The Crystal Charity Ball Fashion Show and Luncheon is a three-parter. After all these years a simple one-parter would never do.
This year the anticipation had been building since the announcement of the 10 Best Dressed, Hall of Fame Honoree and the headline designer – the House of Alexander McQueen.
While the 10 BD and HofFA were perfectly willing to follow the routine, the McQueen team wanted to put their unique brand on the occasion. Despite McQueen designer Sarah Burton being unable to attend the September 12 event due to her recently giving birth to twins, the McQ team was shoring up for their piece of property in the Dallas fashion world. Like gracious hosts, both the CCB group led by Fashion Show and Luncheon Chair Claire Emanuelson and CCB Chair Caren Kline and the NM staff would accommodate.
First shot out of the couture cannon was the decision not to hold the show or luncheon in the revered Neiman Marcus Downtown store. Perhaps the valet parking lot? It was good enough for Armani.
That suggestion resulted in hot memories when Giorgio himself decided that Texas A/C was cranked up too much and had it turned off. Alas, the ladies-who-lunched-and-launch-trends became the ladies-who-“glistened.” A tent in September can get awful toasty quick.
But promises were made that lessons had been learned and an encore would not take place. . . at least in the temp department.
So, the grand black structure took over the valet parking 10 days in advance with “Alexander McQueen” in bold gold headlining it . Word seeped out in the following days that it was an amazing structure inside and out and prepared to face rainstorms, heat waves, tsunamis or whatever Ma Nature threw its way.
On the downside, the number of guests had to be reduced from years past, resulting in the early birdies getting their reservations and the event selling out in three weeks. Claire and her ladies diplomatically handed the situation with the grace that a State Department official would envy.
PART I: The Receptions
While NM Ruler of the Runway Sandy Marple and her staff went through last-minute run-throughs, the majority of the guests gathered on the first floor of the NM Downtown. However, some headed to the elevator and, just like in Prohibition Days, whispered the magic words to the staffer, “The party in the Michael Flores Salon.” The elevator doors opened and the lift took them straight to the sixth floor, where CCB former Hall of Famer Nancy Rogers was toasting friends and the current crop of 10 in the Flores Salon. Talk about an express elevator to Cristal heaven!
The place was shoulder-to-shoulder with gloriously beautiful people, non-stop chatting up and toasting. Claire appeared not to have a problem in the world with husband Dwight and son Hillis, who had taken the day off for his mom’s big day. But the Emanuelsons’ day was just beginning. More about that later.
Caren had husband Pete Kline, sister Dale Pinto and mom Bettye Whiteman in tow, as did 10BD-er DeeDee Lee with husband Jim Lee and mom Sue Peege in from Kentucky.
Just minutes before 11, the BD and HoF Honoree Lisa Troutt excused themselves. Quietly the gals headed to the second floor for the group shot. In years past, this photo opp had been held immediately after the show, but this year things were different and for the better.
It was a good difference as the ladies calmly took their places for the group shots, the one with Caren and Claire; another one with NM Downtown VP/GM Jeff Byron and still another with the McTeam reps. Perfect. Then a slight oops happened. The final shot, which was to include Vanity Fair’s Amy Fine Collins, didn’t take place. Perhaps she was in the powder room. Someone was sent off to find her. No luck. Amy had already headed down to the first floor.
While waiting to be led to the tent’s backstage, the group watched guests arriving in the tent via a closed-circuit flat screen in the Couture Salon. They also chatted about their outfits. One 10BD admitted that her breasts had never been so upfront and forward. She also refrained from sitting. The $3,000+ skirt just wouldn’t accommodate.
Just at the right moment NM couture wrangler Matthew Simon led the ladies plus HoF hubby Kenny Troutt through the back halls of the venerable store to the freight elevator, down to the first floor and to the back entrance of the tent, where the models, dressers and staffers prepared for the show.
In the meantime, the guests filled the mega tent with a mirrored runway that extended down the middle.
The tent was a black velvet-looking cavern of beauty with tables highlighted by Rusty Glenn centerpieces and place cards. Alas, it was true that one guest upon discovering that she was seated next to a not-so-near-and-dear-friend hustled herself to another table with an empty seat.
Oh, girls will be girls. Right.
Then there was the case of the media. It seems that seats were so near-and-dear that only media with CCB contractual relationships were allowed to attend the event due to the tent’s limitation. And even those previous seats were underwritten by the table hosts. Much to the disappointment of the organizers, one media group with two precious seats no-showed and sent their regrets afterwards that “something had come up.” Too bad they couldn’t have let CCB know beforehand. Those seats could have been used by those on the waiting list.
