Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541488
PARTIES IN THE FIELDS T uckernuck co-founders Maddy Grayson and September Votta woke one October morning with Texas on their minds. The duo — along with the brand's third founder, Jocelyn Gailliot, Grayson's sister and Tuckernuck's CEO — had long dreamed of hosting an open-air dinner with live music under the Texas stars. In partnership with designer Hunter Bell, 30 Texas-based influencers, design darlings, and creators met up in a golden field just outside Round Top for dinner and an intimate performance by Texas country music legend Pat Green, all to celebrate friendship, female entrepreneurship, and the spirit of Texas. Tuckernuck and Hunter Bell had popped up at the Round Top Fall Antiques & Design Show at Blue Hills, as Hunter Bell is a top-performing brand for Tuckernuck. For her fall collection, Bell drew inspiration from the landscapes and rustic charm of the Southwestern states, with a special nod to Texas and Round Top specifically. After winding up the narrow gravel road of Kitchenette Farm, the cooking school owned by Marcia Smart, guests from Texas' four largest cities converged for the convivial night, with branded cocktails and tequila from La Pulga Spirits and wine from chic winemaker Elizabeth Pollock's Adelaide Thomas Wines. Smart created the farm-fresh dinner in the field using local ingredients: pumpkin miso soup with toasted pumpkin seeds (served in cast-iron Staub mini cocottes that guests took home as gifts); roasted snap peas with sumac and mint; farro salad with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts; lemon- and white wine-poached salmon; and grilled Santa Maria tri-tip with romesco, ending with honeycrisp- and-cranberry crumble, accompanied by an epic surprise performance by Pat Green under the biggest sky we've ever seen. Green joked, "They didn't invite me to dinner, but they did invite me to play!" When you gather a group of creatives, attention to detail is paramount. Many of the women contributed to the occasion, from Laura Lines Calligraphy's identifiable mark on the place cards and menus to Christy Doramus' oh-so-Texas wildflower arrangements that cascaded down the farm tables. The collaborative effort translated into an evening that felt like a love letter to the Lone Star State. Spotted: Emily Grayson, Kori Green, Melissa Lacy, Sarah Bray- West, Sallie Lewis Schneider, Mary Hafner, Amber Elliott, Roxy Owens, Bridget Barbier-Mueller, Courtney Barton, Carla Valencia, Katie Kime, Natalie Lindsey, Gresham Meek, Annie Downing, Bebe Clement, Joy Wilson, Lily Barfield, Caroline Harper Knapp, Kelly Corroon, Megan Clifton, Camille Hensley, Lindsey Meyer, Alexandra Killion, and Claire Zinnecker. Melissa Smrekar ROUND UP THE Where All the Little Cowboys and Cowgirls Go Tuckernuck X Hunter Bell Bridget Barbier-Mueller Mary Hafner, Sarah Bray-West Caroline Turnipseed, Melissa Smrekar Christy Doramus, Lily Barfield Elizabeth Pollock Pat Green Megan Clifton Melissa Lacy, Kori Green Lindsey Meyer Natalie Lindsey Roxy Owens Maddy Grayson Hunter Bell September Votta Photography Bailey Hunt 44