Dress 4 Yellow brightens up the topic of cancer

Dhani Jones, Lee Nagel, Bret McKinney

The Dress 4 Yellow Fashion Show & Luncheon was held on March 28 at the beautiful Adolphus Hotel. Chaired by Lee Nagel and Jennifer Applebaum, this unique fashion show included original and archived designs inspired by the charity's mission to eradicate cancer and a “Yellow Brick Road” auction that included yellow accessories donated by celebrities.

We love oursleves a theme in Dallas — and socialites who turned up the volume in yellow included Doris Jacobs, Teffy Jacobs, Steve Kemble, Lynae Fearing, Dee and D'Andra Simmons, Lisa Pineiro, Courtney Kerr and Amy Vanderoef. After hitting the step-and-repeat, guests moved to the foyer to bid on silent auction items such as vintage jewelry from SHONA, Mizzen+Main dress shirts and Roma boots.

During the reception, guests could fill out cards honoring loved ones who have suffered from cancer.  Those cards were later displayed in the luncheon ballroom. After the champagne reception, everyone sauntered into the ballroom for the vintage-inspired fashion show. Minutes before the show was about to begin, LeeAnne Locken (who swears it was Cary Deuber) knocked over a mimosa onto the runway stage and I had to go sprinting out into the lobby in search of napkins. The last thing we needed was for a model to get a compound fracture! With that crisis averted, the magic began.

The Pin Show showcases Dallas' design talent

(top) Isabel Varela, Diamond Downs and Lucy Dang  |  Jennifer Cloutier, Tiffany Kimbrough and Dawn Mellon
(bottom) The Danny Church Band

The Pin Show is an annual fashion runway presentation designed to showcase emerging designers created by Bryan Embry, Julie McCullough and Mike Thompson. Feeling like they were losing some of their edgy vibe, the event took a chance this year moving from The Fairmont in Downtown Dallas to The Green Warehouse in Trinity Groves. The gamble paid off and the place was thumping and bumping with fashionistas of all ages and the venue had a great energy.

The Dallas Observer said of the presentation, "Stripped down to its bones, the warehouse looked and felt an underground party in a Marfa airplane hanger, populated by well-heeled jetsetters. Two firetrucks acted as alcohol's first responders; a shirtless firefighter bartender doled out cocktails while satisfying multiple fantasies. On one side of the space a reckless ping pong game came alive. Flanking the stage were four women, sitting and dressed in updated WWII factory garb, poised adorably behind vintage sewing machines. Somehow, this all worked together. Just adding to the energy, Danny Church Band served as the evening's musical anchor and serenaded each model who ventured down that keyhole-shaped, club-style runway. The live band was another interesting detour from standard practice pageantry, and it sparked a lot of chair dancing." Yep, that about sums up the vibe.

Emmitt Smith gets some love this week - Big D style

Mellon, Lincoln, Smith and Cloutier

I hope that you have all been supporting Dallas' own Emmitt Smith with your votes on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars" this season.

Emmitt had a large cheering section in the studio this week when Dawn Mellon, Jennifer Cloutier and Dee Lincoln traveled out to Los Angeles to make some noise for Team Emmitt! 

Mellon is a local fashion stylist who told me she "began styling Emmitt's wife, Pat Smith, six years ago when Emmitt was on DWTS the first time.  Cloutier is my business partner, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and currently runs the UNT dance program. And Dee has known Emmitt and Pat forever."