Fashion bloggers Lauren Scruggs, Shannon
Yoachum
and Courtney Kerr
Like a Sirens song, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week has an irresistible lure for those who are fashionably minded. Some go to discover trends and get ahead of the curve. Others go to voyeur into the world of the jet-set crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities or meet the designers of the moment. Whatever the reason, New York Fashion Week is always well represented by Dallas and even a massive snow storm couldn't stop our Texans from taking the Big Apple by storm!
Fashion blogger and Bravo TV star Courtney Kerr took in shows from Herve Leger, Rebecca Minkoff, Carmen Marc Valvo and Nicole Miller to name a few. She also took advantage of being in NYC to visit the Bravo studios, attending a taping of Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" where she got to hang with Jenny McCarthy.
Fashionistas founder, Heidi Dillon, also headed East for the event spending time with reality villainess Pamela Martin-Duarte of Big Rich Texas. Dillon took in shows from Katya Leonovich and attended "The Reality of Fashion/The Reality of AIDS" benefiting Broadway Cares watching fellow Dallas reality actors Leslie Berkland and Nikki Walkerof Big Rich Texas stomp the runway.
Set your DVR's!! The third season of Big Rich Texas will air this Sunday, October 7 on the Style Network. Here's how you can Tweet, Follow, Fan, Like, interact or just follow along to learn more about the "stars" of this soft-scripted Dallas-based docu-drama:
"If you are not wearing the right accessory, then you might as well be nude." That is the philosophy of the Accessories in the Nude (AIN) event. Flair for Fashion produced the AIN kick-off party held Saturday, January 14 at The Spa Bar, which was hosted by Fashionistas founder, Heidi Dillon.
Daylon Pereira and Heidi Dillon
Perched on a high-back white chaise, I teased Heidi that her high-collared, black leather top by Rick Owens made her look like the Evil Queen in Snow White. She was anything but, as loyal fashion subjects took their turn for a few words with the benevolent ruler of Dallas' fashion scene.
The AIN competition showcased fabulous accessory designers Maria Day, Shirley Zago, Khrome, Paula Parish, Morgan Moss, Trudi Bell, & Becca Jett. Judging their works were Eddie Nelson Barnett fo Eddie & Co. Showroom, Debra Jones of Jones 2000, Toni Duclottni of CW33 and House of Haute, Andre Terry of IMG Designs and Sallie La Blanc of Visual Advantages. The winner will be announced at the AIN - Fashion Show on March 17, 2012, hosted by Courtney Kerr and Daylon Pereira from Bravo’s Most Eligible Dallas.
Dillon told me, "I am very passionate about supporting emerging fashion and accessories designers in our area. There is so much undiscovered talent in Dallas and it thrills me to be able to participate in providing a platform for them to showcase their work. Fashion is commerce, after all, and it brings beauty, excitement and glamor to our city."
Leslie Birkland and Cynthia Smoot
Providing another layer of entertainment for me, was the fact that they were filming scenes for the upcoming season of Big Rich Texas. I can't believe that as much as I have written about this show, this event was my first time to meet Leslie Birklandand her god-daughter, KalynBraun. Leslie is even more gorgeous in person and after seeing the new commercial for Season Two that just hit the airwaves - I can't wait to see more of her!!
PS: Pardon the pink glow on all of the photos. But that's what the zillion lights that BRT crew were toting did to my camera.
Get ready, because Big Rich Texas is coming back for another season of cat fighting, name calling, back stabbing, lies and innuendo! Mark your calendars for February 19, 2012 for the premiere of Big Rich Texas on the Style Network. Here's a little sneak peek at what we have to look forward to:
Will Pam finally find out if Leslie has the millions she claims to have? Will Kayln finally win a crown...and Leslie's love? Are Connie's ex-husband and Leslie going to hook up? Can Melissa become a success in the modeling world again? Will Pam and Bonnie ever kiss and make up or are they destined to be mortal enemies?
