Summer is anything but a slow season for the folks at the Alley, who toasted the openings of three shows in recent months. First up was Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, celebrated by 250 guests at a French-inspired dinner catered by City Kitchen. Not long after, The Cake, written by This Is Us producer Bekah Brunsetter, debuted. Alley board members and guests enjoyed a meal that was finished with pink lemonade cake, Brunsetter’s favorite. And the Alley closed out its season with Holmes and Watson. Naturally, a British-tinged feast — roast beef roulade, berry pudding — was served. After each show, patrons gathered in the lobby for a Champagne toast with the casts.
‘Embrace Changes,’ Says Valobra, Whose Namesake Jewelry Store Has Become a Houston Institution
Jun. 16, 2022
How did you get to where you are today? I had little choice in the matter; I grew up being trained to become the fourth-generation jewelry designer behind my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. It was my duty to carry on the family business and continue the hard work and success they built from nothing, beginning in Torino, Italy in 1905. I was surrounded by jewelry and its craftmanship as a young child and was taught the business from a very young age.
Whom do you credit? As I stand squarely on the shoulders of three great men that ran the company before me, my main motivation is to carry the torch to the next generation by carefully expanding the business, protecting the brand, and maintaining the highest level of ethics and professionality while doing it.
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others? Passion and conviction for what you do are going to be of paramount importance for your success. Passion for success may not bring you success, but passion for your work will undoubtedly bring you success.
- Take great care of your client. A relentlessly fanatical approach to customer service is another great key to success.
- Never cease to learn about your business and ways to improve it.
- Don’t fear changes; embrace them and try to anticipate them.
What’s more important in a successful business: seeking the highest profitability or to striving to purvey your clientele with the best values? It is like health and happiness, the two do not exist without the other.
What’s new in your life or work that you’re excited about? The steady progression of custom designed jewelry creations for an ever more sophisticated clientele excites me. It challenges my staff and continues to refine our skills and knowledge. In terms of preparing for the future, my long-term goal is to instill the principles and business values to my next generations that were instilled to me.
What’s your biggest accomplishment as a business owner? Opening successful jewelry boutiques in America thousands of miles away from my comfort zone and making them highly successful. Creating a working environment that is both fun and efficient, cultivating long-term loyalty from clients and staff alike. Continuously curating a sterling reputation and an unequivocally ethical stance.
What’s one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner? Successfully adapting to my business’ ever-changing trends, competing ethically and efficiently in the world of digital content, and constantly creating new designs while delivering value and exclusivity to our clientele.
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Children’s Museum Supporters Go Goth-Glam at Million-Dollar Gala
Alexander's Fine Portraits
Oct. 30, 2024
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.
Noir Ball chairs Whitney and Ryan Burns and Allison and Iván Chávez pulled out all the stops in creating a memorable evening shrouded in gothic romance — a la lace veils, caged roses and eerie candelabras. Guests, clad in leather, feathers and fake blood (oh my!), were greeted by waves of thick fog emanating from a rose-petal-filled fountain. Actors portraying Maleficent, Dracula and Wednesday Addams posed for pics with galagoers in between perusing silent-auction items and grabbing a cocktail.
The live auction certainly added some light to the otherwise (purposefully) dark evening: Auction chairs Devorah Krieger and Elizabeth McIngvale-Mackey secured some covetable packages, like an extravagant dinner for 24 inside The Corinthian’s historic vault, complete with a custom menu by Jackson & Co., and centerpieces by Bergner & Johnson Design. A Thomas Markle Jewelers diamond necklace and Lark & Berry diamond earrings were also up for grabs, as was a getaway to a Costa Rican penthouse. A raffle touted a pair of white-gold diamond-encrusted rings from Valobra Master Jewelers.
The cutest part of the night was the puppy auction! K-9 Angels donated two Labrador retriever/Pointer mix rescue pups, who sparked bidding wars and found their forever homes.
The Spazmatics
Iván and AllisonChávez, Whitney and Ryan Burns
Alexandra & Alex Cabraie
William and Natalia Young
Antoinette and Julian Duncan
Veronika and Mark Adler
Ashley Sloan, Kathryn Boeker, Erin Smith, Bethany Buchanan
Travis Boeker, Matthew Mackey
Elizabeth McIngvale-Mackey, DevorahKrieger, Kathryn Boeker
Bo and Courtney Hughes
Cassandra and Ryan Dalton
Tyler and Courtney Hassen, Rana and Todd Hassen
Trey and Kelly Mattson
Deanna Altenhoff, Darren Brasher
Steven and Liz Bender
Michael and Jessica Bertuccio
Evan and Kathleen Shemonsky
Stephanie Wiegand, Laura Hines-Pierce, Mary Catherine Jones
Shawnie and Paul McBride
Freddie Minahan, Stephanie Wilcox
Heather and Mark Teshoian
Rebecca and Bill Adler
Neil Badlani and Rekha Muddaraj
Jake and Carolyn Sabbat
Rayanne Darensbourg
Morgan Allen, Annabel Florescu, Lindsey Collie, Ricky Perusquia
Matt and Maya Pomroy
Lacey and Matt Goossen
Jon and Allison Heine
Lucy and Babatunde Cole
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‘You’re the Inspiration’: Generous Donors Give $6.2 Mil to Kids’ Charity as Famous Band Takes Stage
Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
Oct. 31, 2024
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.
The gala, overseen by HCC CEO and longtime philanthropic leader Laura Ward, was staged at HCC co-founder and board chair Tilman Fertitta’s Post Oak Hotel, drawing in hundreds of supporters and revelers. The millions raised will “directly fund programs that improve the quality of life for Houston’s underprivileged, abused and disabled children who have been otherwise left behind,” said a rep for the nonprofit.
A slew of notables took the stage at various times to spur giving, give moving testimonies of the good HCC does, and goose the elaborate auction. These include hip-hop star and mogul 50 Cent, football great Andre Johnson, Feritta, Mayor John Whitmire, HCC vice chair and longtime generous donor Gary Becker, and, calling in on remote camera, Hollywood star Jeremy Renner.
Richard and Jana Fant, honorees for the evening, offered one of the big surprises of the night, pledging to by 30 vans for HCC’s program that offers specially equipped vans to families with seriously disabled and otherwise immobile children. Other big donors included auction winners Gary Petersen, Katie and Mike Lowenberg, Randy Hopper, Anthony Pusch and Chi Nguyen, paying $500,000 for a unique dinner party.
Another fun auction item was a Porsche all-electric Macan 4, donated by Porsche River Oaks and Porsche West Houston.
“Finally, the crowd rocked the night away as the legendary band Chicago took the stage, delivering an unforgettable performance of their greatest hits, including ‘Saturday in the Park’ and ‘You're the Inspiration,’” noted the HCC rep.
VIPs spotted in the crowd included Supporters and notable guests included Rachel and Jeff Bagwell, Michael Carr, Gaston, Kim Ogg, Bess and Rob Wilson, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Alicia Smith, Brigitte Kalai, Tom and Carol Sawyer and Sherri Zucker.
Kristen Cannon, Anna Reger, Maria Moncada Alaoui and Marie Taylor
Jana Fant, Richard Fant and Laura S. Ward
Gary Becker
Chicago performs.
Pam Ware, Gary Petersen and Stephanie Fernandez
Jeremy Renner calls in.
Edna Meyer-Nelson and Joe Mallon
Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees
Mike Lowenberg and Katie Lowenberg
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