Houston fashion expert shares must-have summer to fall essentials

TRENDY TRANSITIONS

Photo by Jenni Kayne

With a little relief from the summer scorchers coming hopefully soon, there is no time like the present to start thinking about a fall wardrobe. While cozy sweaters and classic trench coats will remain tucked away for a little while longer, it's time to focus on those must-have pieces that will smoothly transition us from scorching summer to those crisp fall days.

For recommendations, we turned to Houston stylist Paulina Padilla. Known for her modern aesthetic and talent for mixing luxury brands with ready-to-wear pieces, Padilla has worked with many of Houston's best-dressed fashionistas and popular retailers across the city.

Lucky for us, the pre-fall and fall collections have just hit the stores, shining a spotlight on those irresistible pieces we'll be rocking non-stop. So, here's the lowdown on five must-have items that'll help you breeze into the new season effortlessly, all while keeping your style game on point, of course.

Essential Item: White button down

Why we love it: This is a wardrobe staple that can be worn with shorts and sandals now and transition into fall by pairing back with jeans and boots. I love supporting local brands, and Mirth is right here in Houston. The Mirth Kyoto Blouse is available at the Mirth showroom.

Houston fashion brand, Mirth has a great classic button up to transition into fall. Photo by Mirth

Essential Item: Neutral colored dress

Why we love it: This one from Christy Lynn is a great print that can be worn now with summer sandals. To make this dress more appropriate for fall, I would add combat boots and a cardigan or denim jacket – transitioning from summer to fall is all about layering. The Christy Lynn Sammi Dress in ivory magnolia is available at Christy Lynn's boutique.

Add boots and a jacket to this dress to transition it from summer to fall. Photo by Christy Lynn

Essential Item: Silver bag

Why we love it: Silver is having a moment right now, and I am here for it. This bag is great because it is not only a top-handle purse but also a detachable crossbody strap – I love the ease of this bag for day or night. The Gracie top handle bag in metallic leather is available online or at J.Crew.

Silver is one of the colors for fall. Photo by J. Crew

Essential Item: Agolde T-Shirt

Why we love it: A good tee is seasonless – you can wear it on its own or layer it with a blazer, cardigan, denim jacket, etc. This one specifically is special because it is the perfect chocolate brown. This color has been around for a few seasons and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The Agolde Drew Tee is available at Saint Bernard in River Oaks District.

A good tee is seasonless. You can wear it on its own or layer it with a blazer, cardigan, or denim jacket.Photo by Agolde

Essential Item: Cashmere Cardigan

Why we love it: A great neutral-colored cardigan is essential for transitioning from summer to fall because it can be paired with almost everything. A perfect closet staple, it is great for layering in Houston's unpredictable weather. The Cashmere Cocoon Cardigan in oatmeal is available at Jenni Kayne in River Oaks Shopping District.

A cashmere cardigan is the perfect closet staple, it is great for layering in Houston's unpredictable weather. Photo by Jenni Kayne

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'Hottest comic in America' Sebastian Maniscalco heads to Houston on new 2024 tour

Funny Guy

Comedian, actor, and podcast host Sebastian Maniscalco will embark on the huge It Ain’t Right tour, an all-arena jaunt that includes a stop at Toyota Center on Thursday, August 8.

The tour is Maniscalco's biggest to date, traveling to 47 cities over the course of five months. In addition to Houston, the tour will stop in Austin on August 9, Dallas on August 10, and San Antonio on August 11.

Hailed by The New York Times as the "hottest comic in America," Maniscalco has been performing for over two decades, ramping up from small clubs to arena shows. He has starred in six comedy specials for Netflix, Showtime, and Comedy Central.

He's also proven to be a force in film, television, and podcasting. He has a new series, Bookie, premiering on November 30 on MAX, and he's recently been seen in movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Somewhere in Queens with Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf, and About My Father, a film which he co-wrote and which was also his first role as a leading man.

Maniscalco currently co-hosts two podcasts, Daddy vs. Doctor and The Pete and Sebastian Show, and is the author of the best-selling memoir, Stay Hungry.

Tickets will be available starting with artist presale beginning on Wednesday, November 29. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, December 1 at 10 am at SebastianLive.com.

IT AIN’T RIGHT 2024 TOUR DATES

Thu Jul 11 – Norfolk, VA – Norfolk Scope Arena
Fri Jul 12 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Sat Jul 13 – Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena
Thu Jul 18 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri Jul 19 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
Sat Jul 20 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Sun Jul 21 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Thu Aug 08 – Houston – Toyota Center
Fri Aug 09 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Sat Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sun Aug 11 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Thu Aug 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Fri Aug 16 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Sun Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Thu Sep 12 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Fri Sep 13 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
Sat Sep 14 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Wed Sep 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Thu Sep 19 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Thu Sep 26 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Fri Sep 27 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sat Sep 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sun Sep 29 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena
Thu Oct 03 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
Fri Oct 04 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sun Oct 06 – Hershey, PA – GIANT Center
Thu Oct 17 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Sat Oct 19 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Sun Oct 20 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Thu Oct 24 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Fri Oct 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sat Oct 26 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Wed Nov 06 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Fri Nov 08 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sat Nov 09 – Chicago, IL– United Center
Sun Nov 10 – Dayton, OH – Nutter Center
Thu Nov 14 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
Fri Nov 15 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena
Sat Nov 16 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sun Nov 17 – Syracuse, NY – Oncenter War Memorial Arena
Thu Nov 21 – Montreal, QC– Bell Centre
Fri Nov 22 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Sun Nov 24 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
Wed Dec 04 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
Sat Dec 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Thu Dec 12 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Fri Dec 13 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Arena
Sat Dec 14 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Sun Dec 15 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena

Ken Hoffman heads to Mexico City to come together with Paul McCartney — and 87,500 fans

hey, ken

Sir Paul McCartney stopped by Mexico City for two concerts recently on his way to Brazil for a series of Got Back Tour shows starting this week. A friend and I went to the first concert at the Foro Sol soccer stadium in the Mexican capital. We flew United non-stop to Mexico City, found a hotel near the stadium, Ubered to the show, and were back in Houston 36 hours later.

