Houston’s Great Outdoors Family Turns the HMNS Gala Upside Down — Ditching Black Tie For Field Wear Fun

The fun-loving, philanthropic Gordy family stood tradition on its head when they signed on to chair the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) gala by ditching the requisite black-tie and calling for attire that would suit their chosen theme, “The Great Outdoors.” And how the gents, often loathe to dress up, celebrated!

Could you expect anything other from the family that owns the chicest of chic outfitter shops — Gordy & Sons? In fact, we heard there was a run on tony field wear, waders, and those jaunty waterproof hats. In any case, the 500 or so guests “dressed down and geared up” as suggested by Glenda and Russell Gordy, Shaun Gordy and Alicia and Garrett Gordy.

Applause, applause for the family that led the gala to $2 million in proceeds.

Guests obliged by donning hunting boots, wildly shaggy ghillie suits and waders and carried fishing poles for what would be a safari through the various aspects of the evening. That included trekking through the silent auction replete with gemstones, minerals and fossils, watering at the custom tepee barm swaying to the folk music of American Dreamer and dropping jaws at the 100 million carat The King of Kashmir Ann Hamman Aquamarine. HMNS gala bonus: Guests were granted full access to the blockbuster Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition.

In keeping with the theme, museum decor took an outdoor turn with Blooming Gallery dressing museum spaces in lush greenery, wildflowers, swaths of feathers and antlers, and creating classic hunting lodge vignettes with leather furnishings and European skull mounts.

City Kitchen delivered on the dinner and late-night sustenance that included chocolate truffles, bourbon freezes and wild boar tamales. That worked to keep energy high for dancing to the sounds of Manhattan.

PC Seen: HMNS president and CEO Joel Bartsch and wife Susanne, Kelli and John Weinzierl, Bobbie Nau, Diana and Russell Hawkins, Laurie and Reed Morian, Mark Kelly and Patty Harris, Jessica and Tom Roupe, Monica and Fox Benton, Jennifer and Wil VanLoh, Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Carolyn and Gary Tanner, Kate and Steve Gibson, Kim and Dan Moody, and Bill Montgomery.