Best Dressed Runway Swagger

Stylish crowd cheers for Houston's Best Dressed honorees and Zac Posen's runway looks

The cheering squads were at the ready at the Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Luncheon and Neiman Marcus Fashion Presentation at the Hilton Americas-Houston as the ballroom was transformed into something of a sporting arena of high fashion.

As the 10 Best Dressed honorees took their stroll in the catwalk spotlight at midday Tuesday, fans rose to their feet, raised placards in the air and hooted their enthusiastic praise for their fashionable friends.

Leading the fashion flock were Best Dressed Hall of Fame honorees, three women who attained that vaunted rank by making the list for the third time. Taking bows in their designer threads were Susan Sarofim, Rosemary Schatzman and Mary Tere Perusqia.

These and the other honorees were introduced by Houston Chronicle chairman Jack Sweeney and fashion and beauty editor Joy Sewing. Beaming over the coveted recognition were honorees Stephanie Cockrell, Laura Davenport, Isabel David, Gayla Gardner, Winell Herron, Sippi Khurana, and Millette Sherman.

Applause, applause for luncheon chair Dr. Yvonne Cormier and raffle chairs Valerie Dieterich and Mary D'Andrea whose support contributed to the 34th annual Best Dressed luncheon's success in supporting the March of Dimes.

Following presentation of the honorees, Neiman Marcus GM Bob Devlin announced the presentation of Zac Posen designs, the creative talent special guest of Neiman Marcus on this busy day. (Posen was feted at an intimate dinner party the night before at the home of Hall of Fame honoree Lynn Wyatt.)

Posen presented a portion of his well-received fall collection of day looks and floral gowns, which debuted at New York Fashion Week last month, and debuted a number lavish evening gowns just for the Houston audience.

The fashionable crowd included Sheridan Williams, Janet Gurwitch, Diane Lokey Farb, Ceron (in a floral Gucci suit that wowed the crowd), Jana Arnoldy, Staci Henderson, Courtney Toomey, Fady Armanious, Viviana Denechaud, Ashlee Love, Ting Bresnehan, Julie Brown, Patti Murphy, Laura Davenport and Kristen Nix.

Designer Zac posen congratulates Gayla Gardner with Millette Sherman, Susan Sarofim, Rosemary Schatzman, Mary Tere Perusquia.

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Brief moments

Competitive spirit powers Houston charity's bingo night for kids

Photo by Sheryl Lochridge/Your Best Shot Photography

A packed house raised money for kids.

Bingo? Dismiss any conjured up perceptions of grannies with a chip on their shoulder, kvetching about their thankless families while struggling to read the numbers of their bingo cards from underneath their readers. This was a crowd of competitive dauber savants. God help you if you got it wrong and called Bingo when you should’ve been sipping on your bevvy and minding your biz.

This cheerful and amicable (yet high-stakes) gamer fundraiser was one where one could mention the unmentionables. Welcome to the 2024 edition of Bingo and Briefs, presented by CenterPoint Energy, supporting Undies for Everyone.

The laid-back atmosphere of the SPJST Lodge 88 in the Heights became a lively battleground, with 370 attendees raising $175,000. At the helm of this afternoon gathering was Rabbi Amy Weiss. This CEO and founder is also a 2022 CNN hero who solves an often invisible problem.

Players-cum-supporters showed up in force — no free space in the cafetorium — huddled around tables laden with candy, chips, and guacamole. The event setup, along with crowd favorite Tacos A Go Go, ensured that every player was well-fed and pepped up, primed to vie for one of the many prizes. Sponsors included HEB, TDECU, United Airlines, Reliant, and Lisset Garza.

“We’re thrilled to host Bingo and Briefs in such a relaxed setting, where friends can come together to support a simple yet vital mission,” remarked Megan Ryan, chair of Undies for Everyone. “Providing kids in need with new underwear is a small but meaningful way to help them thrive — and tonight, we’re doing that while having a bit of fun.”

The crowd’s energy was set ablaze as Jim Grace and Barry Mandel took on the roles of callers, guiding the participants through rounds of classic bingo. Winners included Nancy Rothfeder, Leah Shapiro, Tiffani Tatum, and Amit Misra, who joined others in celebrating their victories.

Between rounds, Stephanie Magers took the stage to lead a spirited game of Heads or Tails, with Rosie Hernandez ultimately claiming the prize, further thrilling the crowd.

The organization’s mission to provide children in poverty with basic dignity underwear struck a chord. Ryan shared a personal story of her journey with Undies for Everyone, from her early days as a Junior League member to witnessing the organization grow into a national powerhouse that distributed 1.6 million pairs of underwear to kids across the country this year.

Reflecting on the cause, Rabbi Weiss summed up the party’s unique charm, saying, “Our supporters love the casual atmosphere of Bingo and Briefs — it’s a chance to provide kids with basic dignity while relaxing in jeans. There’s nothing quite like it.”

Hoping for a big payout were Rabbi Oren Hayon, Rabbi Pamela Silk, Carey Kirkpatrick, Sally Anne Schmidt, Nicole Romano, Winnie Simmons, Nic Phillips, Barbara Loeser, Mimi Swartz, John Wilburn, Jill Jewett, Jason Ryan, Lainie Gordon, David Minceberg, Ilene Epstein, Allison Miller, Tyler Naquin, Scott Sawyer, Lee Haverman, and Will Brown.

Photo by Sheryl Lochridge/Your Best Shot Photography

A packed house raised money for kids.

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