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    Dinner Party Secrets

    International hostess shares secrets of the best dinner party ever: Royalty, moguls & those sexy gowns

    Shelby Hodge
    shelby hodge
    Jul 29, 2014 | 5:25 pm

    Black-tie optional mid-week, in the middle of summer? What hostess would make such an audacious request of dinner guests, including advising the ladies to wear "gowns, jewels, bring out the bling, ladies!"

    That would be uber hostess, glamorous diplomat and philanthropist Joanne King Herring.

    "Your guests are the table decorations, so what they wear is really important," she says, describing last week's dinner at River Oaks Country Club as "a summer's night delight." Only the most assured hostess could pull off such a mandate and Herring managed it with grace.

    "I don't like to have a dinner party unless there is someone exciting to entertain and I like having someone from out of town. I almost never have a dinner unless I have someone international."

    For the woman who has entertained more than her share of European royalty, oil moguls and political leaders, orchestrating the perfect dinner party is fine art, a talent honed while entertaining everyone from King Hussein of Jordan to Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Herring's dinner parties at her River Oaks home and in Washington D.C. have enjoyed such notoriety over the years that the New York Times dropped in once to report on one of her most acclaimed rituals — moving dinner partners with every course.

    The dinner table round robin was in play whenRichard Yates, a Santa Fe, N.M,-based developer with an eye on Houston, co-hosted the dinner for 32. It was a heady group ranging from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst to philanthropists Penny and Paul Loyd to Houston Chronicle managing editor Vernon Loeb.

    And as is the case at every JKH dinner there were special guests of honor — Austrian Archduchess Maria-Anna Galitzine ("Call me Maria") and Russian Prince Piotr Galitzine, chairman of the American division of TMK, which brings us to point one in Herring's formula for the perfect dinner party.

    The guest list

    While some hostesses prefer their dinner guests to reside in the domain of pretty people, Herring prefers brainy and interesting. "I always have a few glamorous people," she explains, but the bulk of her dinner guests are "exciting, people that have actually done something in the world."

    For the woman who has entertained more than her share of European royalty, oil moguls and political leaders, orchestrating the perfect dinner party is fine art.

    Add to that recent dinner party Cheryl Byington, a striking blond (glamour, check) who happens to be BP's vice president of Discipline Capability for Upstream Finance (interesting, check), along with Stewart Title founder Stewart Morris and Rice University's director of public art Molly Hubbard.

    "I like having people that don't know each other," Herring says, adding that including interesting people from all facets of the city makes for a profitable evening that "really adds to your world."

    Special guests

    "I don't like to have a dinner party unless there is someone exciting to entertain and I like having someone from out of town. I almost never have a dinner unless I have someone international," she says. "They provide such a catalyst for conversation."

    So it was only fitting that the mid-July guest list included Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and investor Allen Lin, who hails originally from Taiwan. He was introduced to Herring by METIS Financial Network CEO Joy Hou, a Taiwan native, living in San Diego. She also graced one of the two dinner tables.

    Table format

    Madame does not like round tables for any more than six people. Rounds inhibit conversation with anyone other than your dinner partner to the left and right while rectangular tables, she holds, invite conversation on either side as well as across the table.

    The request for two lengthy rectangular tables for the River Oaks Country Club dinner threw staff into a tizzy. It isn't done, Herring was told. The table will be too narrow, catering said.

    Madame prevailed.

    The seating chart

    "You have to see that the guests have the best seats possible," Herring says, noting that arranging her guests around her tables is never easy. For one of her dinners in Washington D.C., it took two days to work the arrangement to her liking. For her recent dinner, several hours were consumed with just the right placement. And we're not talking merely one seating arrangement.

    With the gents moving to new dinner partners with every course ("Take your wine glass and your napkin"), the seating has to be considered at least three times. It's a tradition that Herring began in the 1970s to assure that everyone has an interesting dinner partner for at least part of the night. "Seating is so important to people, which is one of the reasons to move them around."

    Among those moving from place to place around the table were former Texas Secretary of State Geoff Connor, John Thrash and Dr. Aashish Shah.

    The food

    "I think food is terribly important," Herring says. "You have to give this a lot of thought and I don't want anyone to come to Houston and not have a pecan ball." That vanilla ice cream delicacy rolled in chopped pecans and then topped with warm chocolate sauce was on the recent menu. It followed a first course of stuffed Texas quail and a main course of Chilean sea bass. Each course was accompanied by a French wine.

    If a hostess gives enough thought to each of the elements, "things will work out," Herring says.

    Applauding Herring's dinner party prowess and Yates' generosity as host were guests including philanthropists Sue Trammell Whitfield and Joan Lyons, plus international fundraiserBecca Cason Thrash, Tricia Dewhurst, Ford Hubbard III, Omana and Sam Abraham, Mary Ann and David McKeithan, Roseann Rogers, Robin King and Yates' date Madeline Feijóo.

