth Avenue on April 2.

     

    The Little Black Dress Designer Competition will take place at House of Blues on May 21, with $30,000 in scholarships awarded to the winners.

    A human Holly Golightly served wine in an unusual setup.

    2. Model serving wine at the Little Black Dress designer kick-off party and fashion show March 2014
      
    Photo by © Chris Brown The PR Boutique
    A human Holly Golightly served wine in an unusual setup.
    unspecified
    news/society

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    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

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