Lynn Wyatt, Kam Franklin, Brian Ching Help Houston's New Virtual Reality Experience Blast Off

Daniel Ortiz
Lynn Wyatt, Kam Franklin, Brian Ching Help Houston's New Virtual Reality Experience Blast Off

Mara Haaksman, James Inglis, Kam Franklin, Ryan Ramirez

SILVER STREET STUDIOS has arguably never been so silver, as hundreds of guests (many clad in “space-chic” attire) turned out to celebrate the launch of The Infinite, an outer-space-themed multi-sensory installation that landed in H-Town in late December.


A blue carpet led partygoers from the entrance to the bar, naturally, before they could virtually climb aboard the International Space Station. (True Anomaly Brewery poured craft beers, while Gentle Ben Vodka shook up the evening’s signature cocktail, dubbed the Space Rodeo.) Throughout the 60-minute experience, participants can explore the ISS and interact with art, sound, lights and even scents, all while immersing themselves in 360-degree virtual-reality footage shot aboard and outside of the ISS.

Among those in attendance were astronauts, NASA officials, artists and musicians, city leaders and familiar philanthropic faces: Lynn Wyatt, Kam Franklin, Brian Ching, Jon Deal, David Gow and Ursaline Hamilton were all spotted on The Infinite journey.

The 12,500-square-foot exhibition, open through Feb. 20, is an extension of the Emmy-winning interactive series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, a multiplatform production filmed by and documenting the lives of astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Christina Koch and Anne McClain, resident flight engineers who appear in the series, generously shared their stories and chatted with guests throughout the evening.

Serafina Lalany, Alex De la Fuente

Brian Ching, Lindsay Yates

Michael Duckworth

Ceron

Matthew Moncivais, Robert Koch

CoCo Dominguez, Miya Shay

Mark Sullivan, Ursaline Hamilton

Davis Sheffield, Gabi Schlegel

Lynn Wyatt

Derrick Shore, Brandon Bourque

Felix Lajeunesse, Stephane Rituit, Phoebe Greenberg

George and Michelle Leal Farrah

Christina Koch, Anne McClain

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

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties

Morris Smith, Tilman Fertitta and Toni Smith

THE HOUSTON CHILDREN'S Charity gala is always anticipated, thanks to the big-deal musical acts brought in to entertain; this year it was Chicago. But the headliners this year were the generous donors, who seemed to surprise even event organizer with their largesse, with a total till of $6.2 million, a record.

Keep Reading Show less
Party People