Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1284206
A JEWEL OF A BALL BY BILLY FONG PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE WRUBEL I t was dubbed One Enchanted Evening, and this year's Jewel Charity Ball left me wide-eyed remembering the twinkling decor and the nearly 1,500 guests who fi lled Dickies Arena. In its 66th incarnation — and in a new venue — the annual event was co-chaired by Anne Paup and Sally Prater. And it was ravishing on every level. Visionary designer Bill Robertson transformed the vast space, which had housed the rodeo just a few weeks prior, into a fl ora and fauna wonderland and glamorous ballroom. Jewel Charity Ball is distinctly old school, and guests know that black-tie rules strictly apply: boys wore tuxes, and girls in trailing gowns by Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta. One glittering standout was Michelle Marlow, Jewel Charity's 2021 chair, who caught my eye in a Zac Posen sheath that accentuated her always sparkling eyes. One of my Fort Worth Bomb girls, Olivia Kearney, delivered a shorter version of glamour with a voluminous Tish Cox frock. Two others who made my list of swans were Marisa Selkirk, in a stunning white-and-red fl oral gown by Johanna Ortiz, and Melissa Mehall, in a Michael Kors Collection gown with featherlike fringe at the neckline and hem. SWANNING AND AIR-KISSING: Beth and Craig Collins, Sasha and Ed Bass, Paul Dorman, Kelly and Jeff Dillard, Evelyn and Rick Merrell, and Carole and James Dunaway. Co-chair Anne Paup Anne T. Bass Kennedy Collins, Sophie Digesualdo gown with featherlike fringe at the neckline and hem. SWANNING AND AIR-KISSING: Beth Dorman Merrell Sam & Janis Brous Bill Robertson designed a wonderland. Becky Bowen Olivia & Jeff Kearney Kelly Dillard Lou Martin Natalie & Ryan Campbell PRE-COVID-19