Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/184542
FROM THE FROM THE PUBLISHER T he emotion that best describes how I feel at the beginning of the year is — euphoria! It's my absolute favorite time of the year; the holidays are way too stressful. We can wipe the slate clean and start fresh. It is a time to reinvent yourself, your business, your relationship, your outlook on life. Press restart. Dust off dormant projects and bring them to life, give employees new duties and say "go," tell your son or daughter that you are going to see them more — and do it. I've hit multiple restarts going into 2012 — namely, a revised Web site for the magazine and a new headshot for my publisher letter (I think I'll rotate them often, since the photographer had to shoot many attempts!). You may recall that we launched our site more than two years ago to much fanfare. It was robust (read: complex) and beautiful. It did, however, have some bugs that were mostly fixed as time went by, and we learned along the way that we could make the site more efficient, add critical features (like a site-wide search) and make it easier to navigate. Done. Now, every time you go to papercitymag.com, you will see the newest content front and center (of course, there are lots of new parties posted I know traditionally January is the new year, but I feel newness and freshness in fall with the first cold snap. When the temperature dips, all things become possible. Years are divided in halves. It's the hot part — and the part when you can actually get things accomplished and have a life outside of A/C-controlled environs. But since it is January now, I have a prediction, and that is that Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (opening Christmas Day 2012 with Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire as narrator Nick Callaway) will be a pivotal reference in fashion and interiors in 2012. F. Scott Fitzgerald's perfect novel of the chicest cad who ever lived eerily sums up what greed and avarice can provoke. Tiffany & Co. is providing the platinum-set diamonds and pearls, as well as china and flatware, and SIMON GENTRY LETTER FULTON DAVENPORT LETTER EDITOR Ralph Lauren's spring collection references Jay and Daisy's effortless 1922 style. In the 1974 movie starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, Ralph Lauren provided the clothes, and Jay Gatsby kick-started his career. As Daisy famously sighed, "It makes me sad because I've never seen such — such beautiful shirts before." Perhaps dapper cads will also have an uptick, as well as self-invention, white-collar crime (i.e., bootlegging and trading stolen securities) and the amoral pursuit of wealth. Oh, wait. That was 2011. Holly Moore, editor in chief holly@papercitymag.com throughout the month, too). You can then use the drop-down bar to sort by latest, oldest or category. The PaperCity Social Calendar is now the largest resource in town to track upcoming social events, due in part to our partnership with Blacktie. My headshot was taken by Simon Gentry, who has an über-cool space called The Photobooth on Montrose (just north of Westheimer). It's Simon's glass-walled studio, as well as a reception space. Simon has shot parties for PaperCity for years, yet I would not say I knew him very well. What I can say about him now is that when you get your new headshot to start the year, bring a bottle of something. The music will be loud, and Simon and his muse du jour will be dancing around as the camera clicks. It's quite festive and fun! I have a new respect for the creative British shutterbug. Yes, the year is starting out fabulous. Jim Kastleman, publisher jim@papercitymag.com [ RAP [ IN THIS ISSUE 4, 6 POP. CULTURE. GOSSIP. 8 Party: Tenenbaum & Co.'s "Tickled Pink" fête 12 Party: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Grand Gala Ball: "An Egyptian Fantasy" 17 22 Art+ Design Notes: Greeting 2012 with great design House: Inside the River Oaks home of art collectors Mary and Roy Cullen 29 At West Ave, the former River Oaks Shopping Center fashion boutique 310 Rosemont opens up shop under a new name, Sam and Lilli, early this year … Joan Pillow Bridal Salon hosts two big Fall 2012 trunk shows this month: Monique Lhuillier, January 5 – 7, and Vera Wang, January 12 – 14 … Project Runway has a new spinoff that brings back all your favorite contestants for another shot at fashion superstardom. Project Runway All-Stars premieres January 5 for a 12-week run on the Lifetime channel. Sponsor Neiman Marcus provides all the accessories for the reality runway … Elizabeth Anthony/Esther Wolf hosts Venezuelan designer Gionni Straccia January 13 and 14. His custom couture evening gowns have been worn by Miss Universe, Miss Teen USA and Miss Texas Teen … A collaboration between Christian Dior and contemporary artist Anselm Reyle made a stellar debut last month at Art Basel in Miami. The radical collection of camouflage-print Lady Dior bags, shoes, jewelry, eyeshadows and solid-color nail polishes to complement the camo make their debut this month exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue and dior.com. Book a rad mani at Saks Fifth Avenue Dior Nail Bar January 5 through 7 to have your nails polished in limited-edition artistic shades as Pink Graffiti, Ultra Violet, Electric Blue, Untitled Black and Metallic Silver. Appointments 713.627.0500, ext. 5700. Kate Allen Stukenberg RETAIL JANUARY 2012 | STYLE | FASHION | SOCIAL ART NOTES Social Calendar: Your go-to guide to spring's top events PRADA GALLERIA I, NEXT DOOR TO MAXMARA NO PHONE NUMBER AT PRESS TIME prada.com Keys to the Door: TBD. Stocked goods: The first Prada boutique in Texas has opened at the Galleria. The 5,000-square-foot space, designed by Roberto Baciocchi, is dedicated to men's and women's collections of ready-towear, bags, accessories and shoes. The sophisticated older sister of Miu Miu, Prada still carries quite a bit of wit and whimsy in its collections, as seen in both the resort and spring lines now available in-store. Inspired by the '50s, resort features Elvis– style jackets and June Carter–inspired shirts, windowpane and polka-dot print dresses and a resurrection of Miuccia Prada's iconic lip print, circa 2004. The trend continues into spring with '50s pinup-girl swimsuits, schoolgirl pleated skirts and crochet coats, plus flame and American-hot-rod prints on leather, coats, dresses, skirts and shirts. Men will find mid-century-style shirting, suits, scarves and candy-colored saddle-style golf shoes to match their pretty pinups. Meanwhile, the women's handbags collection for spring focuses on braided madras totes. Keychains in letter-jacket letters are a fun find as well. Kate Allen Stukenberg RestaurantBUZZ P astry chef Vanessa O'Donnell has brought her Ooh La La Dessert Boutique to Memorial. The Town & Country Village location is the young baker's third delicious bake shop … Is tequila your tipple of choice? Try Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro, the latest offering from the luxury brand. Complex like a traditional darker añejo, but filtered and distilled twice before it's aged for 18 months in oak, it's bright with tastes of wild honey and citrus — splendid for sipping or mixing into a craft cocktail … Next time you take flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport check out celebrity chef Cat Cora's Cat Cora's Kitchen in Terminal E. The cocktail and tapas lounge promises passengers a sophisticated respite … Here are more Prada Tex-Mex options to quell our cravings. First, Austin import Torchy's "Damn Good" Tacos has opened at 2411 South Shepherd. Chef/owner Mike Rypka apparently ditched the tall toque awhile back to invent spicy tacos named the Dirty Sanchez and the Brush Fire that have fans raving, "Damn, these tacos are good." Meanwhile, Dallas-based Mi Cocina has opened again here, this time in the Woodlands. at 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive … On our hit list to try: Happy Fatz (3510 White Oak Drive), a frankfurter joint in the Heights that had PC staffer Mary Hoang waxing on about their premium hot dogs and decadent desserts … Mark your calendar for Galveston Restaurant Week, Sunday through Saturday, January 15 through 21. To check out the more than 25 restaurants participating, go to galvestonrestaurantweek.com. Laurann Claridge JANUARY | PAGE 4 | 2012 Pick Three: From Barbie and her pals to babes who wear pearls, plus acres of white paint, the New Year yields pleasures aplenty. Here's our top trio. Thedra CullarLedford takes Colquitt — New Gallery/Thom Andriola, to be precise — with towering canvases that record America's obsession with the cult of the doll. Cullar-Ledford's paintings along the way say a lot about our notions of femininity, cultural constructs and the battle of the sexes (January 14 – February 11) ... Over at 4411 Montrose, Joseph Cohen comes home to reveal the results of a recent Italian residency, with impastoed abstractions that carry a bit of the sublime, at Wade Wilson Art (January 6 – 25) ... Then stroll upstairs to see quite possibly the best acolyte of drawing in all of Texas, Neva Mikulicz, whose latest, "They All Wore Pearls," pairs Prismacolor pencil Thedra Cullar-Ledford's Annie Get Your Gun, with video projection, filtered through buoyant 2011, at New Gallery/Thom Andriola evocations of 20th-century America (January 12 – February 11). For more scoop, including who's new in town, navigate to papercity mag.com. Catherine D. Anspon Neva Mikulicz's Hottest, 2011, at Anya Tish Gallery