Spectacular Tanglewood Home Becomes a Wonderland for Fabulous Fashions, Divine Jewels and Sassy Hats

It was one of those rare afternoons when fashion, fab chapeaux and fine jewelry converge — over a genteel luncheon in one of Tanglewood’s most elegant homes. Merci, Amir Taghi, Franco Valobra and Teressa Foglia for hosting, along with PaperCity, an intimate gathering of midday elegance.

Only a month earlier, Iranian-American Taghi had jetted back from his atelier in New York to show his most recent collection during a similar fête in his parents’ home — a stunning abode with museum quality fine art and sparkling antique Baccarat chandeliers and sconces.

With champagne flutes in hand, guests strolled the dining room where to-die-for jewels from Valobra’s ongoing collection were on display and into the family room where Valobra Master Jewelers showcased the newest collection of jewels, which for the record had this group swooning. We observed several femmes taking note of certain pieces placed on their must-have list for Mother’s Day and special anniversaries.

“Besides the collection that Valobra has, my sister (Cristina) has collaborated and helped design this collection with a very talented company in Italy called Verdi,” Valobra says. “This is the first time shown in the United States, the first time that it has left Italy and we actually adore it. We love the coral. We love the turquoise.

“We love the summer coloring. But in the United States you can wear coral year round, particularly in the South and certainly in Texas. I love the fact that it is jewelry that you can wear daytime and evening alike. The diamonds are always present but not overwhelmingly present. The colors are the basis and the most important factor.”

Also in the dining room, Foglia’s team had covered the top of the grand piano with a selection of the couture hats that have been the rage since the designer’s boutique opened in River Oaks District.

Once seated at the three dining tables, florals done in antique vases by Taghi (another of his creative bents), the ladies were treated to a parade of creations from his Fall ’22 collection, a vibrant display of the 26-year-old designer’s refined talent.

And, yes, several of the ladies signed on for pieces from the collection including Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell, who wore one of Taghi’s colorful frocks to Hermann Park Conservancy’s Evening in the Park fundraiser. Several were devotees such as Leigh Smith and Jess Roger, who taught Taghi at Episcopal High School before he headed to New York to earn a degree at Parsons School of Design.

PC Seen: Kelley Lubanko, Cristina Valobra, Luvi Wheelock, Duyen Nguyen, Christie Sullivan, Mignon Gill, Amy Pierce, Kristin Van Ness, Isabella Reimer, Beth Zdeblick, Meredith Marshall, Joy Kubler, Tiffany Halik, Kendra Smith, Hannah Smith, Valobra’s Kristen Cannon, and PaperCity‘s Monica Bickers and Meredith Riddle Chastang.