10 Best Dressed

Socialites redefine best dressed at Dallas' most famed fashion fête

For all of its change, Dallas holds onto its cherished traditions. For the city's leading female philanthropists, one of those traditions also happens to kick off the fall social season.

When the clock struck 10:30 am on September 18, the red carpet rolled out at the Neiman Marcus downtown flagship for the 42nd annual Crystal Charity Ball 10 Best Dressed Fashion Show and Luncheon. Glamorous guests arrived to an elegant champagne reception in the store's lower level. With each click of a heel and pop of a champagne cork, another lovely lady made her way up the stairs to mingle before the festivities began.

A few attendees even paid special attention to this year's featured designer, Oscar de la Renta, and wore outfits from the past and present. We adored the floral prints worn by Michaela Dyer, Tucker Enthoven, and Pam Denesuk. And who can resist a lady in red? Tanya Foster rocked the room in a vintage design.

When the champagne well ran dry, attendees — including Maggie Cooke Kipp, Lynn McBee, Katy Bock, Barbara Daseke, Candice Romo, Debbie Oates, Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Brill Garrett, Michelle Witten, Caren Kline, Victoria Snee, Cami Goff, and Joan Schnitzer-Levy — glided into the lavish tent housing this year's main event. We spotted Gene Jones, Charlotte Jones Anderson, Capera Ryan, and Nancy Carlson being whisked inside just moments before the official start.

Once inside, luncheon chair Mary Clare Finney welcomed Oscar de la Renta creative director Peter Copping, who dressed the 10 Best Dressed in the 2016 resort collection. This year's nominees included Katherine Coker, Janie Condon, Heather Esping, Margaret Hancock, Pat Harloe, Julie Hawes, Ashley Hunt, Francie Moody-Dahlberg, Patty Leyendecker, and Christi Urschel. The luncheon also celebrated hall of fame honoree Sarah Perot and honorary chairman Ruth Altshuler.

With everyone so impeccably dressed, we couldn't help but wonder who will wear Oscar to the Crystal Charity Ball, which takes place December 5 at the Hilton Anatole. We'll see you there for an evening of celestial radiance.

Candice Romo, Brill Garrett, Michelle Witten

best-dressed fundraisers

Coffee news

Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits

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Chalkboard at Starbucks celebrates Resource Center.

In a one-of-a-kind charitable program, coffee giant Starbucks has bestowed more than two dozen grants to organizations across Dallas — organizations selected by Starbucks employees themselves.

Called The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants program, it's unique as a charitable effort thanks to its profound level of engagement, by allowing employees to nominate nonprofit recipients.

The Starbucks Foundation is the company's charitable arm which issues grants to nonprofits — from coffee and tea-growing communities around the world to neighborhood groups.

The Neighborhood Grants program gives their "partners" (what they call their employees) the opportunity to support the local organizations they care most about. This year, more than 3,200 grants are being awarded across the U.S. and Canada. Of that number, 27 organizations in Dallas received a Neighborhood Grant, totaling $53,000.

That included a $4,000 grant to Resource Center, a Dallas provider of LGBTQIA+ services and a big Starbucks staff favorite: It was nominated by an unprecedented 40 partners, and has previously earned seven grants totaling $20,000 from The Starbucks Foundation since 2019.

Resource Center's director of corporate engagement & events Bill Scott says that the grant is part of a larger meaningful partnership.

"In the current climate, we've seen many corporations turn away from our community, but Starbucks has remained steadfast," Scott says. "And we see it in ways that go beyond the grants, whether it's volunteering at our food bank or being ready for any fundraising event where they'll set up a coffee station to distribute to our guests."

Founded in 1983, Resource Center focuses on three pillars: positive social engagement in safe spaces, supportive services to promote wellness, and skill-building opportunities to promote growth.

Resource Center accepts grant from Starbucks Foundation, from left to right: Bill Scott (RC), Daniel Sanchez (RC), Tres Brown (RC), and Howard Jackson (SBUX).Jeffrey McWhorter

"The grant will help us continue to serve and uplift our community with more programming in areas like health and wellness," Scott says. "Last year, we opened our first low-income affordable housing complex for seniors, and before it even opened, it was sold out. We can see that the services we provide fill a real need."

It's a rare scenario in the corporate world, Scott says.

"There are not many companies I have dealt with like the Starbucks Foundation where they rely on their partners to make recommendations and listen to their partners," he says.

For Starbucks partners like Marsh King, an operations consultation manager who's been with the company for nearly 28 years, Starbucks' priority on being mission-driven has been a big incentive to stay with the company.

"When you see a grant that might give Resource Center the funds to do something like buy more refrigeration for the food pantry they just opened — it's gratifying to see that direct impact and know that you're a part of it," she says.

The level of engagement is very grass-roots, says senior partner employee relations associate Howard Jackson.

"We have customers who come in and say, 'I saw you at that event last weekend," he says. "We support the community, and they are our customers, as well. Through this work, we connect a lot of dots."

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