Fashionistas 'WOW' at Philanthropic Tootsies To-Do

Daniel Ortiz
Fashionistas 'WOW' at Philanthropic Tootsies To-Do

Karishma Asrani, Jay Lakhani, Courtney Harmon

ONE OF THE season’s most fashionably philanthropic events, the Women of Wardrobe’s (WOW) Summer Soiree returned to Tootsies last week, welcoming 300 guests who raised more than $15,000 for Dress for Success.


Touting fall collections from Love the Label and Deepa Gurnani, the gathering had guests wishing for cool weather — and catching up about where they spent the sizzling summer — while sipping Madame Zero Champagne and cocktails with Agavales tequila. Among the bites provided by local purveyors like Armandos, Kin Dee and Guard and Grace were cups of shrimp ceviche and bite-size empanadas; all was savored while a soundtrack of tunes spun by DJ Paul Paxton played in the background.

A swag bag was given to partygoers upon their departure, featuring items from Equinox, ALTO, Lemon Laine and more.

Next summer will mark the 20th Summer Soiree, which directly furthers WOW and Dress for Success Houston’s mission to empower women to achieve economic independence through networking, professional attire and developmental resources.

Mandy Bynum, Monica Guerra

Anna Kaplan, Trina Silva

Olivia Awo, Kaitlyn Dhindsa

Norman Lewis, Lauren Levicki Courville

Kristen Torrez, Catarina Bill

Annie Ghormley, Melanie Mabry

Jessica Arledge, Victoria Garcia, Hilary Baars

Caitlin Fleming, Katherine Orellana, Michael Vo

Parties
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

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