All of these cliff-hanging mysteries will be solved (or at least addressed) because the ladies of Big Rich Texas are coming back for another season!!! Filming started several weeks ago on Season 2 of this "docu-drama" and the new episodes will air beginning mid-to-late February 2012 on the Style Network.
Word has it that a new cast member and her two daughters will be joining Pam, Connie, Bonnie, Leslie and Melissa. Sure, throw a couple more cats in the fight! I don't have all the details on the new additions to the cast, but here's what I do know:
The new Mother/Daughter trio is from Grapevine
Her name is DeAynni Hatley
One of the daughters is in college at TCU. Which means we probably won't see much of her.
They have "the most amazing home of anyone on the show" and producers are hoping to film there
The photos used in this post were taken at the recent FGI "Night of Stars" Gala. I was there, but didn't have an opportunity to go over and meet DeAnni. She kind of looks like a grown up Snookie. Don't you think? I mean look at that attitude?! Yeah!
Do you know more about our new cast member?! Leave a comment and fill me in! Or email me if you want to remain anonymous!
One thing is for certain. They are still filming at the Country Club as seen in this tweet from Kayln:
And in case you thought this season was going to be boring... it looks like day one of filming started out with a BANG! I would link this post, but Bonnie's already removed it (probably because the producers had a freak out). Thanks goodness for screen shots! I wonder what Bonnie did to piss off Ignacio? I can't wait to find out!
UPDATE (Dec. 8, 2 PM) Bonnie left a comment to say that she never removed the post and she provided me with a direct link. Click the image if you care to see the original post and subsequent comments.
I love these ladies... It's like a train wreck and you just can't look away!
Pam, LeeAnne and Heidi
I am super excited to announce that we have at least two "secondary" cast members joining the show this season. What does that mean, exactly? That they will make several appearances, but won't be listed as main cast members. I am guessing that if they add to the storyline and readers respond to them there's always the possibility that their roles could grow in Season 3... but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Making their introductions as Pam's new best friends, will be model/actress (and occasional Guest Contributor to this blog) LeeAnne Locken and Fashionistas founder and stylista extraordinaire, Heidi Dillon.
Both ladies are forces of nature with massive followings, so this is an incredibly smart move on the part of Pam and the show's Producers to bring these two ladies on board. Bonnie better watch her p's and q's because Pam is not messing around. She's got some serious back up this season with these two by her side. Of course, Bon does have Whitney. And I'd put Whitney up against anyone in a girl fight.
I cannot wait to see what Season 2 has in store for us. The countdown is on...
This episode of Big Rich Texas starts out with Bonnie all a-flutter over plans for a Murder Mystery Dinner at the Country Club. Apparently, this is one of her many businesses.
Bonnie is a complete conundrum to me. According to the bio on her website, she's a published fiction author, C.E.O. of an international murder mystery company, a recording artist, and a developmental physiologist. What?!
She's like Sybil, but instead of multiple personalities, she has multiple careers. And random careers that have nothing to do with one another. I am tired just reading about all of her many ventures! She has so much energy!
Pam (dubbed the "Wicked Bitch of Dallas" this episode by Bonnie & Whitney) catches wind of this Murder Mystery Dinner and says, "Hell to the no!" due to the fact that there have been several country club murders in the recent news. If you recall, Susan Loper, a Pilates instructor at Glenneagles Country Club was abducted and murdered from the club this past April, when filming for this show was taking place. I couldn't find any news of another murder to back up Pam's claim that there were "several" murders. But there was this one.
Bonnie is so distraught that Pam has gotten her party booted from the Club that she takes off for her "second home" - her plastic surgeon's office - for some Botox. And thank goodness she went, because good 'ole Dr. Botox offered up his "spacious" home for Bonnie to relocate her party.
According to Bonnie, it was the least he could do since she probably pays the mortgage there anyway. Word. And now, she as hatched a diabolical plan to not only invite Pam to her party... but she will make her the murder victim. Heh heh heh. Of course, once at the event, Pam will have no part in any of Bonnie's little shenanigans and fightin' word ensue!
