Texas Design Week Houston — Entertaining Queen Lela Rose

Lela Rose Appears at Texas Design Week Houston Monday, May 1 at OKA

By Caitlin Hsu // Apr 28, 2023

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Lela Rose appears at Texas Design Week Houston at OKA, Monday, May 1

Pisco sour Birdwatcher cocktail

Prepping at a Bon Chic Bonfire party

A bonfire party at Lela’s Rose’s property in Jackson Hole on the Snake River

My obsession with antique Welsh Caernarvon blankets means I’m forever finding ways to use them—to fashion skirts, fringed throw pillows, even tablecloths.

Nobody said bonfires have to be low-style. It was well worth it to tote out this 1960s pewter globe-shaped Hermès ice bucket with antler-horn handle on top for the evening . . . it’s undoubtedly what Bond, James Bond, would do.

Lela Rose may be best known for her impossibly romantic fashion and bridal labels, but she’s a veteran of stylish entertaining, from her favorite vacation retreat in Jackson Hole to her home base in New York City and her family’s Texas ranch (her parents are Dallas’ Deedie Rose and the late Rusty Rose). Rose has created bonfire parties, bird-watching excursions and wildflower-gathering expeditions, all crafted with imaginative table settings, flowers, and food.

In her second book, Fresh Air Affairs: Entertaining with Style in the Great Outdoors, March 2023 from Rizzoli, she riffs on these favorite alfresco landscapes with decor, food, and drink, exquisitely photographed by Tara Sgroi.

Field Notes from Lela Rose:

• For larger parties, begin corralling ideas on your Pinterest boards six to eight weeks in advance.

• If you haven’t tried a recipe before, it doesn’t go on the party menu.

• Prep early so you’re not a stressed-out host.

• Go the extra mile — use your creativity to think of a few tiny details that they’ll always remember.

• Greet guests with a signature cocktail — and a smile!

• Grab a glass of tequila and take a big chill pill — because with any event, things can and will go wrong. Expect it. It’s part of the fun.

What, When, Where

Lela Rose will speak and sign books Monday, May 1, at OKA, 3461 West Alabama. Texas Design Week Houston is a ticketed event. For tickets, go to TexasDesignWeek.com.