Fashion Diva Enthralls a Houston Country Club Crowd With Sneak Peek Trends — A Conversation With An Icon

Such fun it was to sit on stage with Saks Fifth Avenue vice president and general manager Heidi Turney for the fifth annual Houston Symphony League “Conservations With an Icon” luncheon during which I queried the retail fashion diva on styles and trends to come. In the hands of Brigitte Kalai and Farida Abjani, the Houston Country Club event set records for both attendance and funds raised.

The event has come a long way since the inaugural luncheon at The Annie Cafd and Bar when  KPRC Channel 2 news anchor Dominique Sachse was interviewed by Marla Hurley and Ann Ayre before a gathering of some 60 symphony league members. The 2025 event filled the country club ballroom with an enthusiastic clutch that included new Houston Symphony CEO and executive director Gary Ginstling.

Symphony League president Heidi Rockecharlie addressed the gathering on the work of the league and the support it provides for the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Outreach programming. This season, those programs are projected to reach more than 350,000 individuals — more than 130,000 of whom are kids.

Realtor Beth Wolff took the spotlight as Houston Symphony League Honoree, celebrated for her groundbreaking leadership in Houston real estate and her unwavering support of the city’s arts and civic initiatives. Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees were recognized as Community Honorees, noted for their longstanding commitment to education, the arts and philanthropy.

Following the on-stage chat, Saks Fifth Avenue presented a spring fashion show that reflected Turney’s perspective on fashion today including the emphasis on demure florals, powdery pastels and translucent fabrics that usher in a lighter, more free spirited sensibility of style.

As for top beauty trends, Turney pointed to richer, deeper colors across the eye lids, lips and cheeks, as well as graphic eyeliner. The smokey eye is back, she noted, an observation that received much crowd approval. As for game changing products in the beauty industry, she pointed to Le Mer Rejuvenating Night Cream, which has been a beloved addition since its debut as well as Le Prairie’s White Caviar Light Concentrate. The main ingredient niacinamide — La Prairie’s patented brightening molecule — offers retexturing, skin firming, and brightening while boosting cell turnover.

PC Seen: Our favorite emcee Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Betty Tutor, Vicki West, Alicia Smith, Nelson Rockecharlie, Cheryl Boblitt, Ursula Muenzel, Raquel Lewis, Beth Wolff, Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Jerre Williams, Daniel Irion and Kirk Kveton, Elizabeth Stein, Vicki West, Raquel Lewis, Toni Miller, Dr. Alice Mao Brams, and Maruya Boursier.