Melissa Poe
There was a little side bit about Maddie having a date with Bonnie's son, Zack, but I'm not interested enough in what 15 year olds do to even write about it. Except to say that I am 100% with Melissa about how she is parenting Maddie. You go, girl!
What was up with Leslie's date with Anthony Dorsett Jr. (Tony Dorsett's son)who on their first date is telling her that she needs to check out a strip club because they have the best buffets?! Ew. Gross!
The only other little side story was about Melissa, who was considering getting back into modeling and broke down in tears when an agent told her unless she lost some weight, she would only be able to do plus-sized modeling. I found this laughable because Melissa is gorgeous and there is no way she needs to lose weight. No way.
This week's "I Spy" shout out goes to the always dapper, Dan Pritchett, who I spied at Bonnie's Murder Mystery party. Holla!
Other notable location shout outs tonight go to:
Komali (where Leslie & Melissa had lunch)
Tootsies (where Grace & Maddie were shopping)
Skintatsic (where Bonnie gets her Botox)
Uptown Consignment (Connie's store where Melissa went to talk about grace's party)
Kent Rathbun's Blue Plate (where Melissa meets with an agent who tells her she could be a plus sized model)
What did you think of tonight's episode? Are you Team Bonnie or Team Pam?
Tonight's Big Rich Texas, episode 3 was SO fun to watch....
Not because of the cat fight between Connie and Leslie: Connie was being a little sensitive. I mean, Leslie is a pageant expert, so her helping Bonnie pick out her outfit and showing the girls how to stomp the runway is just second nature to her! Connie, she was just trying to be helpful... Bless her little heart.
And it wasn't the cat fight between Pam and Leslie: Listen, change is good! Sometimes you gotta shake things up... literally! Like, with a Zumba class. Try it, Pam! I bet Ignacio would like to see you shakin' your money maker around the mansion. I'm just sayin'.
Kalyn and Whitney scrap down over Tyler's affections
And it wasn't even the cat fight between Whitney and Kalyn over Tyler (although that was really good): Kalyn, sweetie, you will soon learn that teenage boys don't want nice girls. They want sluts who will have sex with them. And even if they like you, it's not because you are a nice girl. It's because they see a girl who might have sex with them. It's ALL they think about. On the positive side, you will soon learn that sex is your greatest weapon asset and when you learn how to harness your powers, the world is your oyster! Take a lesson from Whitney.
No, although all of those fights were pretty entertaining, this was my favorite episode so far because so many of my friends made cameo appearances! Including me!! Let's break it down and give some of the unsung style stars in this town a shout out:
At the rehearsal for Connie's show, we saw Eric Oliver, Jr. and Juan Lerma (with some random dude). Eric and Juan operate Amrel Revilo Productions and were the producers of Connie's fashion show. They are new to the fashion scene but have impressed Dallas fashionistas with their style savvy and passion for fashion.
Remember when Pam called in to cancel on Connie's show because "Spain is too lovely to come back to muggy Dallas"? Connie was flipping through a rack of clothes... and, hey! Recognize those pants? They are the Burberry trousers I now own and wore last week for my WFAA Daybreak appearance to talk about this show (among others). I had to give them a nod.
See that blurry face on the left? That's ME! Whoo hoo! In a cameo with pageant Queen, Leslie Birkland, I got a few seconds on the telly at the Uptown Consignment fashion show.
Who was that man in the turquoise shirt caressing Melissa's tresses at the fashion show? That's none other than Christian Iles, the self-proclaimed "Beauty Architect" and "Dr. Hair" of Dallas.
My gal pal and DFW Style Daily creator, Lisa Petty, never misses a fashion show. No fashion moment happens in this town without her and Connie's show was no exception. I love Lisa's point-of-view and thoughtful approach to fashion. Check out her new website to get in the know on all the latest style news.
Spotted in the audience of the fashion show was Dora Chu. Chu calls herself a "recessionista" and is a personal shopper who has a flare for finding designer duds at consignment and resale shops. She has a knack for making her clients look like a million bucks without spending a hundred bucks! She writes a blog called Cheap and Chic by Dora.
