Art+Culture

In a Quarantine Project, R&B Siren Aviana Takes Funk for a Test Drive!

Steve Visneau
Aviana wears a Pamela Roland dress from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Aviana wears a Pamela Roland dress from Saks Fifth Avenue.

R&B maven Lilly Aviana, 26, released her debut album, Late Bloom, last summer, after two years of hard work. It’s chock-full of total R&B and neo-soul bangers. The Houston-reared artist wrote all of the music herself, and had plans to take the highly personal album on a Texas tour this spring. Instead, she ended up using the time allotted by the shutdown to pour into a new funk project. “I’ve been studying funk music from the ’70s and ’80s,” she says. “It’s been really fun and challenging. The time off has really opened my mind up to creating since I have no distractions.”

However, she is looking forward to getting back on the stage in the coming months. “Feeling the energy from the crowd — there’s nothing like it. We need it to survive.” 

Click here to see the full 2020 portfolio.

Aviana wears a Pamela Roland dress from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Setting Clear Goals’ Among Secrets of Success for Attorney Jess Bailey

Al Torres
Leadership in Action: ‘Setting Clear Goals’ Among Secrets of Success for Attorney Jess Bailey

How did you get to where you are today? A few key principles integrated into my life: setting clear goals, maintaining a growth mindset, building strong habits, and surrounding myself with the right people. Goals provided direction, while a growth mindset helped me turn challenges into opportunities for learning. Consistent habits, like disciplined work and effective communication, kept me moving forward. Being surrounded by motivated, supportive individuals has elevated my standards and kept me accountable. They’ve provided advice, encouragement, and sometimes that extra push I needed to stay on track. With these elements, I’ve been able to create a framework that helps me succeed and ensures I continue to grow and evolve.

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People + Places
parties

Go Inside Houston Ballet's 'Golden' Evening that Raised $1.65M!

Dave Rossman and Melissa Taylor

Lauren Anderson and Fady Armanious

EVER A GLAMOROUS event, the Houston Ballet's annual black-tie ball was a glimmering affair at the Wortham, where 500 guests joined event chairs Kristy and Chris Bradshaw and Melissa Juneau.

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Art + Entertainment
parties

At Posh Tony’s Fete, Baly’s New Doctorate and Life of Service Honored

Alejandro Olivares

Gayla Gardner, Jacquie Baly and Julie Baker Finck

THE DOCTOR IS in! One of Houston’s most engaged civic leaders, Jacquie Baly, has a new title after earning her Doctorate in Education and Organizational Change & Leadership from USC. And some of the city’s heavy hitters turned up for a swanky reception at Tony’s to congratulate her. “Education and community leadership go hand in hand,” said Dr. Baly. “This honor fuels my continued mission to create meaningful change.”

And they weren’t alone in their admiration. Both the City of Houston and the State of Texas declared the day of the to-do “Dr. Jacquie Baly Day,” complete with official proclamations.

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Style+Culture