Dallas’ 10 Best Dressed Women Signal the Unofficial Start of the Social Season

“Let’s go girls.” Oh wait, perhaps I should’ve saved that Shania Twain lyric for Cattle Baron’s Ball, where that timeless diva is the headliner this year at South Fork Ranch. But I do feel like that was the rallying call (right before) I arrived at the official first day of Dallas’ social season: the 2023 Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show.

The action was at the iconic downtown Neiman Marcus with a fashion show on the second floor followed by a luncheon on the third floor. This year’s marquee star was dashing designer Adam Lippes. And the big news — he decided to show his namesake line’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection there instead of at New York Fashion Week, a first for the brand. His pieces came swanning down the runway first worn by each of Crystal Charity Ball’s Ten Best Dressed: Meredith Land, Monica Eastin, Sunie Solomon, Marybeth Conlon, Anne McPherson, Libby Hegi, Kim Hext, Kim Quinn, Lisa Rocchio, and Wendy Messmann and the 2023 Hall of Fame honoree Claire Emanuelson.

The inspiration for the collection was from Lippes’ visit to the Royal Pavilion at Haga Park in Sweden. The iconic structure, a glorious example of European Neoclassicism, has a color palette of washed yellow, shocking pink, alabaster, and amethyst. My personal favorites I saw glide by: the “new” power suit worn by Land and the gown worn by Rocchio, both in the gorgeous aforementioned shade of yellow. The coats had all the ladies, and moi, taking notes and I could write an entire column about those whimsical black chapeaus.

For the luncheon I found myself seated at Sunie Solomon’s table with a lively bunch that included: Samantha Wortley, Katy Bock, Paige Lane, Jennifer Walters, and Elaine Pearlman. Some of the standout outfits I saw that day were Melinda Knowles in Toni Maticevski (a hottie Aussie designer was what I gathered when she whispered in my ear who she was wearing), Lisa Cooley in Carolina Herrera, and Jennifer Dix in pink Dolce & Gabbana (she shared she had gotten quite a bit from the designers when they were featured at the 2022 CCB Fashion Show and Luncheon).

Others spotted that day looking ready for the social season ahead: a couple fashionable mother/daughter duos — Lucy Wrubel and Jennie Reeves and Kelli Ford and Electra Ford; a duo heading up to New York Fashion Week that afternoon — Nancy Rogers (wearing one of Lippe’s gorgeous creations he showed that day) and Brian Bolke; Fort Worth fashionista — Cami Goff; a few members of the Neiman Marcus team — Ryan Ross, Mary McGreevy, Marjon Zabihi Henderson, and Jodi Kahn; and back from myriad summer travels that they shared with me — Muffin Lemak, Karla McKinley, Leisa Street, and Julie Butler. To end my day I met up with a bestie, Ann Hobson, and she said “I’m not gussied up like you so let’s just do Highland Park Village Mi Cocina.” Who knew that’s where all the CCB squads also adjourned to as well to recap the day? I guess a Mambo Taxi and fashion show are the best ways to spend a Friday afternoon.