Also on the fringes of the show, was stylist extraordinaire, Jim Duran. Unlike Dora, Jim's style is champagne wishes and caviar dreams. He's all about luxury and keeps his clients in designer couture. You can catch Jim's style musings at DFW Style Daily where he is a regular Contributor.
My second appearance of the night came as Leslie slithered down the runway. The camera caught me at the end of the catwalk (where I usually am) taking photographs.
And my last shout out goes to Camille Umland (pictured right), She's Connie's sister and partner in Uptown Consignment. Connie may be getting all of the glory from being on this show, but Camille is just as much a part of the store's success and deserves big kuddos for keeping the stocked, styled and running smoothly while sis busy being a TV star. So, shout out to Camille!
Did I miss anybody? Who did you see in this episode?
Last night's episode of Big Rich Texas was all about the beauty pageant circuit: Leslie is a pageant coach and one of her star pupils is her god-daughter, Kalyn. Maddie and Grace decided they wanted a shot at a crown and decided to let Leslie teach them how to sparkle and shine on the pageant stage.
One of the first things Leslie instructed the girls to do was to lose 5 pounds. Grace's Mom, Connie, mouthed to Melissa, "She can do it." Melissa, on the other hand, visibly recoiled at the idea. The rest of the episode revolved around the three girls preparation of the event and their diet.
I knew this theme would strike a chord with female viewers, so I asked Melissa this morning how she felt about the episode.
Melissa and Maddie Poe
Q: I knew the topic of weight would be a hot topic among female viewers of this show. You were clearly uncomfortable with Leslie's suggestion that Maddie "lose 5 pounds" so that she would "look her best" for the pageant. How do you feel about the episode?
A: "Overall, I'm very happy with Episode 2. As a society there's constant pressure our entire adult lives to look good, lose weight, etc, and then to have Leslie suggest to Maddie and the other girls to lost 5 lbs for a pageant was ridiculous.
Our teenagers shouldn't have to start at an early age being body-conscious...they'll learn those pressures soon enough in college. I never wanted Maddie to enter the pageant because that's not her, but she seemed excited to do it with Grace and Kalyn. So I gave in and let Maddie have that experience exactly the way she was without losing any weight. A few days before the pageant I could tell Maddie was having 2nd thoughts about it and I told her she didn't have to do the pageant but she seemed resigned to it. Once we arrived to the hotel on the day of the pageant, I was horrified at the ridiculousness of it....it was a joke of a pageant. It felt like I was in a scene of another reality show called Toddlers & Tiaras which is a vulgar display of moms living vicariously through their little girls. (I'm with ya there, Melissa. I had the same thought!)
As the pageant day unfolded Maddie was even more set on leaving the pageant...she just didn't want to hurt Leslie's feelings. Once Maddie said the words 'I don't want to do this' I jumped on that opportunity to tell Leslie we would not be competing."
Q: Leslie gave you a lot of flak for not finishing to something you had committed to. How do you respond to being called a quitter?
A: "I think, and would hope that any mom would support their child's feelings/decisions and have their back no matter what. Two lessons were learned in this episode: a) For me, I learned that I know my daughter best and should never allowed her do the pageant because she is not a "pageant" girl and never will be. b) Maddie learned that she has the right to say no/change her mind even at the expense of disappointing an adult. Maddie felt good walking away from this episode because she remained true to herself.
What are your thoughts on this week's episode? Was it okay for Leslie to tell the girls that they could all stand to lose 5 pounds? Was it okay for Melissa to let Maddie bail on the competition after she had committed to it? Chime in!
There was not one, but two, premier parties tonight to celebrate the debut of Big Rich Texas on the Style Network. I made The Office my first stop to catch up with Dr. Bonnie Blossman and her daughter, Whitney Whatley, along with Melissa and Maddie Poe.
(left) Dr. Bonnie Blossman with daughter Whitney Whatley (right) Melisa and Maddie Poe
About halfway through the show, I made a mad dash across town to end the night with Connie Dieb at Komali, who opted to skip out on the large public party in lieu of a smaller, more intimate gathering with family and close friends.
