At Contemporary Austin’s Art Dinner on Friday, the guests themselves were works of art. Held on the shores of Lake Austin at the museum’s historic Laguna Gloria, the museum’s annual fundraiser encouraged an elegant and artful approach to dressing, a contrast to Austin’s more casual scene. Before art lovers sat down at candlelit tables under Tom Friedman’s 33-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture, “Looking Up,” for a dinner by Uchi and a live art auction by Sotheby’s (which raised over $400,000 to fund future exhibitions), they walked the museum’s lush grounds in creative ensembles that signaled the beginning of a new season in playful spring fashion. This is our second installment in our Style Roundup series, which chronicles what Texans are wearing now. In our first, we visited the opening night of February’s Houston Rodeo.
Dapper San Antonio duo Guillermo Nicolas and Jim Foster arrived in whimsical suits (Nicolas in Alexander McQueen, Prada and Gucci, and Foster in Gucci) that signaled to one of the night's trends—pattern play.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Artist Claire Oswalt created a dreamy ensemble out of a Rachel Comey skirt, Ralph Lauren blazer, a pin she found on eBay, and a blouse from Gap that's been in her closet since 2001. Not pictured are the Bottega Veneta shoes that she wore for her wedding a decade ago. "I believe in getting something, keeping it for a long time, and then mixing it up later on," she says.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
After living in Austin for fifteen years, Caleb Campaigne recently moved back to his hometown of San Antonio, where he found this black and gold velvet robe at an estate sale.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Kristin Gish, a member of the Contemporary's board of trustees and a co-owner of Supply Showroom, found this Rosie Assoulin gown on sale at By George in Austin last year and was waiting for the right place to wear it. "My approach to fashion, especially now that I have gotten older, is definitely more classic, but always with a twist," she says. "I am a color and prints girl, so I can never have enough of those. I dress happy and completely for me!"
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Stylish couple Blake and Jamie Chandlee (the CEO of style website Rank & Style) shared a moment in the garden at Laguna Gloria. Jamie wore a vibrant frock by Johanna Ortiz, and Blake sported blue suede loafers for spring that he found while on vacation on the Amalfi Coast.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Contemporary Austin board member Fredericka Middleton stood out from the crowd in her full floral ensemble.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Kristen Lee Cole, the newly appointed chief creative officer and president for Dallas-based shop Forty Five Ten, turned her trench into a backpack for a striking nineties-inspired look, which also happens to be one of her favorite decades in fashion. She says: "Women in Texas love to dress. I’ve always loved more outlandish fashion, and women here actually do it!"
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Music producer LeMel Humes joined arts supporter Suzanne Deal Booth, who helped make James Turrell's "Skyspace" happen at her alma mater, Rice University. Last year she announced the launch of the Suzanne Deal Art Prize, which awards $100,000 and an exhibit at the Contemporary to an artist every other year. The exhibit by the inaugural winner, Rodney McMillian, is on display now.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Photographer Mia Baxter, right, who caught up with Kim and Dave West, was ethereal in her pastel gown by Ulla Johnson.
Photography by Whitney Arostegui
Contemporary Board President Kathleen Irvin Loughlin paired her Maje denim jacket with a vintage dress from London, where she used to live.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Photographer couple Heidi Lender and Luis Fabini (who document the highs and lows of their relationship on Instagram @fabinilender) were in town from Uruguay to introduce their new project, an artist colony in Uruguay, as part of a six-week trip across the U.S.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Austin interior designer Elizabeth Stanley embodied fresh spring style in her floral frock.
Photography by Whitney Arostegui
The Contemporary's Chief Curator, Heather Pesanti, came to Austin from Buffalo, N.Y., five years ago along with the museum's respected director, Louis Grachos. "I love that in Texas people are unafraid to wear color, and women in Austin can do sophisticated-casual so well!" Her dress is by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, and she found it at Austin's Kick Pleat, which also has a store in Houston.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Kim West, a co-owner of the Austin headquartered and uber chic Supply Showroom, sparkled in her embellished Dodo Bar Or gown from Matches in London. "This kind of feels like adult prom!" she says.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Austin-based designer Katie Kime and her husband, Greg Henry, are yin and yang when it comes to style. "I am a more-is-more person, and he prefers basics," she says. "I have embraced that he doesn't like the majority of what I wear, and I am okay with that." Kime paired her Chloe dress with a pashmina she found on a trip to Kenya.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Austin artist Laurie Frick chose a Karl Lagerfield dress. "I like him because he does tall well," she says.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
DJ Stout of Pentagram Design (and the former art director for Texas Monthly) paired his black tuxedo with a Stetson for a look that's classic Texas.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
Prints, like Carly Christopher's leopard dress, were a theme of the night. Her clutch is by local designer Amata Bene.
Photography by Dagny Piasecki
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