Parisian Chic Stormed the 27th Annual Mad Hatters Tea

You know what they say, "April showers brings May flowers," thence asset the annual Mad Hatters Tea together with Fashion Show exterior inwards Apr is ever a dicey affair. This twelvemonth was no exception with Event Chair Sharon Popham, Honorary Chair Sherwood Wagner together with Woman's Council President Marena Gault fretting upwardly until the terminal minute, terrified that looming tempest clouds were going to dump buckets of pelting on the Ginsburg Plaza together with all of their well-heeled guests. It did sprinkle off together with on several times, precisely Mother Nature was much likewise well-mannered to ruin everyone's expert time. This final result is an all-day affair benefiting the Womens Council of the Dallas Arboretum together with it kicks off with a champagne reception, goes into a professionally staged together with choreographed fashion presentation produced past times the inimitable January Strimple, together with is together with thence followed past times a seated luncheon. Mad Hatters is ever i of my favorite events of the year. It's the i fourth dimension of the twelvemonth where it's non close your clothes precisely your hat together with honey, these women come upwardly to play! Among those roaming the plaza inwards couture culinary finery was Faye Briggs, Carmaleta Whiteley, LeeAnne Locken, D'Andra Simmons Lock, Dawn Neufeld, Dallas Dirt editor Candy Evans, fashion blogger Tiffany Hendra, Karen Lukin, together with fashion designer Ese Azenabor. There was also a spattering of dapper gents in that place every bit good to fifty-fifty out the playing champaign including Steve Kemble, WFAA's Ron Corning, Shane Walker, Billy Fulmer together with Jeff Shell.

Shout out to Billy Fulmer together with Shane Walker of Flower Reign
for designing my beautiful chapeau consummate with alive flowers

I was peculiarly thrilled to live i of the esteemed judges inwards the uber-competitive chapeau contest. Judging amongst me was Regen Horchow Fearon, founder of the Institute for Interesting People; Lucy Billingsly, Dallas developer extraordinaire; Matilda Louree, one-time Arboretum board fellow member together with docent; Brenda Bogart, creative individual together with one-time interior designer for Trish Wilson; Kim Harmon Gatlin, best-selling writer of Good Christian Bitches; Megan McDonald, Manager of Saint Laurent Boutique inwards Highland Park Village; together with the delightful Jane Rozelle, Society Editor of PaperCity Magazine.

They gave us cite tags, precisely I took mine off thence I could roam the courtyard incognito to guide my winner. I had the (coolest) category of Most Outlandish together with I idea that Carmen Surgent was a shoe-in. I hateful she had the whole freakin' metropolis of Paris on her caput inwards a 4'x4' chapeau created past times floral designer Shane Walker. It must accept weighed fifteen pounds! However, i time the judges convened, Lucy Billingsly wanted her for Best of Show together with since it was form of a exhibit stopper - I succumbed together with went with my 2d pick of Kunthear Douglas who used her son's LEGOS to blueprint together with exercise her Hermes chapeau (see below) consummate with an illuminated Eiffel Tower.

Sharon Popham together with Marena Gault are pretty inwards pink
photo: Sharon Adams

There were approximately fabulous hats (most of the actually outlandish were created past times professional person designers) together with approximately existent wackodoodle creations. I heard that i adult woman had read that inwards French Republic you lot don't accept to pick upwardly Canis familiaris poop, thence she used floral moss to exercise her "garden" together with used plastic pieces of Canis familiaris poop inwards her chapeau every bit a joke. Some didn't discovery it amusing. Particularly when a slice of the imitation poop ended upwardly on i woman's chair. Quelle horreur!

Candy Evans showed upwardly with a existent alive parrot perched atop her caput together with confessed she was terrified the whole fourth dimension - non that it would wing away, precisely that it would cuss. Apparently, the aeroplane has a existent potty mouth. Not to fear, the aeroplane was rattling well-behaved together with kept quiet, although it did poop on her. Eh, c'est la vie!

FOX4 News Anchor Clarice Tinsley was the Celebrity Chair together with final result emcee with a piffling aid from KVIL's "Jody Dean the Auction Machine." The fashion exhibit featured the creations of Betty Reiter, Canary, Nardos Imam, together with V.O.D. together with provided many oohs together with ahhhs. There were several photographic tv camera crews milling close to capture the eye-candy greatness of this event. Among them was D'Andra Simmons Lock who launches a novel beak exhibit side past times side calendar week on KTXD called Dallas Social Cafe. She was a piffling panicked close doing her chore together with interviewing VIPs together with making certain that the judges saw her fabulous Moulin Rouge-inspired chapeau (designed past times Shane Walker). Not to fear, every bit she won Most True to Theme: Apr In Paris. Once again, Mad Hatters did NOT disappoint together with provided attendees with a hateful solar daytime of stylish fun. To piece of job a fellow member of the Women's Council or larn to a greater extent than close the organization together with how you lot tin sack back upwardly the Dallas Arboretum, visit http://womenscouncildallasarboretum.org.

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