First off, let me just clue you in to a little something that you might not know. "Reality TV" is not always so real. These shows are not exactly scripted, but not exactly spontaneous and unrehearsed. Big Rich Texas is no exception. Most of the comments I get on posts about reality TV shows are talking about the cast being fake. Well, duh! It's not that they are being fake, so much as they aren't being entirely real...
So, when you watch this show - enjoy it for what it is and what the producers want to portray: a good cat-fighting, back-stabbing, one-upping day at the country club between strangers pretending to be best friends. You'll like the show a whole lot more.
The very first scene is Leslie and Kalyn driving to the country club. Leslie says, "Anyone who is any body belongs to this club." Connie follows that up by saying, "It is the social place of Dallas."The club they are referring to is Woodhaven and I would be willing to bet my house that none of them are really members. Why? Because it's in Fort Worth! No person who lives in Dallas is hanging out at a Country Club in Ft. Worth which is a 45-minute drive on a good day. No way. (Please refer to point made in previous paragraph about reality TV being fake.)
If you haven't figured it out yet, they were setting the stage for the premise of this whole show/season, which is about a group of Mothers and their daughters that will revolve around their life at this "elite" country club.
Favorite lines from Episode One:
"Keep your balls in your pants, Enrique!" yells Pam to a tennis Pro on the next court after Bonnie & Whitney lob several balls on her court and interrupt her game with Melissa.
"I pulled out the dead husband card... that works every time." Leslie tells the camera about her attempt to sweeten up the Country Club's owner when they discuss her Membership request.
"I like making people feel uncomfortable," pouts Whitney to the camera about having to mingle with the "snooty people" at the Club. "I do too!" interjects her Mom, Dr. Bonnie. Well, now we know why Whitney has 15 tattoos. One of which (her favorite) is the word "See-U-Next-Tuesday" as Maddie so sweetly referred to it on the top of her foot. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.
"Bless her little heart". The ladies teach Leslie how to insult someone the Southern way. This phrase is now stuck in my head and you will be hearing me use it a lot on this blog - probably with regards to this show.
"When I envisioned having the sex talk with Maddie," says Melissa to the camera, "I envisioned birds and bees. Not purple penises" talking about Maddie's visit to the OB-GYN and being taught how to put on a condom by her doctor.
"If I can get that vile tattoo off her foot - I can deal with some luscious lips on my baby girl," says Bonnie about her offer of giving Whitney lip injections in exchange for having her vulgar tattoo removed.
"I don't know whether to greet you or dance under you," shrieks Pam to Bonnie about her hatred of her Nicole Miller dress. Personally, I liked it.
So, let's dish. Who did you love and who do you already hate? Are you Team Bonnie or Team Pam? Let the games begin!! You can watchBig Rich Texas every Sunday on the Style Network.
Set your DVR's!! The Style Network's new show Dallas Divas and Daughters, Season 2Big Rich Texas will air this Sunday. Here's how you can Tweet, Follow, Fan, Like, interact or just follow along to learn more about the new "stars" of this new docu-drama:
I've created a Twitter Cast List that you can follow to filter all of their tweets into one convenient stream. I have to warn you though... Bonnie is really the only one who utilizes Twitter and even she is not very prolific on the site.
We are about to be hit with a bevvy of new "reality" shows filmed here in Dallas. The first one out of the gate will be Dallas Divas and Daughters, Season 2Big Rich Texas.
Earlier this year, I brought you the news about this new docu-series. Since that first post, there have been changes to the original cast.
The cast of Season Two was initially told that the premise of this season would be a "Mother/Daughter show to showcase different parenting styles" and that it would be "completely different from last season's show" - hence the change of title - but it appears that the producers pulled a fast one and once they started filming it became apparent this was not the case. It looks like this season will be just likeDallas Divas and Daughters, Season One, focusing on the interaction of the women, with little focus on their daughters, much less their parenting abilities.
