Perhaps you recall Carla McDonald, posing pertly in her sparkling cocktail dress and rose-tipped shoes. Or perhaps Anne Elizabeth Wynn stood out in her low-cut, vibrant turquoise with leather cinch and fishnet hose. Or maybe your memory settles on a striking couple, Gail Chovan and Evan Voyles, effortlessly relaxed in their cool SoCo black.
The Glossy 8, your selections for the best-dressed Austinites, electrified the October edition of this publication.
On Oct. 2, these sartorial select - really nine, not eight, given the Chovan-Voyles team — gathered with hundreds of onlookers at Neiman Marcus to celebrate their eclectic tastes. Perhaps you were even present at the Style Maker Awards when models paraded through the men’s department in threads selected to fit the Great 8’s personal styles.
It was a heady night. But how did we get there? And how can you help select the next Glossy 8?
Back over the summer, we asked readers to nominate folks they thought lit up the social scene with their natty attire. Dozens of names poured into our e-mail boxes.
Besides the glitterati mentioned above, high vote-earners included NAACP leader Nelson Linder, newscaster Michelle Valles, magazine publisher Lance Avery Morgan, Ladyflash’s Ashley Chiles and Houston emigrant Susanne Dawley Byram, all eventually making the final cut.
Soon after, the Glossy staff sat down to comb through the nominations and select winners who represented a broad cross-section of Austin style. It wasn’t easy. And perhaps you will realize why if you take up our invitation to help select the next Glossy 8.
Who stands out in a crowd? Who leads Austin fashion in new directions or maintains standards for more traditional wear? Better yet, who belongs on the cover of Glossy in 2009?
We want to know. The sooner, the better. If you arrive home tonight after an especially memorable evening and think, “Wow. Madame X always wears exactly the right outfit. Wait, shouldn’t she rate the Glossy 8?” It’s best not to recycle this year’s winners. After all, they already set some pretty high fashion standards. Instead, give us a new set to ponder as we anticipate Glossy 8 2009. Send your nominations to mbarnes@statesman.com with a short testimonial.