Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1121563
30 CONTEMPORARY By Christina Geyer Photography Kristi and Scot Redman W ith a theme like S/S19 (the verbiage to indicate a fashion house's Spring/Summer 2019 collection), you can bet Dallas Contemporary had its eye on a pair of very fashionable gals to serve as chairs for the museum's first annual gala fundraiser. The duo were Kristen Cole (Forty Five Ten president and chief creative officer) and Kaleta Blaffer Johnson (art collector and DC board member). The former brought an edgy California-meets-Brooklyn style to the party, while the latter brought a youthful, blue- blood-Texan fashion bent to the night. Add to the mix the opening of three megawatt, fashion- forward exhibitions — "Mario Sorrenti: Kate," "Self Service: Twenty-Five Years of Fashion, People and Ideas Reconsidered," and "Yelena Yemchuk: Mabel, Betty & Bette" — and you have an equation for style mania. Upon arrival, Yemchuk snapped Polaroids of guests — an artful party favor before even walking in the door. Inside, we were surrounded with images from Self Service magazine, then chatted with model Erin Wasson, who served as after-party chair, and told us about her recent move back to New York from California. The star-studded evening made a fan girl of us all. Honorary chairs — photographer Mario Sorrenti, Self Service founder Ezra Petronio, and Dennis Freedman, executive VP and creative director of Barneys New York — found themselves deep in conversation throughout the evening, while artist Francesco Clemente held court of his own. (His Dallas Contemporary installation, "Watchtowers, Keys, Threads, Gates" opened a few days later.) Even model Kate Moss made a quick appearance, by way of FaceTime, thanking the crowd for its support of the arts and her thrill at starring in Sorrenti's exhibition. At the extraordinary dinner and auction Erykah Badu and Nancy Rogers duked it out in a bidding war just before musician Ben Kweller took the stage. But nothing could prepare us for what came next: an after-party of epic proportions. The music was loud. Guests stayed late. And clothes came off — by which we mean Wasson stripped out of her kimono-style blazer, opting for a barely there bandeau top. FASHION FLASH at DALLAS Kaleta Blaffer Johnson, Kathryn Swain Richard Phillips Erin Wasson, Al Tidwell, Fred Holston Erykah Badu Erin Wasson, Francesco Clemente Amanda Carter, Kristen Cole, Chioma Nnadi After-party Nancy Rogers, Peter Doroshenko