I hear the cast was brought together before they started filming to meet each other and at the end of the day were told they were not allowed to exchange phone numbers or emails. The producers wanted ZERO interaction off-camera from the cast. But wait, the show makes it look like they are all friends who already know each other...
Are we really shocked to learn that reality TV is not always so real? Hmmmm.
Seems a few of the ladies were upset about the lack of "reality" in this show and bailed completely or asked to have their roles lessened to make them less visible.
So where's the shake-up? Seems "Queen Bee" Dena and her daughter, Jade couldn't get outta this cast fast enough. Southern Belles Paula, her daughter Shanelle and mom Althean also made a hasty retreat. This left the show's producers scrambling for replacement families. And WOW!!! Did they ever get a great replacement. Looks like they talked my favorite duo from DDD/Season One, Pamela Martin-Duarte and her daughter, Hannah, into coming back for more abuse screen time. I know nothing about Leslie and Kayln. Will have to dig around...
Here's your final cast:
Bonnie
Bonnie has a PhD and three novels to her credit. She was born into Dallas money but rejected the rules of a high-society lifestyle early on. Now a self-made millionaire, she wants back in, but she still wants to do things her way – along with her rebellious daughter Whitney. They are quite a team, shopping and undergoing mother-daughter plastic surgery together.
Melissa
Former model Melissa is approaching 40 and hoping to get back on the catwalk. 15 year-old daughter Maddie is determined to have a say in her mother’s life including who she dates, and will do anything to get her way. It’s a battle of wills between this mother-daughter duo as Maddie constantly tests her mother’s limits.
Connie
Recently divorced Connie is out to prove herself as an independent business owner with her designer consignment boutique business. Her daughter Grace, a trendsetter and rule breaker, is determined to become the head cheerleader on one of the nation’s most prestigious high school cheerleading squads. This pair likes to consider themselves more as best friends rather than mother and daughter.
Leslie
Leslie is Connie's cousin and a jet-setting pageant coach. She owns homes across the country but has recently moved to Dallas to take on the pageant capital by storm and launch the pageant career of her goddaughter, Kalyn.
Leslie is an unabashed, undeniable cougar, having dated the much younger Anthony Dorsett Jr., and an even younger golf pro at the club named AJ (who I am told isn't really even a golf pro, but was just cast for the show) . These aren't exactly the lessons Leslie wants to teach Kalyn, who has her own issues fitting in with the Texas elite.
Pamela
Married to a gorgeous, successful husband and mother to two beautiful daughters, Pamela calls it like she sees it...and calls it bluntly. She is an accomplished author, chairwoman of the Luxury Marketing Council and the epitome of southern class. Her connections and influence make her a center of power at the club, and she's determined to ensure her daughter Hannah follows in her footsteps.
After finishing her first year at college, Hannah is home for the summer and Pamela has decided to make Hannah her assistant. What better way to increase her daughter's profile in society - and keep a watchful eye on her. This duo should be familiar to Style viewers as they were last seen on the network's series Dallas Divas & Daughters.
"Big Rich Texas" begins airing Sunday, July 17 at 9:00pm ET/PT on The Style Network.
The older I get, the more I find myself turning into my Mother. A prime example of this fact, is that I cannot bear to pay retail for anything. I am always on the prowl for a bargain and resale shopping is a great way find fantastic treasures at affordable prices.
One of my favorite fashion haunts is Uptown Consignment. Run by sisters Connie Dieb and Camille Umland, this little boutique is a gem of a store with fabulous finds. They specialize in upscale lables and Estate Sale finds. They are all about quality over quantity making the store a pleasure to peruse.
(top left) Photographer Beau Bumpas and Cynthia Smoot (top right) Lisa Petty and Jim Duran
(botom) Eric Oliver, Jr., Cathy Vieth and Juan Lerma
The store celebrated it's one year anniversary by holding a runway show this past Thursday night. Grey skies caused a last minute venue switch from an outdoor rooftop show to an indoor venue downtown. Eric Oliver, Jr and Juan Lerma of Amrel Revilo Productions, who were producing the show, didn't even break a sweat with this left-field pitch. They were calm and collected when I saw them backstage, and just plain giddy to be a part of this exciting show.
