parties

Festaris Feted at River Oaks Country Club’s Chic ‘Bela Roma’ Lunch for ICCC

Catchlight Group
Festaris Feted at River Oaks Country Club’s Chic ‘Bela Roma’ Lunch for ICCC

Valentino, Debbie and Rudy Festari

A STYLISH CROWD of more than 350 gathered at a River Oaks Country Club luncheon to celebrate Italian culture in Houston and take in a bright fall fashion show from Saks Fifth avenue.

The event, dubbed “Bella Roma” and chaired by Karen Remington and Saula Centa Valente, raised more than $200,000 — a record! — for the Italian Cultural & Community Center. Honorees for the day were longtime Houston clothiers Debbie and Rudy Festari. Debbie teared up discussing her husband’s journey from a childhood in Rome to becoming one of H-Town’s most iconic fashion merchants; Astros royalty Jeff Bagwell also honored Rudy with remarks.

“Speaking in his native Italian, Rudy spoke of his love of fashion and family, thanking his many friends and supporters,” said a rep for organizers of the event. “Rudy and Debbie’s proud son Valentino was there and shared in the applause and standing ovation for him.”

A lunch of caprese salad and stuff chicken — with a splash of Pinot Grigio, naturally — provided fuel for a fun afternoon. Guests not only enjoyed the sophisticated ladies’ styles on the runway but also perused an extensive silent auction and wine pull.

VIPs in the crowd included emcee Owen Conflenti, Nicole Lassiter, Brigitte Kalai, Sippi Khurana, Lesha Elsenbrook and Donna Lewis, Daniel Irion and Kirk Kveton, Melissa Juneau, Ally Shell, Courtney Hopson, Melissa Mithoff, Mauney Mafrige, Roland Maldonado, Jessica Rossman, Kristen Cannon, Jessica Meyer, Debbie Clemens, Rachel Bagwell, Gary Petersen, Victor Costa, Roz Pactor, Brian Ching and Lindsay Yates.

Brian Ching and Lindsey Yates

Courtney Hopson and Melissa Mithoff

Sippi Khurana and Felicia Stone

Roz Pactor and Victor Costa

Ally Shell and Michelle Reyna

Marla Hurley and Jennifer Grigsby

Farida Abjani, Brigitte Kalai and Alex Blair
Maria Moncada Alaoui and Kristen Cannon

Lorena Gomez and Jessica Gomez

Mauney Mafridge and Travis Torrence

Kristy Phillips and Jennifer Pinkerton

Kirk Kventon, Debbie and Rudy Festari and Daniel Iron

Karen Remington, Saula Valente, Roberta Bentley and Holly Dean

Jody Merritt, Edna Meyer Nelson and Christine Johnson

Jessica Rossman and Ronald Maldonado

Gary Petersen and Rachel and Jeff Bagwell

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Fashion+Home
promoted

Chapman & Kirby Launches Free Concert Series for Spring

Chapman & Kirby Launches Free Concert Series for Spring

Danny Ray and the Atlantic Street Band performs May 31 (photo from dannyrayatlanticstreetband.com)

CHAPMAN & KIRBY, THE premier event destination in Houston’s East Village, is thrilled to announce the launch of its Spring Music Series, kicking off on Friday, April 12. Chapman & Kirby has become synonymous with top-tier events and unforgettable experiences, many attended by celebrities both local and worldwide. With concert ticket prices soaring to hundreds and even thousands of dollars in the last year, this eight-week music series promises to be a welcomed opportunity to engage with live music for free, showcasing an eclectic lineup of talented acts.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Leadership in Action: Entrepreneur Saba Syed of Moroccan Bath Determined to Build ‘Lasting Legacy’

Saba Syed, Founder of Oasis Moroccan Bath

How did you get to where you are today? My journey began with a need to be financially independent and an even a deeper drive to create a lasting legacy. The centuries-old Hammam tradition has always fascinated me—not just for its relaxation benefits, but for its holistic approach to cleansing the body, mind, and soul. So, combining my passion with a vision to bring an authentic yet luxurious Hammam spa experience to Houston, I took the leap less than two years ago to open my own spa.

Keep Reading Show less
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment