Private ‘Cotton Ball’ Bash Celebrates Company’s Milestone in Lavish Style

Jenny Antill
Private ‘Cotton Ball’ Bash Celebrates Company’s Milestone in Lavish Style

Franco Valobra, Kristen Cannon, Faith and Lee Majors

A PRIVATE COMPANY eager to celebrate its 25th anniversary right spared no expense at a lavish quarter-century bash at the Post Oak Hotel last week.


Cotton Holdings — an infrastructure support services outfit that cleans up all measure of damage from storms, other national disasters, terrorist attacks and more — welcomed nearly 300 guests to its black-tie (and, in many cases, black cowboy hat) "Cotton Ball." Nodding to the cheeky world play, tables were set with voluminous all-white florals, and mirrored accents, amping up the glamour.

After a fabulous surf-and-turf dinner — during which Cotton execs such as co-founder Pete Bell made moving presentations about the company's history, and sent Patron shots out to the crowd for toasting — a sumptuous dessert buffet was offered up, as were concerts by country star Clay Walker and, in the later hours, the fun and quite accomplished '80s cover band The Spazmatics. The dance floors stayed packed!

A custom 25th anny logo was affixed to almost every available surface, from the mini-Champagne bottles given out as favors, to the French fry and pizza boxes that circulated as the party tilted into after hours.

Spotted in the crowd were Cotton honchos Randall Thompson, Bryan Michalsky, Chris Sneck, James Scaife, Johnny Slaughter and Russell White. Former Navy SEAL and Lone Start Survivor Foundation founder Marcus Luttrell was also on hand, as was Six Million Dollar Man star Lee Majors with wife Faith, and Franco Valobra of Valobra Master Jewelers.

Andrew Cordes and Brian Teichman

Nicki Keenan, Pete Bell, Heather Mountain & Tilman Fertitta

Bailey Bell, Hunter Bell

Chris and Margaret Sneck

Claudia and Brad Freels

Jenny and Rick Bailey

Jeremy and Britney Mahugh

Katy Ellis, Zinat Ahmed, Molly McMurtry

Kim and Patrick Glass

Tracey and Rick Rice

Clay Walker at Cotton Ball

Parties
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less

A WINE-TASTING rendezvous at the Post Oak Hotel benefited a heartwarming charity — to the tune of $410,000!

Keep Reading Show less

Outside The Kennedy (photo by Tarick Foteh)

A RESTAURANT OFFERING “refined, classic cuisine in an elevated, cocktail-lounge experience to Montrose and River Oaks” has opened where Montrose meets River Oaks.

Keep Reading Show less
Food+Travel