For fun and adventure, and to see a Beatle, it was a trip.

It wasn’t a typical stadium concert like in the U.S. They packed ‘em in for McCartney. The official capacity for concerts at Foro Sol is 65,000. I was told that the unofficial attendance our night was 87,500. It was the most crowded place I’ve ever been. The floor was packed nose-to-nose like an elevator straining at the weight limit and people still trying to squeeze in.

Fans covered every inch of the floor all the way to the tunnel where teams get ready to take the field. The upper deck, where we sat, was colorless concrete bleachers with no seat backs, unless you count the knees of the people sitting behind you.

Paul McCartney 2023 Mexico City This wasn't your typical McCartney show. Paul McCartney Official/Facebook

Foro Sol didn’t have the array of hot dog stands and upscale food booths you find in modern U.S. sports stadiums. There were no steakhouses, fresh sliced delicatessens or sit-down restaurants.

No, Foro Sol stands sold tacos, mini-pizzas, peanuts, soda, beer, and other bare essential snacks. We had passed on dinner in downtown Mexico City – home to a world-class dining scene – planning to eat at the stadium. My friend’s “dinner” was two family-sized boxes of popcorn.

Paul McCartney Official/Facebook

Sir Paul McCartney held court over more than 87,500 fans.

Paul McCartney 2023 Sir Paul is still sprightly at 82. Paul McCartney Official/Facebook

Even I thought that was weird, and my main course was a giant chocolate frosted doughnut ($1) and a large Coke Zero ($2). (Editor’s note: So basically, your typical breakfast, Ken? ) No complaints.

There were several kiosks inside stadium grounds selling “official” Paul McCartney T-shirts for $35 and hoodies for $60. But outside there was a never-ending row of pirate souvenir stands hawking McCartney T-shirts and baseball caps for $5, hoodies for $15 and varsity jackets for $20.

McCartney, closing in on 82 years old, turned back the clock bounding gracefully across the stage, looking much like Beatle Paul, singing sort of like you want to remember him. His voice is raspy now and he’s not screaming like Little Richard these days.

But hey, give him a break – you're watching Paul McCartney sing “Hey Jude” live in person! Savor the moment. He played for nearly three hours, evenly divided between Beatles and solo material.

The song list and between-song patter were identical to the shows McCartney did in the U.S. last year and Australia this year. The only times he strayed from the script were greetings in Spanish off cue cards and one-time joining fans serenading him with the “Ole Ole Ole” soccer chant.

This was my 15th McCartney concert, the performer I’ve seen second-most in my life. Only Jimmy Buffett at 25 shows tops that.

Provocative, awe-inspiring Kehinde Wiley MFAH showcase remains this season's must-see exhibit

the new masters

Houston art lovers who haven’t yet attended the “Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence” exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston are missing out on a showcase of jaw-dropping art.

The recently opened exhibit is an awe-inspiring collection of paintings and sculptures from the Los Angeles-born, Brooklyn-based artist of color, best known for creating a majestically leafy portrait of former President Barack Obama. Locals will remember that the MFAH was one of the rare museums to showcase the works — starting with a free opening weekend that became a city celebration.

While “An Archaeology of Solace” premiered earlier this year at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the MFAH is actually the first stop on its tour. Located in the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the exhibit is an overwhelming experience of Black power.

And it’s a power shift. While Wiley’s large-scale paintings and sculptures call to mind the heroes, martyrs, and saints of Western European historical art, they are unmistakably Black and brown subjects who suffer under “the specter of police violence and state control over the bodies of young Black and Brown people all over the world,” Wiley notes in an artist statement.

Thus, the rooms are all Black, as the gigantic oil-on-canvas paintings (a couple are practically the size of billboards) of laid-out Black bodies – usually rocking streetwear gear – are brightly spotlighted. Many of these works were inspired by historical pieces, mainly German artist Hans Holbein’s The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb.

The bronze sculptures are equally grand and striking. The most impressive one is the titular statue, a reworking of his 2019 sculpture Rumors of War. While the Rumors sculpture depicts an upright Black rider on a general’s horse, this sculpture features a fallen figure atop a horse.

Both sculptures are based on a monument to Confederate army General James Ewell Brown Stuart, which was removed and placed into storage in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd murder.

This entire exhibit was inspired by the worldwide outrage that transpired after Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Wiley himself explains the inspiration for the exhibit via the audio guide given to visitors:

The birth of the show starts as the world shuts down. As we see George Floyd slain in the streets of America, I get to work. I start thinking not only about this explosive moment that triggers the whole world into thinking about Black bodies in a different way, But I start thinking about imaging of bodies slain historically.

Fans of the artist can look forward to Kehinde Wiley merch upstairs in the gift shop. An obligatory exhibition catalog is for sale, as well as hoodies, umbrellas, bookbags, playing cards, coloring books, and more. Proceeds will go to the Black Rock Coalition, a New York-based artists’ collective.

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“Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Solace” will be on display at the Audrey Jones Beck Building of the MFAH (5601 Main St.). For exhibition schedule, tickets, and more, visit the MFAH online.

Kehinde Wiley, The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup), 2022, oil on canvas

Wiley's The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup), 2022.

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