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IT'S THE KARL LAGERFELD SHOW Paris-Bombay Dallas will be … No, it is not possible. It will be THE KAISER BRINGS HIS BLOCKBUSTER CHANEL RUNWAY SHOW, MÉTIERS D'ART, TO DALLAS THIS DECEMBER. C hanel's Métiers d'Art runway show is not the spring collection nor the fall collection. It's a once-a-year extreme production designed to showcase the finest of Chanel's creation, highlighting the historic, small French workrooms that produce couture-level featherwork (Lemarie), millinery (Michel), jewelry (Goosens), buttons (Desrues), fabric flowers and plants (Guillet), embroidery (Lesage) and bootmaking (Massaro). Chanel has brought these seven houses under its corporate wing to protect them from extinction, to preserve and nurture their valuable and Karl Lagerfeld irreplaceable heritage and consummate creativity. For what would Chanel be without its camellias, two-tone shoes, boaters, gilded chains and rich embroidery. Previous Métiers d'Art extravaganzas have occurred in the ruins of Linlithgow Palace in Scotland, where Mary, Queen of Scots was born. For another Métiers, Lagerfeld jetted to the Far East, seating a thousand guests on a darkened pontoon boat in the Huangpu River overlooking the city of Shanghai's impressive skyline. Even when Lagerfeld hosted Métiers d'Art in Paris, the opulence knew no bounds, as any guest at the Paris-Bombay collection can attest: All were seated for high tea at elaborate tables that crafted a runway, and dined during the show. A small silver train with interlocking CC's circled the tables carrying decanters of liquor. And then there were the shows in Moscow, the gardens of Versailles and Venice. So, why Dallas? We can hardly hazard a guess, except that cities such as Dallas and Houston are the new American cities — sparkling with opportunity, creativity and power. It's anyone's guess where the Dallas stage will be set (they're not telling), but you can bet it will be spectacular if its design is anywhere within the spectrum of previous productions. And the scene and setting naturally foretell the collection theme. Linlithgow Palace was all tartans and ruffs; Paris-Bombay was turbans and tikkas, maharajas and churidars. And Art Notes something we have Paris-Édimbourg never imagined. But all the elaborate production aside, the spectacular clothing is the heart of the show. And how often does a city get to play a lead role in a fashion collection. Will Karl be here? You bet your chaussures. Chanel Métiers d'Art, coming December 2013 to Dallas. Kate Stukenberg Restaurant Buzz ParisBombay Paris-Bombay Little Dress. Big Contest. RYAN N. DENNIS F ParisBombay Paris-Édimbourg Eight to see: Make tracks to Project Row Houses for Round 38, a smartly curated convergence of eight talents in seven row houses that are provocative, compelling and poignant, dealing out themes global (Rahul Mitra), local (Thomas Sayers Ellis), cosmic (Kenya Evans, M'kina Tapscott), architectural and iconic (Sean ShimBoyle), nature-based (Jürgen Tarrasch), print-related (Darin Forehand) and about the all-American pinup (Derek Cracco). PRH's Ryan N. Dennis curates (through June 23). Coolquitt Crazy: At Blaffer Art Museum, the strange sculptural mash-ups of the quotidian, the arresting and the everyday make a compelling case for the talent of Austin-based Andy Coolquitt, whom Claudia Schmuckli curates in a survey marking the artist's museum debut (opening night May 17; through August 24). Whitney Bound?: That same night, head to Art League Houston for the bold text paintings by my frenemy Devon Britt-Darby, whose work has an incandescent layer of beauty; he's my bet for the Texas talent for the next Whitney Biennial. Also on view at ALH is light mistress Adela Andea's latest laser-like sculptural configurations (both opening May 17; through June 21). Wanna Get Lucky: Head to DiverseWorks for my personal fave collecting opportunity. The annual Luck of the Draw is the most democratic acquisition opportunity around, plus a really great art bash. PaperCity serves as media sponsor Thursday, May 23, while DW celebrates its 30th year by rolling out offerings by more than 200 talents, including recent headliners (Franklin Evans, Tony Feher, Liz Magic Laser and Marina Zurkow) and Houston notables (Joe Havel, Katrina Moorhead, Francesa