Fashion Power Women Reveal Leadership Secrets in Houston

What: Asia Society Women’s Leadership Series Finale: Women in Fashion Evening 

Where: Asia Society Texas Center and The Southmore

PC Moment: Asia Society Texas Center celebrated distinguished female professionals who “run this world,” as Beyonce would put it, as the Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series capped its third year with an electrifying evening entitled Women in Fashion. A panel of female pioneers in the fashion industry held court, moderated by Houston Chronicle fashion reporter Joy Sewing.

The Texas-based panelists included Chloe Dao, best known for her Season Two Project Runway win and her Rice Village boutique DAO Chloe DAO; Becky Hollands, who’s been featured in Vogue Taiwan for her luxury brand that incorporates expressive, clashing designs; and Khanh Nguyen, a designer who looks to nature and fine art to produce romantic, alluring creations. The fourth panelist was Naina Shah, who splits her time between Mumbai and New York; her company creates Indian-inspired bespoke embroidery for European and American fashion houses, including  Gucci, Erdem, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, and Alexander Wang.   

After the dialogue, festivities continued across the street on the swanky, seventh-floor rooftop of The Southmore high-rise, where guests mingled with the fashion-insider panelists. Many of the headlining speakers’ coveted designs were on display for partygoers to view as they enjoyed bites from Cordúa Catering. The fête wrapped poolside at the Southmore with tunes spun by DJ Yogi-G.

Who: Asia Society Texas Center director Bonna Kol; ASTC board members, Nancy Allen, Glen Gondo and wife Kathy Gondo, John Cogan, and ASTC vice-chair Gordon Quan; Women’s Leadership Series founding co-chair Anne Chao; WLS committee co-chair Mandy Kao; Bank of America exec Trudy Nix (the bank was the series’ presenting sponsor); The Southmore’s Charlye Nichols and Madison Buble; and guests fluent in fashion themselves such as ASTC’s Bridget Bray and Saleena Jafry, Brigitte Kalai, Janae Tsai, Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy, Karina Barbieri, Megan Cung, Cristina Zhou, Leigh Smith with daughter Sarah Smith, Melissa Noble, Philandra Mystro, Duyen Huynh Nguyen, Yasmine Haddad, and Cindy Yeilding.