Shelby's Social Diary

Hot fashion, fast cars and frolicking young professionals rock at FashionHouston kickoff

Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Shiny — that would be the operative word for the Fashion Houston bash at Momentum Audi Thursday night when more than 500 young professionals (a glittery bunch) partied amid the gleaming hot wheels of the new car showroom.

Fashion Houston and Momentum Audi co-hosted the preview of the upcoming fashion extravaganza for the Houston Young Professionals Society, a networking group with plenty of party plans.

Lawyers, teachers, real estate agents and other white-collar types mingled through the showroom while the Nora Jones-style sounds of the E. Nicole Band provided background cool musical vibes.

Houston design houses including those of Chloe Dao, Jerri Moore and David Peck showed a sample of their current lines and a preview of what's to come when the event launches on Nov. 12. Organizers tempted the fashionable crowd with announcement of the impressive designer line-up that will populate the runways.

The see-and-be-seen crowd included Fashion Houston founder and Momentum Audi/VW general manager Jared Lang, HYPS founders Jennifer Nguyen and Freddy Goerges, Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) social coordinator Andrew Glisson, Sarah Tresler, Tanesha Seafous, Oana Borcoman, Hilary Rosenstein, Mary Rosenstein, Lauren Levey, Kim Padgett, Taylor Bruinsma, Corey Braes, Kristin Prichard and Crystin Pactor.

For those who couldn't get enough of the partying at Momentum Audi, the crowd moved on to the after-party at Bar 55 in Rice Village where Chris Webb and the Posse Band entertained.

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legacy and lyrics

High notes and higher hopes put Houston's Omega House in the spotlight

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Deborah Duncan, Brigitte Kalai, Dr. Charlene Flash, and Alicia Smith.

For Avenue 360, it was time to get back in the gala game with Voices for Hope — its first big fundraising celebration since the pandemic. This year’s event marked a lively return to in-person gatherings, joining the ranks of busy, bustling parties that have defined 2024.

The evening celebrated the legacy of Omega House, Texas’s residential hospice for AIDS patients.

Co-chaired by Alicia Smith and Brigitte Kalai, Voices for Hope revived an important tradition of honoring Omega House’s legacy of compassionate end-of-life care. The night opened with a cocktail reception emceed by Great Day Houston host Deborah Duncan, during which guests entered raffles for luxurious prizes, including jewelry from Nini Jewels and Wayne Smith Jewels, a shopping spree at Tootsie’s, and a staycation at The Post Oak Hotel with a Porsche weekend rental.

About those voices: the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts choir’s charming performance of “Seasons of Love” set the evening’s emotional tone. Blues artist Luke Whitney continued with soulful melodies before America’s Got Talent semi-finalist Christina Wells brought down the house with dynamic interpretations of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “We Are Family.”

Houston’s social scribe Shelby Hodge gifted Wells her raffle prize, honoring the performer for her roles as a singer, nurse, and mother. The gala also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Bering Omega Community Services, with board member Ken Bohan receiving the Harmony of the Heart Award. Omega House medical director Dr. Gus Krucke, director of dental services Dr. Mark Nichols, and director Sandy Stacy were honored with the Symphony of Service Award, with Stacy’s 30 years of service encouraging standing applause.

Spotted were Lance Smith, Bashar Kalai, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Leisa Holland Nelson, Farida Abjani, Shafik Rifaat, Maria and Omar Moncada Alaoui, Jody Merritt, Christine Johnson, Michele Till, Anna Reger, Mandy Kao, Mark Folkes and Christopher Johnston, Brandon Weinbrenner and Mitchell Greco, Fady Armanious, and Tony Bradfield.