Houston’s Best Dressed Women Embrace Sequins at Lunch With This Famed Designer In Town
Hanging With Naeem Khan — and Doing More Than $1 Million Of Good
BY Shelby Hodge // 09.22.22
The 2022 Houston Chronicle Best Dressed honorees backstage at the Post Oak Hotel. (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)
What a conundrum the Houston Chronicle Best Dressed luncheon presented to Houston fashion mavens on this late September day when the ornery mercury soared to 95 degrees. And what to wear midday in homage to featured designer Naeem Khan, whose fashions trend toward glitz and evening?
The result was a pulsating cornucopia of looks ranging from fall to summer, cocktail to luncheon as a sold-out crowd filled the ballroom of the Post Oak Hotel for the 40th annual Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Luncheon and Neiman Marcus Fashion Presentation Benefiting March of Dimes.
Luncheon chair Hallie Vanderhider stepped out in a stunning Naeem Khan that worked just as well for the luncheon as it would for cocktails with Lynn Wyatt, Best Dressed Hall of Fame honoree. A status that Vanderhider also enjoys.
Applause, applause as beyond the fashion emphasis, the point of the luncheon was raising funds for March of Dimes and Vanderhider along with honorary chair Sue Smith succeeded in bringing in more than $1 million. That sum was made possible in part by the generous luncheon presenting sponsor Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Walking the catwalk on the arm of dashing gents were 2022 Hall of Fame honorees Kristy Bradshaw, Gayla Gardner and Vicki West, second-time honorees Dr. Sippi Khurana and Brigitte Kalai, and making their debut on the coveted list Michele Leal, Kelley Lubanko, Elia Gabbanelli, Lauren Randle and Dr. Crystal Wright.
They were introduced and their good works enumerated by Melissa Aguilar, Houston Chronicle senior editor for features, and Chronicle culture columnist and children’s book author Joy Sewing.
Elizabeth Anthony
The honorees wore a cross-section of Naeem Khan (Bradshaw, Khurana, Kalai, Lubanko), Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana (that would be Gabbanelli in a zebra striped frock).
The 2022 event enjoyed extra energy thanks in part to fans who added a life-sized image of Gabbanelli to the catwalk as she paraded by and the six tables of Wright fans, who waved hand-held images of the honoree. Both sets of cheering admirers added extra decibels to the luncheon din.
Joining in the program were MOD senior executive director Texas Jen Torres, Memorial Hermann Foundation CEO Ann Neeson and Vanderhider. Neeson introduced three doctors escorted by young patients and Memorial Hospital System CEO Dr. David Callendar, who was escorted by a hospital facility dog.
PC Seen: Joanna and Brad Marks, Teressa Foglia, Leticia and Steve Trauber, Kelli Weinzierl, DeeDee Marsh, Phyllis Williams, Ralph Burch, Ileana Trevino, Nina Magon, Adrian Dueñas, Cynthia Allshouse, Lilly Andress, Dr. Milka Waterland, Shawn Stephens, Leigh Smith, Merele Yarbrough, Ann Ayre, Valerie Dieterich, and Brian McCulloch.
