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Reflections on a Magical Evening Mary Stanton Smith Kelly Klein Makes a Splash at Chateau Domingue Ray Guyton BY HOLLY MOORE. PHOTOS BY SHAU LIN HON. I f you build it, they will come. Ruth Gay, who owns Houston's Stonehenge of reclaimed architectural antiquities and elements, Chateau Domingue, was musing how to decorate for the book signing and cocktail party she was hosting for photographer and author Kelly Klein (Calvin's ex). The name of Klein's book, Pools: Reflections, sparked the idea. "I'll build a pool," said Gay. And she did — in five days, her dedicated crew dug, poured, stoned and tiled a stunning reflection pool on the grounds of Chateau Domingue. With twinkling lights and monolithic stones and statuary recovered from ancient palazzos, private chapels and Tuscan farmhouses, the effect mesmerized. New York–based Klein was loving the warm Houston evening and had planted herself poolside to inscribe bons mots in her books, but the gravely quarry stones played havoc with stilettos, and the signing ensued inside the magical showroom. Greeting Kelly: Cinda and Armando Palacios, Neil Strauss, Diane Lokey Farb, Greg Fourticq Jr., Sara Dodd-Spickelmier, Nancy Marcus Golden, Anne and Noble Carl, Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu, Annie Amante, Sabiha Rehmatulla, Laura Casey Greenberg, Karin Tennant, Larry Plotsky, Anita Gaylor, Alton LaDay and Jonathon Glus, Laura Mudd, and Ruth's husband Jack Gay, daughter Jacqueline Gay, and mom Grace Weatherly. Mary Grace Gray Selven O'Keef Jarmon Herb Pickworth Lauren Rottet Lynda Wood Mise en scène Poppi Massey Laura Casey Greenberg Sabiha Rehmatulla Sara DoddSpickelmier Larry Plotsky Kelly Klein Karin Tennant Armando Palacios Greg Fourticq Jr. Annie Amante Deborah Hughes Matt Johns Noble Carl Anne Carl Jacqueline Gay Michelle Aviña Ruth Gay Grace Weatherly Uomini Belli at Festari and Family's Services' Una Notte in Italia Antonio Smith CATHERINE D. ANSPON TAKES NOTES FROM THE CATWALK. PHOTOGRAPHY KIM COFFMAN. It's Raining Men, Hallelujah T wenty-five of our town's most illustrious gents — leading men of the medical, business, energy, retail, art and sports field — took to the catwalk in one of the social season's most celebrated (and fun) fundraisers. Natch, we are talking about Festari for Men's smoldering Italian-themed evening, Una Notte in Italia, a cocktail party segueing into seated dinner, which crescendos into the famed fashion show that benefits the good works of Family Services. Once again, honorary chairmen Debbie and Rudy Festari presided, joined by philanthropically inclined chairs Jana and Richard Fant. This year's 15th anniversary bash at the Omni was distinguished by Momentum Jaguar/Porsche wheels, a Riazul tequila bar and posh live-auction packages from a gourmet Italian excursion to, closer to home, dinner on the town with two star Texans. And speaking of Texans, at the top of their pigskin and runway games, six players walked the catwalk — QB Matt Schaub, with teammates Kevin Walter, Antonio Smith, Owen Daniels, T.J. Yates, and J.J. Watt — joined by other dashing uomini including Brad Marks, John Thrash, Richard Fant, Alex Lechin, Taft McWhorter, Scott Holstead, Glen Gonzalez, Darrell Betts, and Devinder Bhatia. Front-row fans among the crowd of 500: Jennifer and Chris Brown, Millette and Haag Sherman, Stacy and Stephen McNair, Phillip Sarofim, Melissa and Michael Mithoff, Diane and Michael Caplan, Jill and Calvin Schlenker, and in from Dallas for the fashion festivities Korinna and Mrudool Patel. Michael Caplan J.J. Watt Wallis Marsh Diane Caplan Brad Marks Mrudool Patel Joanna Hartland Korinna Patel Kevin Walter Chair Richard Fant Matt Schaub Caroline Walter Chair Jana Fant Laurie Schaub Darron Anderson Calvin Schlenker Honorary chair Rudy Festari Laurel Ross James Dorsett Gary Petersen Crystal Saldivar Honorary chair Debbie Festari JANUARY | PAGE 18 | 2013 Elizabeth Petersen