(Photograph: Mark Cary, Julianne Cary, Colette Sabins and Kathleen Sierra)

Kips Bay Dallas Inaugural President’s Dinner’s Splendor in The Grass

THE SETTING: The lawn of the Mansion at Turtle Creek served as the elegant mise en scène for the inaugural Kips Bay Dallas President’s Dinner. Chaired by les charmantes Jan Showers and Claire Emanuelson, the sold-out event celebrated the opening of the Kips Bay Dallas Show House, while serving as a fundraiser for the organization’s beneficiaries. The guests enjoyed lively conversation during a cocktail hour and seated dinner, with most of the talk centered around the highly anticipated unveiling of the rooms at this year’s show house.

THE STYLE: The glitterati of the design world were dressed to impress as they greeted old friends and colleagues and welcomed new faces into their stylish stratosphere. Long, short, maximalism, and minimalism collided to create a fashion feast for the eyes. Florals were in abundance in both prints and appliqués, while some guests paired chunky metallics with sleek all-black looks. Other attendees opted for monochromatic ensembles in rich hues of jade and mustard. One of the more noteworthy trends of the evening was the harkening back to the early 1960s silhouettes, a la Lee Radziwill.

THE PURPOSE: The Kips Bay Dallas Show House, now in its third year, is a fundraising effort on behalf of The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club and local charity partners The Crystal Charity Ball and Dwell With Dignity. The Crystal Charity Ball, which supports Dallas children’s charities, and Dwell with Dignity, dedicated to creating homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty, provide much needed support in the DFW community. A particularly touching moment of the evening was when the efforts of the local charity partners were recognized for their important work by the evening’s chairs during welcome remarks.