Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1516371
By Billy Fong. Photography Jonathan Zizzo, Tamytha Cameron and Celeste Cass. Masterpiece T he winter winds blew in earlier than expected, m a k i n g u s envision a mad dash to Neiman Marcus to secure fur coats that had been sitting in cold storage and a lot more hair spray applied to all the elegant chignons before the 2023 Crystal Charity Ball Gala. One of Dallas' most soigné of affairs is a couture collaboration of fashion, art, and a lot of fantasy. For 2023, ball chair Angie Kadesky landed on the theme "Masterpieces in the Making," and iconic works of art served as decorative motifs throughout the Hilton Anatole — one of the only venues large enough to accommodate the close to 1,500 guests who attend the event, which is seen as the official end of the fall social season. A little primer on the ball for those who migrated here from one of the coasts during COVID. In its 71 years, Crystal Charity Ball has donated close to $200 million to local children's charities. The organizations chosen as beneficiaries for the $6 million raised in 2023 were: After School All Stars, Buckner Children Family Services, Fair Park First, Family Getaway, Metrocare Services, The Salvation Army of North Texas, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, and The Crystal Charity Ball 70th Anniversary Project: Action Before Crisis. My date that evening was Zoe Bonnette, a friend who had never attended the ball. It's always fun to bring a newbie to experience the spectacle that unfolds. And this year was no exception, with names such as Picasso and Monet projected onto the sidewalk leading to the entrance. In between air-kisses as the crowd slowly made its way through the foyer, we were dazzled by vignettes of opera singers, painters, paintings and sculptors played by live models. For fashion, Zoe and I slightly matched: She wore a tuxedo-style dress by Dolce & Gabbana, and I wore a black double-breasted Louis Vuitton evening jacket with my signature tuxedo shorts and Saint Laurent patent ankle boots. Fashion masterpieces that night included Melinda Knowles in a Romona Keveza pink column dress; Lisa Cooley in her signature yellow (a statuesque, off-the-shoulder frock — as vibrant as a Van Gogh canvas — designed by her friend, designer Patti Flowers); and effervescent Maggie Kipp in a blue Lela Rose gown with 3-D floral sleeves, carrying a Louis Vuitton Monet clutch. Spotted dancing après dinner: Janie and David Condon, Luis Araujo, Katherine Coker, Rob Joyner, Marjon Zabihi Henderson, Dwight and Claire Emanuelson, Dean and Wanda Fearing, Lawrence and Katy Bock, Kameron Westcott, Sharon Lee Clark, Russell and Madelaine Lam, Marena and Roger Gault, Jen Davis, Cheryl Joyner, Aaron and Brooke Shelby, Tucker Enthoven, Pam Parella, Mary Martha Pickens, Heather Esping, Jennifer Dix, and Sunie Solomon. MAMBO A model channels Van Gogh Sharon Lee Clark Breakfast at Tiffany's pearls moment 42