Lucky were those who indeed had reservations and took full advantage of them, like Lee Ann White and Annette Simmons, both just back from summering in California; Gene Jones in black leather with daughter Charlotte Anderson in a white dress; Vicki Chapman and daughter Lauren with Tom Addis; Gina Betts, who’s chairing both The Billiard Ball and the 2014 Art Ball (just wait until you hear what Gina has in store for the Dallas Museum of Art); Nancy Dedman tableside with Kelli Ford and Betsy Sowell; Lydia Novakov on one side of the runway and daughter Isabell on the other; Niven Morgan, who’s preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his bath, body and fragrance collection; Piper Wyatt with mom Dixey Thornton and sister Ginger Auer; and Gillian Breidenbach and Kate Rose Marquez joining the Emanuelson fellows, while Claire was backstage.; and Contribution tickets Chair Janie Condon, who was thrilled. Seems Nancy Rogers had bought 100 tickets. Guess what? Nancy won one of the prizes.
PART II: The Show
As the program began with Jeff welcoming all, the A/C was turned off to allow the speakers to be heard. Next up were NM President of Specialty Retail Jim Gold, Caren, Claire and Amy. While all could be heard throughout the tent, the tent temperature also rose to the occasion. A couple of guests used their menus to create a breeze.
At one point more than a couple of eyebrows were raise. It came when Amy compared fashion to sports and told of the magazine’s own best-dressed list. How lovely. She should have stopped there. Because she then suggested that the ladies should submit their friends’ names and their own to compete for a place on the VF list. Guess she didn’t realize that this crowd of fashion lovers doesn’t volunteer to compete in the “sport” of fashion. They’re tapped.
Finally the presentation of the 10 BDs and HF was underway without a misstep. All except DeeDee Lee. The Alexander McQueen that she had ordered back in March was still in the “making” stage, so she wore a nifty little frock that she’d picked up in Monaco this summer.
Following the presentation, the 10 BDs and HoF were escorted to their tables and the McQ collection was underway.
Despite warnings during the week before the show, and a missive at the tables, that no photos were to be taken of the McQ collection, one table near the front of the stage evidently proved to be rogue.
Quite frankly, the photo fear was needless. Some had suspected that the warning had been made due to the possibility of bare breasts and hinterlands being displayed. Didn’t happen. Let’s face it. This class of fashionistas barely changed facial expressions in 2011 when the Valentino collection had transparent blouses. McQ’s presentation was about as G-rated as a Hockadaisie uniform. Okay, so maybe the beaded leggings were a little edgy, but past CCB fashion shows have been much more . . . shall we say, “exposed.”
As for the collection, it was Virgin Elizabethan collars, smooch-proof masks that any father would like his daughter to wear on a date, hooped skirts, golden metal bustiers with white flourishes of femininity and beaded platform shoes that weighed more than the models.
As for the makeup, it was nostalgic recalling days when Biba and Mary Quant ruled with matte pink lips and pale faces on the likes of Jane Asher and Patti Boyd.
When the finale took place, the audience response surprised some. No standing ovation . . . just pleasant applause. But that shouldn’t have really come as a shock since this crowd rarely stands for a fashion presentation.
Then it was lunch time with wine and champagne never ending. NM’s Chef Kevin Gavin outdid himself with coq au vin, Maine lobster salad and tarragon aioli, bistro children salad with red oak, green and yellow beans, frisee and Chevre and brie crostini. Endless glasses of Michell Redde les Tullieres, Sancerre (2011) and Nicolas Feuilatte Brut, Epernay NV accompanied the meal that was topped off with the richest devil’s food cake with chocolate cream, chocolate glaze and shaved dark chocolate. Hmm, that last one was a definite Caren signature. The woman does nothing without a touch of chocolate.
PART III: Post-Presentation
The formal fashion show may have ended, but the sidewalk along the block in front of NM Downtown appeared to be filled with couture designs and photographers snapping away. Among those was 2014 CCB Fashion Show and Luncheon Chair Pat McEvoy. Had she started discussions on next year’s event? Nope. She and 2014 CCB Chair Robyn Conlon wanted to wait until the 2013 blowout was a done deal.
But for some the party continued. The Nancy Rogers entourage of long-legged beauts headed to an area restaurant and were joined by Claire and Dwight, who were starting to unwind. But the unwinding continued for the Emanuelsons, who then headed home, called Uber and were driven to Al Biernat’s . . . about two miles away. Better safe, never be sorry.
More pictures are on the MySweetCharity Photo Gallery for your consideration.
* Photo provided by Crystal Charity Ball Fashion Show and Luncheon