Shelby's Social Diary

Only a few good men crash the Women of Wardrobe mixer at Hotel ZaZa

Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan

Justan Vaughn had no idea that his happy hour respite at Hotel ZaZa on Thursday, between work and a young professionals gathering later in the evening, would place him in the middle of a sea of chattering women. But that's exactly what rose up around him while he did paperwork as an account executive for Unishipper Global Logistics.

The Women of Wardrobe, the sexy youthful auxiliary of Dress for Success, took over the happy hour hot spot for the kick-off of its Sizzling Summer Soirée set for mid-August at Tootsies. A record number of young women turned out to network, schmooze and sample generous appetizers provided by Monarch.

The high-pitched/high-decibel get-together doubled as a kick-off for CultureMap's Mixers on the Map, a new monthly happy hour bash focusing on a rotating roster of young professionals groups.

The high-pitched/high-decibel get-together doubled as a kick-off for CultureMap's Mixers on the Map, a new happy hour bash to be held henceforth the third Tuesday of the month and focusing on a rotating roster of young professionals groups.

On this night, it was really all about the ladies because the gents that turned out were few and far between, some unsuspecting such as our man Justan. The hero of the night was designer David Peck who was on hand to greet the crowd and offer one of his CrOps dresses in a drawing.

Marcus Carter and Leslie Jackson were among the other guys on hand to party with the Women of Wardrobe.

The ladies gathered around tables, packed the bar area and occasionally made a brief visit to the Monarch Lounge patio, but it was just too hot for much outdoor partying. Making friends at one large table were Lyndsey Zorich, Whitney Russell, Claire Tipps, Sarah High, Abigail Mayo, Porscha Radcliffe and Megan Helmey.

Others in the mix were Dress for Success founder Nancy Levicki, Women of Wardrobe president Lindsey Brown, Kristy Bradshaw, Julie O. Griffith, Barbara Walker, Hannah Thibodeaux, Montrice Malone, Nhulien Hope and CultureMap's marketing director Carey Kirkpatrick.

unspecified

Party Watch

Contemporary Western art shines at Galveston museum fundraiser

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

What: Art Untamed, A Night of Contemporary Western Art

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

Where: The Lancaster Hotel

The Scoop: With cowboy boots traded for cocktail attire, more than 115 artists and art lovers moseyed into downtown for Art Untamed, an evening that lassoed the spirit of the West with a modern twist.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser benefiting The Bryan Museum was steered by a dedicated committee including Christine Glover, Linda and Bill Reeves, and Guylene and Jay Lendrum. The event spotlighted 32 Southwestern artists featured in the Visions of the West exhibit.

Guests sipped and mingled during cocktail hour, sizing up 73 pieces ranging from luminous landscapes to storytelling textiles. The live auction, led by crowd-favorite auctioneer Randolph Holford, delivered a flurry of paddles in the air, especially for Bob Stuth-Wade’s radiant Santiago Peak from Chalk Draw, Nathaniel Garza’s moody Three Reasons, and Echo Ukrainetz’s intricate batik honoring cowgirl trailblazer Lucy Mulhall.

The weekend kicked off at The Lancaster Hotel, where partner Jay Shinn hosted artists and VIPs at a reception in the historic property set to celebrate its centennial next year. During the festivities, museum founder JP Bryan captured the mood best.

“A collection is an expression of a soul; it speaks to where our heart is,” he said. “That is why the museum was founded, to share the important story of Texas and the American West through a world-class collection, outstanding exhibitions, and educational programming.”

The evening raised nearly $100,000 to support educational programming and outreach at The Bryan Museum.

Who: Lori Leal Wedemeyer and Barkley Wedemeyer, Sassy Stanton, Bill Pinckard, Mike Glover, Shara Fryer, Barry Silverman, Frank Rynd, Deborah and Monte Stavis, Kelly and Luis Zúñiga, Kara Przybyl McIver and David McIver, Dianne Reynolds, Stephanie and Brent Kindle, Penny and Townes Pressler, Linda and Jerry Dickson, Bob Leibrock, Paulina Padilla, Nocona Burgess, Vickie McMillan-Hayes, Ricardo Robles, and Bob Stuth-Wade.

museums fundraisers bryan museum visual-art