Houston’s Most Stunning Women Dazzle in Shimmering Ball Gowns: 42 Dresses That Stole the Show at the Grand Opera Ball

By Shelby Hodge // Apr 19, 2018

Photography Priscilla Dickson

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White tie splendor: Hallie Vanderhider in Oscar de la Renta, Fady Armanious at the 2018 Houston Grand Opera ball at the Post Oak Hotel. (Instagram photo)

Kendall Hanno in Marchesa

Houston Grand Opera artistic and musical director Patrick Summers with Lynn Wyatt at the 2018 Houston Grand Opera Ball

Becca Cason Thrash in Alexander McQueen at the Houston Grand Opera Ball (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)

Melanie Jarrell in Oscar de la Renta

Celina Hellmund in Oscar de la Renta

Valerie Dieterich in Zac Posen at the Houston Grand Opera Ball

Pat Breen in Oscar de la Renta at the 2018 Houston Grand Opera Ball. Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Cynthia Petrello in Zac Posen

Sophia Lee in Marchesa

Christian Miranda in Jean-Paul Gaultier

Karen Payne in Zac Posen

Isabel David in Narciso Rodriguez

Sue Smith in Oscar de la Renta

Katherine Roth in vintage couture Oscar de la Renta

Rini Ziegler in Ralph Lauren

Carol Linn in Nicole Miller gown with Cassin feather wrap

Beth Madison in Zang Toi

Joanne King Herring in vintage Pierre Cardin

Ball chair Dr. Liz Grimm in Miles David by David Peck, earrings from Graff

Jerry Ann Woodfin Costa in Naeem Khan

Christina Stith in a gown from Tootsies

Shawntell McWilliams in Frascara, Myrtle Jones in Jenny Packham

Danielle Ellis in vintage couture

Philamena Baird in Carolina Herrera

Chris Goins in Nicholas

Ann Trammel in vintage Scaasi

Sandy Barrett in Rose Taft Couture

Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah in Pamella Roland

Whitney Crane in Zac Posen

Larissa Ipsen in Miles David by David Peck

Gina Bhatia in Oscar de la Renta

Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl in Rick Owens

Margaret Alkek Williams in Ripetta of Rome

Marguerite Swartz in a vintage dress and diamonds

Mary D'Andrea in vintage Vera Wang Couture

Diana Trevino in Narciso Rodriguez

Bobby-Vee Cooney in Oscar de la Renta

Alex Blair in Dolce & Gabbana

Vivian Wise in Cavalli

Kathi Rovere

What: Houston Grand Opera Ball

Where: The Post Oak at Uptown

PC Moment: We’re talking designer gowns here — lavish, extraordinary, vintage and au courant. More than a few damsels embraced the Old Hollywood theme of the white-tie opera ball by pulling out the most shimmering gowns in their closets or nailing the best designer offerings they could find.

Several went to hometown design talent David Peck for the gowns including gala chair Dr. Liz Grimm, who wore a stunning black beaded gown with a flowing inset. But perhaps the highlight of her look were the dazzling diamond earrings from Graff. The London jewelry house’s USA president and CEO Thomas Bouillonnec jetted in from New York for the evening. Also in David Peck was Larisa Ipsen.

A perennial favorite of the Houston social set, Oscar de la Renta reigned as probably the most popular of designers represented in the eye-catching cotillion. However, the standouts included Becca Cason Thrash in Alexander McQueen, Lynn Wyatt in a shimmering Talbot Runhof and Kendall Hanno and Sophia Lee, both in stunning gowns by Marchesa.

Other designers represented on this evening included Zang Toi, Zac Posen, Dolce & Gabbana and Rick Owens. A number of the ladies looked back into their closets to pull out vintage designer gowns that were so timeless as to appear of the moment in the mix.