    Allen Lin, from left, Joanne King Herring, Piotr Galitzine, Maria-Anna Galitzine and Joy Hou.

    News, Shelby, Joanne King Herring Dinner, Allen Lin, Joanne King herring, Piotr Galitzine, Maria-Anna Galitizine, Joy Hou, July 2014
      
    Photo by Leslie Lormann
    Allen Lin, from left, Joanne King Herring, Piotr Galitzine, Maria-Anna Galitzine and Joy Hou.
    unspecified
    news/society

    Power and Style

    Fashion show and tequila toasts light up Latin Women’s Initiative lunch

    Joel Luks
    Jun 13, 2025 | 4:30 pm
    Latin Women's Initiative gala luncheon 2025
    Photo by Dave Rossman
    Jessica Perez, Vicky Nehme, Raquel Thomas, and Alejandra Elizondo.

    Houtson's Latin Women’s Initiative pulled off a tres chic triple threat — style, celebration, and serious giving — during its 30th anniversary luncheon and fashion show, drawing more than 850 supporters to the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom. The event blended culture, community, and catwalks into one spectacular midday affair.

    Event chairs April Ramirez Fabre and Julie Garza, alongside board president Jovanny Orellana, welcomed guests to a ballroom teeming with fashionistas, philanthropists, and a whole lot of Latin sass. The annual luncheon, show, and bustling marketplace marked a major milestone for the nonprofit, which has supported Houston’s Latin community for more than two decades. This year’s honorees, Lisset Garza and Naimeh Salem, were recognized for their years of dedicated support to the organization and beyond.

    Festivities kicked off early with a shopping marketplace that opened in the morning and quickly became standing room only. Stylish attendees sipped tequila samples from local brand Titanium Tequila while browsing vendors. A specialty cocktail bar and music from DJ Freddy B kept the energy festive. Event designer Johanna Terry delivered an elegant setting, infusing the ballroom with rich emerald green tones, a nod to the organization’s 30th anniversary, paired with lush florals.

    The program began with Orellana welcoming the crowd from a dramatic Y-shaped runway, as Mariachi Reyes de Mexico filled the room with music that hushed the crowd for a heartfelt invocation.

    Then came the moment every fashion lover waited for: Lo Mejor de Saks Primavera 2025 (The Best of Spring Saks 2025), a luxe runway show presented in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, led by Heidi Turney and Hasina Starks. Applause echoed as models and a few brave Houston firefighters showed off the season’s must-haves. But the true showstopper? Actor and TV host Julián Gil, who surprised the audience by strutting the runway himself, earning whoops and cheers from the crowd. His appearance was generously sponsored by Salem.

    The catwalk came alive with Latin beats and massive LED screens flashing colorful visuals, thanks to a production team led by Lenny Matuszewski and Tamara Bonar. Behind-the-scenes storytelling and videos, created by exclusive media partner Telemundo Houston, added a poignant layer to the spectacle.

    As guests settled in for lunch, anticipation built for the raffle, which included a dazzling diamond tennis necklace from Zadok Jewelers. Helene Zadok herself took the stage to crown the lucky winner. All that excitement translated into impact: the event raised more than $500,000 to benefit Justice Forward, Rebuilding Together Houston, Segundo Barrio Children's Chorus, El Centro de Corazon, and Naba Shoes for Kids.

    And what’s a Latin party without a proper toast?

    Guests clinked glasses in a tequila-fueled cheers to three decades of fashion for a cause, then danced the afternoon away to live music from Grupo Kache. The grand finale included more marketplace shopping and lite bites, with plans already announced for next year’s fête on May 1, 2026.

    Houston’s Latin glitterati showed up, including Ceron, Patricia Herrera, Leticia Fallick, Rosi Hernandez, Gloria Luna Bounds, Trini Mendenhall-Royalty, Vicky Dominguez, Becky Reyes, Maritza Gonzales, Vicki Luna, Chree Boydstun, David Cordua, Frances Castañeda Dyess, Patricia Garcia, Alba Huerta, Daisy Mendoza, Arcy Muñoz Marshall, Jolene Treviño, Mari Salazar, Leanne Schneider, Hoda Sana, Xochitl Ljuboja, Jackie Garcia, Cathryn Martinez, Mariangeles Orti, Vanessa Ramirez, Matty Restivo, Lisa Flores, Susan Dray, Marilu Garza, Conchita Reyes, Lorena Gomez, Lucia and Michael Cordua, and Leisa Holland-Nelson.

    Latin Women's Initiative gala luncheon 2025
      

    Photo by Dave Rossman

    Jessica Perez, Vicky Nehme, Raquel Thomas, and Alejandra Elizondo.

    fundraiserslatin women’s initiative
    news/society
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