New NorthPark Store Opening Turns the Nasher Into a Beyond Stylish Scene

An invitation was received from girl-about-town and dear friend Max Trowbridge to join her and c0-host Marisa Howard to celebrate the opening of Alexandre Birman’s recently opened NorthPark Center store. It was one of those cold and rainy beginning of fall nights.

I pulled up and was waiting for the valet in front of the iconic (would anyone debate that any Renzo Piano building wasn’t iconic?) Nasher Sculpture Center and saw a Rolls-Royce saunter up behind me. Who could that be? Well, I thought perhaps it was a dear dear friend named Nancy (need I truly share her last name?). I was quick to grab her arm to enter together and get out of that damp night air in search of a much-needed cocktail.

A contingency of Brazilian beauties from the company presented Alexandre Birman’s new runway collection of shoes — straight from Paris to the galleries of the Nasher. It was just like an art opening as the shoes were displayed delicately on stark white pedestals along all of the walls.

Birman founded his company in the spring of 2008 and has become known for his intricate construction made from exquisite materials with an artist’s eye towards design. The Hollywood and runway cool-girl crowd including Reese Witherspoon, Lupita Nyong’o, Gisele Bundchen and Meryl Streep have been spotted wearing his shoes.

Two long tables had been set (I so prefer that configuration to the boring 10 tops that seem to now only be used at wedding receptions in the ‘burbs) in the lower level of the museum with gorgeous flowers and just the perfect dimness to the lighting. After a long few weeks of parties, many of us relished the soft glow in the room that seemed to make us all look very well rested and at least 10 years younger.

Note to self: Reply yes to more parties at the Nasher.

I normally truly appreciate being the only boy in the room. However, I asked one of my dearest friends in the world, Christopher Wood, an Errol Flynn’esque dashing gent who has some Southern roots (I like that seeing as I am from Leon County Florida which is practically Georgia) due to his time at the University of Southern Mississippi, to join. He was the perfect date since he works in the ladies shoe department at Neiman Marcus and knows all anyone could want about the world of high-end footwear.

Spotted drooling over the gorgeous shoes were Jessica Nowitzki, Lynsey Eaton, Annika Cail, Bela Cooley, Kameron Westcott, Kara Goss, Meg Florence, and Courtney Kerr. One of the highlight of the evening was each guest was given a key and invited to try and unlock one of the vitrines that had a pair of Birman’s iconic Clarita sandals inside.

Post dinner Christopher and I were fortunate enough to convince a few of the ladies — Nancy Rogers, Brooke Davenport, Diamond Mahone, Missy Rogers Peck and some of the Birman crew to have a nightcap at Park House. I continued posing my question that had emerged at the dinner table: What is your definition of first, second and third base?

Somehow this topic had come up not too long ago with a straight twentysomething guy friend who had answers that seemed to vary quite strongly from mine as to what constituted each of aforementioned bases. Each of the ladies in attendance had their own distinct opinion as to the bases as well. But, I’m not one to sip and then share.

Alexandre Birman, NorthPark Center, 214-814-1884, alexandrebirman.com