30-Plus Women and Two Men — Inside the Perfect Fashion Lunch
An Afternoon at Forty Five Ten With Rosie Assoulin — and a Chic Girl Squad
BY Billy Fong // 02.22.19Cindy Rachofsky, Nancy Rogers, Rosie Assoulin, Madison McKinley Isner (Photo by Photographer: Bruno, Snap The Picture)
When I see an invite from one of my favorite Dallas IT Girls, Jennifer Karol, I immediately respond “yes” even without checking what the invite is for. So, when I realized it was for a luncheon and shopping time with Rosie Assoulin I started planning a good outfit.
Karol threw the event alongside Forty Five Ten president and chief creative officer Kristen Cole this week, assembling a powerhouse group of girls to catch-up over a delicious Mirador menu while models glided throughout the room in Assoulin creations paired with Begum Khan jewelry.
First off, when I arrived at Forty Five Ten and realized it was me and 30-plus women I knew that I was in for a fun afternoon. The only other boy in attendance was Forty Five Ten’s sales director, Travis Christian. I had a little giggle when Cole got up to say a few words and started with “I am so happy that we assembled this great group of women… and two boys, Billy and Travis, to join us in celebration of Rosie Assoulin.”
The table was beautifully set, not with uninspired flowers, but with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. (Note to self — what a great way to have my produce serve dual purposes, first as a tablescape and then as a raw diet meal.) The group I dined with included Moll Anderson, Zoe Bonnette and Jenny Kirtland (who got my award for the best accessory, a vintage Marni bag that was constructed of fabric that looked straight from a 1970s sectional sofa).
It was the first time that Bonnette and I had the chance to congratulate Anderson on her incredible and fun UNICEF Gala earlier this month. We both appreciated the fundraiser’s black and white theme since it allowed us to shop our closets and find intriguing new combinations that fit the theme color palette.
The lunch conversation was fast-paced and moved from what we were binge-watching on Netflix to worst hair moments from decades past (I can’t believe Bonnette, who normally wins for best coif actually had some tragic ’80s moments). The models that were wearing current Rosie Assoulin (Spring 2019) and pre-fall looks also kept us oohing and ahhing as purchase lists were made.
You might be wondering, what was my good outfit? Well, I’ve been fixated with bucket hats since they first began appearing in street style shots from fashion weeks around the globe in 2018. Having collected them throughout the years, primarily whatever the skate brand Stüssy has to offer, I was happy to once again rock the accessory.
I think of them as my incognito go-to, as if when I wear one I become invisible — my own Klingon cloaking device (hopefully there is a Trekkie or two out there that got my reference). I paired my black mock croc version with black Helmut Lang shorts, airbrushed socks that were emblazoned with “Meet me in Hell,” Gucci Princetown slides, and a black Gap cardigan.
A few of the Ladies Who Lunch assembled were Charlotte Jones Anderson, Sheryl Maas, Nancy Rogers, Karla McKinley, Diamond Mahone, Nini Nguyen, Joyce Goss, Lisa Moore, and Cindy Rachofsky.