Big Rich Texas Cast (Moms): Melissa, Bonnie and Leslie
I thought they were all a-flutter becasue this was their second show as a company... but no! The real reason for all the back-stage drama was that the models for the runway show were none other than the cast of the Style Network's new reality show, Big Rich Texas. Otherwise known as Dallas Divas and Daughters, Season 2. The network hasn't determined what they are calling it. Stylist Sam Saladino did an amazing job narrating the runway show with lively commentary about each outfit and it's model.
Big Rich Texas Cast (Daughters): Maddie, Whitney and Grace
Style reporter for The Feast, Lisa Petty looked redonkulous in a form-fitting Versace dress (on loan from Uptown Consignment) and Chic and Cheap blogger, Dora Chu and I had a lively conversation over whose outfit was a better bargain. She looked very chic in a Prada dress scored at Uptown Consignment, but I definitely had the better bargain with my $8 dress scored at the recent Rummage Roundup held by the Dallas Junior League. So, we each won the argument on different points. She had the better label, I had the better price point.
Congrats to Connie and Camille on their first birthday. Here's hoping for many fruitful years of bargain-hunting to come!
Get ready folks... the reality TV train is steaming down the track full speed ahead. Dallas is about to get busy.
The Style Network recently announced a new Dallas reality show to their Fall line-up. Gear up for Big Rich Texas – a one-hour docu-series with 10 episodes that will take viewers on the inside of the elite Dallas social scene following five rich and competitive mothers and their spoiled daughters. ("competitive" means there will be lots of "Oh no she did'unt" drama!)
"In addition to the one-of-a-kind personalities and 24/7 drama, what separates this series from the bunch is the unique focus on the mother-daughter relationships that fuel their lives,” says Salaam Coleman Smith, president, The Style Network.
Wait... this is the same network that aired Dallas Divas and Daughters which was a total disaster. Do they really think by taking the same format and changing the show's title, it will fair better? Interesting.
Style claims "the cast of "Big Rich Texas" is a Who's Who of Dallas’ elite inner circle". Uh-huh.
Queen Bee Dena is a former L.A. rock groupie who married into Texas money. Her husband’s family struck it rich in Dallas real estate, and Dena is always bound and determined to be noticed among Dallas society. Her daughter, Jade, claims to hate the country club lifestyle, but seems to enjoy the perks. Dena and Jade have a complicated relationship, made even more so by Jade’s desire to forge her own identity outside of her mother’s demanding expectations.
Bonnie has a PhD and three novels to her credit. She was born into Dallas money but rejected the rules of a high-society lifestyle early on. Now a self-made millionaire, she wants back in, but she still wants to do things her way – along with her rebellious daughter Whitney. They are quite a team, shopping and undergoing mother-daughter plastic surgery together.
Southern Belles Paula, her daughter Shanelle and mom Althean represent three generations of Dallas society with three completely different points of view on practically everything. Mom of five Paula sees herself as the perfect homemaker and mother, 16 year-old daughter Shanelle is going through her rebellious stage and at 65 years young, sexy grandma Althean is a self-made woman, the founder of an all-girls school and Dallas royalty.
Former model Melissa is approaching 40 and hoping to get back on the catwalk. 15 year-old daughter Maddie is determined to have a say in her mother’s life including who she dates, and will do anything to get her way. It’s a battle of wills between this mother-daughter duo as Maddie constantly tests her mother’s limits.
Recently divorced Connie is out to prove herself as an independent business owner with her designer consignment boutique business. Her daughter Grace, a trendsetter and rule breaker, is determined to become the head cheerleader on one of the nation’s most prestigious high school cheerleading squads. This pair likes to consider themselves more as best friends rather than mother and daughter.
So, can you figure out who any of these families are by reading their names and descriptions? If so, let me know! Filming began April 26. Look for Big Rich Texas to premiere this July.
