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    Renew & redux

    Bargain hunters go bonkers at The Women's Home fashion pop-up shop & runway show

    Joel Luks
    Aug 22, 2013 | 9:57 am

    Sexy Manolo Blahnik pumps, an elegant Oscar de la Renta bolero and a Diane von Fürstenberg wrap dress to die for. Some serious retail therapy was going down moments after fashionistas ascended to Wortham Theater Center's Grand Foyer for The Women's Home's yearly "reNew and reDux" fundraiser on Wednesday.

     

    And you wouldn't believe the asking prices. Tory Burch wedges, $50. A Nicole Miller evening gown straight from the runway, $75. A Gucci blouse, $60.

     

    Champagne? Sure, bubbly was complimentary, which bargain hunters tippled without restraint, nearly depleting the bar's reserve.

     

    An hour just wasn't enough for au courant shoppers to peruse rack after rack of on-trend garments at the pop-up boutique. The collection of wearables donated by À bientôt, Cheeky Vintage, Designer Exchange, Langford Market and other local retailers in addition to individual contributions roused quite the shopping frenzy at this fourth annual event, which moved to this larger venue to accommodate its growing following — it sold out 280 seats and 120 standing-room-only spots.

     

     

      Items that weren't spoken for will return to The Women's Home's thrift store, The Cottage Shop.

     
     

    The soirée continued with a runway show introduced by FOX 26's morning anchor Natalie Bomke, who welcomed volunteers who served as the models du jour. Some, like Sparrow Bar + Cookshop sous chef Hilmi Ahmad, father and daughter Scott and Jordyn Ensell, Sarah Golshadi, Janice Hall, Donna McKenzie, Sophia Macris and Zoe Patterson, swaggered a tad more coquettishly, earning shout-outs from spectators fringing the catwalk.

     

    The fetching models can thank Lenny Matuszewski for expertly styling them in couture that complemented their physiques and complexions. Designs by Giorgio Armani, Lafayette 148, Burberry, Escada, Andrew Gn, Kade Spade, Alberta Feretti, Vera Wang, Versace and Tadashi were organized into eight scenes that switched from classic looks to sophisticated formal wear to funky duds.

     

    After the fashion parade, back to shopping it was for Nena Brackett and Kay Brown, who were on the prowl for cold weather clothes for an upcoming cruise down the Rhine. Mother-to-be Christina Wilkerson found items that will work as maternity clothes plus a hot red number for after the bundle of joy arrives. But no one was smiling more than Karyn Guerrero, who scored a yummy Vanessa Riley coat.

     

    Items that weren't spoken for will return to The Women's Home's thrift store, The Cottage Shop, which is open Monday through Saturday and brings in roughly 15 percent of the nonprofit's total revenue.

     

    Joining top sponsors that included the John P. McGovern Foundation, West University Rotary Club and Briggs & Vesalka Co. alongside host committee members Nicole Brende, Christy Brown, Joyce Echols, Sarah Pollard and a bevy of others were Susanna Kise, Karina Barbieri, Gabriela Dror, Lauren and Michael Reeder, Kristen McDaniel, Joanna Podsiadlik, Arienne Brint, Valerie Dieterich, Ashley and Jonathan Brown, Carol Gradziel, Marcia Tapp, Kathy Kokas and Lora Clemmons.

    Marleen Kepke, left, Patricia Moore, Masha Moore, Katja Corbett and Geordie Hrdlicka at The Women's Home "reNew & reDux" Fashion Show at Wortham Theater Center.

      
    Photo by © Michelle Watson CultureMapSNAP.com
    Marleen Kepke, left, Patricia Moore, Masha Moore, Katja Corbett and Geordie Hrdlicka at The Women's Home "reNew & reDux" Fashion Show at Wortham Theater Center.
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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.

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