Lela Rose Celebrates The Reopening of Her Highland Park Village Shop With An Intimate Dinner at The Pump House

In the middle of Texas Design Week, a who’s who of Dallas’ vibrant fashion and design scene descended upon The Pump House for an intimate dinner celebrating the reopening of native Texan Lela Rose‘s Dallas boutique.

On Wednesday, October 23, two days before the New York City-based designer’s Highland Park Village shop opened to the public, Lela Rose gathered her coterie for a deeply personal evening. Every detail (and every bite!) — from the wildflowers selected to the hand-embroidered dinner napkins — referenced an aspect of Rose’s upbringing.

The venue? It couldn’t have hit closer to home, either. Originally a pump station supplying water to the Town of Highland Park, “The Pump House” is an art space located on the property of philanthropist Deedie Rose, Lela’s mother, who also attended.

Admiring the artful floral installations by Twelve Thirty Four Florals, guests sipped either a “Prettier” Paloma or a Pecan Old Fashioned. (Fittingly, I observed several guests make their selection based on which glass matched their outfit better.)

A consummate hostess, Lela Rose warmly greeted each guest, inviting them for a spin under the smooth lasso of trick roper Ketch Weaver. Decadent canapés by Art2Catering’s Chef Juan Garrido included caviar biscuits, deviled quail eggs, and freshly shucked oysters.

The new store presents Lela Rose Ranch (LRR), a seamless blend of Rose’s signature style with “iconic elements of western wear,” to the Dallas market for the first time. Many of the evening’s It Girls, including Meghan Looney, Bela Cooley, Porschla Kidd, and Shelby Goff, arrived in pieces from the LRR line.

Inspired by Rose’s upbringing and passions for the West, the collection features highly coveted upcycled vintage suede jackets (hand-curated by Lela Rose herself). Coveted by whom, you ask? Me. Coveted by me!

Around the table for the sparkling evening of lively conversation? Elisa Summers, Brian Bolke, Tyler Hays, and Heather and Ray Washburne. And Rose? She had a story about everyone.

Inspired by the new store, which was designed by Manhattan-based firm Studio DB, the chic tablescape mirrored Lela Rose’s period of reflection on the brand’s legacy. Everything from the whimsical floral sunflower bouquets adorning the table to the Texas-inspired menu (quail! beef tenderloin! chorizo shrimp and grits! goat cheese apple tart!) underscored one timeless truth: You can take the designer out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the designer.