This Music Lover and Rice Management President Brings Houston Best Dressed Style — Allison Thacker Embraces the Butterflies

The Philanthropy in Fashion Houston Best Dressed honorees represent a cross section of backgrounds, interests and ages with two unifying characteristics. Each has an altruistic interest in contributing to the Bayou City and each has a defining style. The philanthropic femmes will be saluted on September 15 at a Post Oak Hotel luncheon benefiting March of Dimes.

In this new PaperCity series, we are profiling each of the 2026 Houston Best Dressed honorees leading up to the PaperCity Philanthropy in Fashion Houston Best Dressed Luncheon. Next Up: First-time Best Dressed honoree Allison Thacker.

As chief investment officer and president of the Rice Management Company for more than a decade, Thacker knows the value of sound financial stewardship for nonprofits. Today in addition to serving as special advisor to the university, this mother of three serves on the boards of KIPP Texas, Houston Endowment and on the executive committee of the Houston Ballet board of trustees. A former ballet board chair, Allison and husband Troy Thacker helmed the 2023 Houston Ballet ball which earned $1.5 million.

Thacker’s community interests also include Memorial Hermann Foundation and HISD’s Emerge.

Memorable quote: “If nothing ever changed, there would be no such things as butterflies” — Wendy Mass in her children’s novel The Candymakers

The Style Survey

Favorite designers: Zang Toi, Alessandro Michelle, Joseph Altuzarra

Style icon: Iris Apfel

Your go-to outfit: Altuzarra Kiera dress

Fragrance: L’Artisan Mure et Musc

The one accessory that you cannot live without: Hermès cashmere scarves

Favorite beauty cream: Sublimage from Chanel

Books on your coffee table: Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt, Double Vision: The Unerring Eye of Art World Avatars Dominique and John de Menil by William Middleton

Travel destination that inspires: Paris

Favorite hotel in the world: Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley

Something about you that would surprise people: “My husband and I are huge live music lovers. You’ll usually find us catching a show at the Mucky Duck.”