NFL Stars Party Hard in River Oaks

So many parties, so little time! That could easily be the mantra this week of Houstonians with connections, particularly those in the fashion world. River Oaks District is bursting at the seams with celebrity-infused pre-Super Bowl parties, all of which kicked off Tuesday night with corks popping and stogies lighted.

Excitement at Etro
Former Texan, Man About Town and The Amazing Race contestant Chester Pitts — sporting an iconic Etro paisley tie — kicked off Super Style week at Etro in River Oaks District. Traveling with the still strapping former athlete were his wife LaToya, wearing a breezy silk Etro dress, and their adorable son Champ.

Champagne flowed and a DJ spun tunes as fellow ballers, including Buffalo Bills safety James Ihedigbo with wife Brittany, American Ninja Warrior host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and former Houston Texan Frank Okam, stopped in to mingle with Etro’s Georgina Coleman, in from New York, and store director Sonya Shernak. And who among them could resist the opportunity to shop the spring/summer 2017 collection?

Proceeds benefitted The Chester Pitts Charitable Foundation, which encourages children to participate in the arts (Pitts famously played the oboe in a Super Bowl XLII ad.)

Doing Davidoff
Talk about a smoke-filled room. That would be the case at Davidoff of Geneva‘s resplendent cigar shop where retired yet beefy NFL players gathered for a fundraiser for the Houston Former Players Chapter. The gents sampled Davidoff’s premium handmade cigars and sipped Glencadam’s velvety Scotch. Chapter president Joe Wesley, who played linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, greeted all arrivals at the invitation-only party.

Just back from business in Paris, Davidoff U.S. Brand Ambassador Jeffrey Stone shared the finer points of luxury cigars with the NFL veterans, including former Super Bowl champ Darin Jordan of the San Francisco 49ers and his wife Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan, two-time Pro-Bowler Jacob Green, and Rice grad and retired Chicago Bear Trevor Cobb.

Rockin’ at Zanotti
A few footsteps from Etro, Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson took over Giuseppe Zanotti. Peterson gamely posed for photos with fans and pointed out his favorite shoes from the Spring/Summer 2017 collection. A percentage of proceeds benefitted Peterson’s All Day Foundation.

The NFL great donned a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti’s patent leather metallic sneakers, while wife Ashley sported a sexy pair of sky-high, black velvet stilettos accented with gold leaves and crystals.