One Small Step

Houston businessman to run across Texas: 850-mile sprint tackles human trafficking

Rounding up support for his cross-Texas marathon aimed at drawing attention to human trafficking, Houston businessman Jason Arcemont and friends took over Sewell Cadillac on the Katy Freeway and offered guests the opportunity to sponsor links in his 850-mile journey.

He is set to put on his running shoes Oct. 1, starting in El Paso and hitting major cities across the state until he reaches Orange near the Louisiana border. Arcemont's plan is to jog approximately 30 miles a day in 30 days. Along the way, he will meet with shelter workers, local and state politicians and media to spread awareness of the problem.

"It only takes a tiny spark to start a wildfire. We want to get people talking."

When the father of four and head of Brightbox Inc. learned that 300,000 children are enslaved for prostitution annually in the United States, and that Houston is a major hub for human trafficking, Arcemont felt motivated to do something thus he founded the Texas Freedom Run.

On his website, Arcemont explains, "It only takes a tiny spark to start a wildfire. We want to get people talking. Get them informed. Tell them what to look for and who to go to for help."

Joining Arcemont on the program at the Texas Freedom Run event were Houston police officer Charles G. Dunn and Kristian Rose, director of operations and general counsel of Love146, an international human rights organization based in New Haven, Conn.

In addition to the spread put on by Sewell hosts, guests took a look at a plexiglass graphic displaying the topography of Arcemont's route from El Paso to Orange. Also on display were commemorative running shoes, decorated by Houston artist Hanh Tran, that the long-distance runner will wear at the start and finish of his statewide marathon.

Jason Arcemont plans to run from El Paso to Orange in October.

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Silk and Sequins

Cultural fashion takes center stage at Runway to Asia in Houston

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.