Spring Fashion In Full Bloom – Hats In The Park

A Report By Ruchi Mukherjee

High style fashion was in full bloom to kick-off the perfect cool Spring for the Hermann Park Conservancy’s “Hats in the Park” luncheon on Tuesday March 5, 2013. Ladies were spotted wearing fabulous hats and fascinators, while the gentlemen opted for sporty and sophisticated hats at this sold out event.

Guests were welcomed with champagne as they rubbed shoulders with Houston’s influentials like Lynn Wyatt, Becca Cason Thrash, Diane Lokey Farb, Y. Ping Sun, Phoebe Tudor, Shelby Hodge and Shafik Rifaat, and of course our very own Mayor Annise Parker. The tent outdoors at the Herman Park Clubhouse was bustling with mostly women dressed in designer spring colorful frocks, conservative suits, lots of pearls and very interesting hats.

Hermann Park will be celebrating 100 years next year but the celebrations have started in full swing and honoree Holly Smith on behalf of The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation while accepting the honor, delivered a speech sharing her childhood experiences at the park. Houston might have bipolar weather but it turned out to be the perfect cool sunny day, helping in all the efforts to put together the luncheon were chairs Ellie Francisco and Kim Tutcher.

Hermann Park, was presented to the City of Houston by George Hermann in 1914, and has been one of Houston’s most popular and historically significant public green spaces. By the late 1980s, the Park witnessed rundown and was in a state of disrepair due to insufficient public resources. As a result, a committed group of Houstonians formed Friends of Hermann Park (now Hermann Park Conservancy) to help the development and restore its original beauty. The Conservancy has secured over $100 million towards the $122 million goal for the Centennial Campaign to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2014.

Celebrating this beautiful cause and leaders of high fashion were: Gabriela Dror, Karina Barbieri, Nidhika Mehta, Kim Padgett, Lynn Glazer, Carolyn Robertson, and many others.

For more information on the Hermann Park Conservancy visit hermannpark.org.

Hats In The Park

Nidhika Mehta

Becca Cason Thrash at Hats in the Park

Hats In The Park

Y Ping Sun

Phoebe Tudor

Gabriela Dror and Karina Barbieri

Shelby Hodge and Shafik Rifaat