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Collection The Gala Premieres S ixty-five years ago, Margaret McDermott created the Beaux Arts Ball to help fund the Dallas Museum of Art. The celebrated Art Ball followed, then TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art, which ended in 2024 after 25 years. Artists constantly reinvent themselves, however, so North Texas' only encyclopedic art museum seized the opportunity to chisel a new way forward. The newest iteration of their bold vision, The Collection Gala, presented by Sewell, drew 420 of its devoted patrons to support the cause — ultimately raising $1.8 million, making it a record-breaking night for the museum. Let's backtrack a little: For those of us whose mantra is "Buy the dress; find the occasion," I oscillated between two black-tie events to debut a new Carolina Herrera gown, so I asked my colleague Billy Fong which to choose. Without missing a beat, he said, "Do you want it to be A Moment? Then wear it to The Collection Gala." One great sartorial moment was interior designer Javier Burkle, wearing a Ralph Lauren tuxedo, go-to-hell ankles (i.e., no socks), and velvet Stubbs & Wootton smoking slippers embroidered with Scalamandré zebras — artful black-tie perfection. Other moments: my favorite tiny dynamo, Elaine Agather, who shimmered in black sequins; Catalina Gonzalez Jorba in a deep-red halter by Colombian designer Francesca Miranda; and Marlena English in 1960s vintage — two of my favorite words. As guests descended upon the DMA, the adventurous lined up for a spin in the Glambot. (Zendaya makes it look so easy — don't believe it!) During cocktail hour, dirty martinis and spicy blood orange margaritas flowed. A regal hot-pink poodle named Bruno, dyed specifically for the occasion, paraded around, while well-heeled revelers admired star-studded guests including Nina Ricci creative director Harris Reed, who held court in a booth with Brian Bolke, and artist Ashley Longshore, wearing a voluminous canary-yellow mini-dress and sky-high platforms. Mark di Suvero's Ave sculpture, which permanently resides on the DMA's south lawn, inspired Todd Fiscus' contemporary event design. You know the one: It's big, it's steel, and it is red. That fiery hue colored all aspects of the evening but dominated the tent, where DJ Romi Q spun and Cassandra Moses of Art2Catering — with her signature bob and bangs chicly dipped in inky black — imagined a dinner experience worthy of its distinguished guests. Highlights bookended the meal: a sous vide egg brimming with Regiis Ova caviar for the amuse bouche and a bittersweet chocolate pâté with a vanilla ice cream cigar. A blue-hued after-party sponsored by Kástra Elión Vodka followed, as guests joined in late-night revelry, fueled by martini fountains and beats from DJ Adamusic. More than a few moments were, shall we say, "collected" during this star-studded night for Dallas' devoted patrons of the arts. With that, the DMA leaps into its next era, looking more glamorous than ever. Spotted: Jessica Nowitzki, Christine Beauchamp, Nancy Rogers, Moll and Charlie Anderson, Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, Faisal Halum, Leigh Anne and Dave Clark, Lisa and John Runyon, Deedie Rose, Marguerite Hoffman, Jacquelin S e w e l l A t k i n s o n a n d Wi l l i a m Atkinson, Christina and Sal Jafar II, Annette Simmons, Kasey and Todd Lemkin, Amanda and Charlie Shufeldt, Peggy Sewell, Mike and Aphrodite Camello, Megan Gratch, Natalie Steen, and Bradley Agather Means and Coley Means. By Melissa Smrekar. Photography George Fiala and Steve Lucero. Ashley Longshore Brian Bolke, Harris Reed Reed Robertson Brooke Hortenstine Maya Pillsbury Jeny Bania Nancy Rogers Marguerite Hoffman Marlena & Brent English Andy Smith Paul von Wupperfeld Christine Beauchamp Cynthia Beauchamp Jacquelin Sewell Atkinson & William Atkinson, Illa Gaunt Bradley Agather Means Preston Evans 32