Lights Camera Una Notte in Italia

Melissa Mithoff and Brigitte Kalai

Yes, it’s that time of the year again when Houston’s handsome hunks gear up to walk the ramp in the Festari For Men Gala which is scheduled for November 3, 2017. The wives of “celebrity“ male models, major event underwriters, gala chairs, and media celebrities all gathered at Tootsies on Wednesday for a Kick-off luncheon chaired by Houston’s very own glamour ladies Brigitte Kalai and Melissa Mithoff.

The exclusive luncheon for Una Notte in Italia (“A Night in Italy”) Gala has been a fun tradition for over 15 years. This year’s gala will benefit the Houston Area Women’s Center. Fashionable  attendees enjoyed a delicious Italian lunch catered by Caswell Catering Co. while Tootsies showcased designer outfits. The fashion show was created by Fady Armanious specially for the Una Notte Gala, and a portion of the sales went back to the charity. While the skinny models and majestic outfits were good enough reason to stay away from the dessert, the pistachio mud cake with bourbon ice cream with caramel drizzled was quite hard to resist.

This romantic and whimsical afternoon was made possible by the presence of female powerhouses including Debbie Festari (Founder/Host), Dominique Sachse, Vivian Wise, Dr. Sippi Khurana, Kendra Smith Phillips (2017 Gala Chairs), Laurel Ross, Kimberly Proler, Diane Lokey Farb, Michelle Reyna, Jane Wagner, Myrthe Jones, Courtney Cohn Hopson, and Chau Nguyen.

Photos by Quy Tran

Chau Nguyen and Debbie Festari

Dr. Sippi Khurana and Dominique Sachse

Jane Wagner with Myrtle Jones

Lisa Whipple, Tricia Oliver and Rachelle Ball

Laurel Ross, Kristy Phillips and Jennifer Pinkerton

Michelle Reyna and Kim Proler

Chau Nguyen speaking to the crowd

Felicia Sireno, Rachel Bagwell, Stacey Lindseth

Amanda Mills and Fady Armanious

Donae Chramosta and Kendra Smith Phillips