Fuchs and Trenton Doyle Hancock), all making 7-by-9-inch treasures (tickets from $100, chances $100 each; 713.223.8346 or diverseworks.org). For more art dish, tap papercitymag.com. Catherine D. Anspon Derek Cracco's From Here To There (detail), 2013, at Project Row Houses or years, we've lamented the fact that Houston has few high-end bakeries — the sort you can drop into morning, noon and night for something sweet and stay for so much more. While single-sweetoriented spots abound (cupcakes, macarons, ice cream), now Houston-reared pastry chef Roy Shvartzapel has come home to fill the void and round out the pastry offerings. Working his way up the food chain around the globe for the past decade or so, this CIA-trained chef toiled in the kitchens of David Bouley, Pierre Herme and Thomas Keller before deciding to bring the European tradition of great baking (and gelato making) to his soon-to-be-built spot, dubbed Common Bond, at the corner of Dunlavy and Westheimer. Expect to hear a lot more about this up-and-coming chef when the doors of his concept swing open later this year … The team of Clark Cooper Concepts (chef Charles Clark and Grant Cooper), who've been in business for a dozen years with Ibiza (Coppa and Brasserie 19 followed in short order), have two more concepts on Paris-Édimbourg the drawing board. Situated in separate spaces in the currently under-construction development Hanover Rice Village, Coppa Osteria debuts this summer, while Punk's Simple Southern Food (Clark's childhood nickname) will come together this fall. Interior designer Julie McGarr is creating the interiors for each concept. Chef Brandi Keys, who has been at their Italian concept Coppa for nearly two years, will jump between both Coppa incarnations, making wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas, Florentinestyle steak and more, interpreting dishes from regions throughout Italy with price points ranging from $9 to $4 … John Sheely, chef/owner of Mockingbird Bistro, opens Mazzantini on Post Oak in the new BBVA Compass Bank building in August. Mazzantini was his mama's maiden name, and that side of the family can trace its roots to Tuscany. In homage, Sheely's menu will feature homemade pastas, rustic pizzas, seafood and traditional Northern Italian dishes … Looks like The Palm, that oldschool steakhouse on Westheimer, has temporarily closed for a revamp. After 35 years in Houston (and 85 years in existence), the Palm will emerge completely refreshed, rebranded with a whooping 8,000-square-feet expansion into the space next store. Expect the big reveal at the end of the summer. Laurann Claridge A little black dress has to make an impression without making an impression; it has to be timeless to make it essential. American Vogue got it right in 1926 when they nicknamed Coco Chanel's new black dress design, a simple drop-waist crepe de chine, the "Ford" because the modest garment was as reliable as Ford's Model-T of the era. Hubert de Givenchy got it right when he designed the smartly cut black dress that Audrey Hepburn wears in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's, probably the most famous little black dress of all time. So, who else can create a perfect little black dress? Ten young fashion designers in Houston think they can; they are finalists in the 1st Annual Little Black Dress Designer contest. The dress designs, recently critiqued by a bevy of fashionable judges from local retailers, designers, fashion-show producers and style writers (including moi), will sashay down the runway at House of Blues Tuesday, May 14, at 6:30 pm, at an event hosted by Shannon Hall and Judy Nyquist. In addition to announcing the winners of the contest, of which the top five will receive a prize portion of a $15,000 fashion scholarship, the event also honors Kay King, the local legendary division chair of the award-winning Lifestyle Arts and Design Careers program at Houston Community College. May the best dress win. Tickets $100 and $75 for runway seats, $50 for standing room, $35 for students. To purchase tickets or learn more about the event, visit littleblackdressdesigner. com. Kate Stukenberg "WHEN A LITTLE BLACK DRESS IS RIGHT, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO WEAR IN ITS PLACE." — Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor