Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/184554
Auction Speaks Louder than Words Brian McFarlane Wanda Gierhart Billy Fong takes TACA's pulse Charles Sulak Tia Pettijohn Kimberly Sulak PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL DRIENSKY. Jeff Johnson H Marianne Cook Lynn McBee Allan McBee ands down, the perfect out-of-the-gate moment to herald everyone's return from Aspen, Jackson Hole and East Hampton (Did I miss a pricey zip code?) was the TACA RBC Wealth Management Custom Auction Gala. It was all due in no small part to the efforts of chairmen Phillip and Jacquelin Taylor and Nicholas Even, along with honorary chairs Lynn and Allan McBee. I was so fortunate to find a date literally half an hour before guests were expected to arrive at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. For those of you who know me, I am the ultimate procrastinator. Fortunately, I got a call from my dearest friend, Christen Wilson, that her daughter Trinity Lewis had come to town last minute for a weekend visit from Duke — voilà! Fashion standouts included Jacquelin wearing a dress by one of the evening's honored guests, Chadwick Bell. He was accompanied by his flawless partner, Vanessa Webster, who wore another of his frocks, this one with horsehair straps. (Who knew that actual hair would take the place of animal prints as au courant?) I am loving yellow this season, and Capera Ryan wore it brilliantly in a David Meister dress from Bergdorf Goodman paired with a stunning Cartier necklace. Her chic mother, Debbie Ryan, was looking so now in Prada printed pants. The auction — consisting of 10 over-the-top temptations curated by Neiman Marcus' Wanda Gierhart — raised a record-breaking $194,000. The evening's most coveted package was a Grammy Awards Weekend, with tickets to the 55th annual ceremony and after-parties, along with jewels by Erica Courtney. Chef Kent Rathbun was on hand to keep bidding brisk for his eight-person Dine-Around culinary tour. I've decided I will have a lunchtime poll question — remember the movie Heathers? — for every event this season. For TACA, my query was: "Would your dream escort be Bert or Ernie?" (For those who don't have total Sesame Street recall, Bert has the pointy yellow head with bushy eyebrows, and Ernie is the smaller fellow with an oval orange head.) My favorite response: "Well, Ernie seems like he would be super-fun dinner conversation, but Bert could probably rock your world in bed … and also seems like he would be a good provider." The socialite that I kissed endlessly after that line wishes to remain nameless. Amongst those that shan't be: Linda Ivey, Joyce Goss, Kenny Goss, Jessica Olsson-Nowitzki, Simona Beal, Diane and Hal Brierley, Shannon Brame, Faye C. Briggs, Marsha Cameron and Mike Halloran, Simona Beal, Gwen and Leldon Echols, Michele and Stephen Vobach, Mary Gill, Donna Wilhelm, and Sharon Young. Sara Fey Egan "WOULD YOUR DREAM ESCORT BE BERT or ERNIE?" Holly Reed Gillian Breidenbach Lisa Ogle Bill Ogle Phillip Taylor Jacqueline Taylor Tracy Rathbun Clint Carlson Michele Vobach Nancy Carlson Kent Rathbun Kit Sawers Joe LaManna Jack LaManna Sara Wilson Nick Even Carrie Teller Andy Teller Jeff Netzer Baxter Brinkmann Barbara Daseke Ken Villalovos Don Daseke Hilary Roberts Candace Netzer Kimberly Rote Joni Kuhn Nadine Jones