Meet the Stylemaker Finalists

Behind the scenes at a photo shoot with 6 Dallas style authorities

We’re down to the final six in our third annual CultureMap Stylemaker Awards, in which we celebrate the most fashionable men and women in Dallas. From the 12 semifinalists, you decided who would make it this far.

Now that we’ve reached the finals, you must vote again, this time to determine the readers’ choice winner. You can vote once a day, every day, until October 19 at 11:59 pm.

Then, on October 20, we celebrate all six finalists at the big reveal party at Tootsies. (Naturally you want to reserve your spot for that.) For the party, they put their styling skills to good use, creating fall looks with clothing and accessories pulled from retailers at the Plaza at Preston Center, our Stylemaker Awards partner.

In preparation for the big reveal, we spent a day in the studio with our six finalists, photographer Hoyoung Lee, and hair and makeup artist Chad Rogers of Jean-Philippe Salon. In between primping and posing, we got their fashion advice on what’s hot (velvet, fur, and chokers), what’s not (untucked shirts, apparently), and the secrets to looking so perfectly put-together every day.

Watch the video to go behind the scenes at the photo shoot, and get to know the finalists a little better.

Here is more of what they had to say while on set:

Mark Deuber, 48
Plastic surgeon
Instagram: @drmarkdeuber
How he describes his style: It's pretty eclectic. I like to mix patterns and colors, and I think I'm a little bold and aggressive. I don't like to look like everyone else.
One trend he is so over: I've never really bought into guys walking around with their button-down shirts untucked. I'm guilty of it sometimes too, but I like to be a little neater than that!
One fashion item he can't live without: Suede shoes.
On shopping for his wife, Cary Deuber: She hates to shop for herself, and if I left her to her own devices, I think she'd just wear workout clothes all day long. And she looks great in workout clothes, but I think she looks great in dresses and funky things. ... I've had a big influence on her style, but I think she's an eclectic dresser and tends to stand out too.

Shay Geyer, 38
Owner and designer, IBB Design Fine Furnishings
Instagram: @designershay
Fashion item she can't live without: A great pair of black pants. And when you find a great pair, buy multiples of them.
One trend she is so over: I don't like the sort of homeless look — just rolled out of bed, you haven't put much thought or effort into yourself. And I like the clean classic bun, but the messy knot bun, I'm over that hairstyle.
How she describes her style: I have a pretty classic aesthetic. I like nice things, and same thing with interiors I think as with fashion — you buy the best you can afford, so those pieces will last the test of time. And you can mix in those timeless pieces with the trendier jewelry or shoes.

Chris Hite, 44
Stylist and senior managing partner, J. Hilburn
Website: chrishite.jhilburn.com
Fall trend he's looking forward to: I'm excited about a lot of monochromatic looks that we're seeing. Lots of tan tones and beiges, along with cool grays and blues.
One trend he is so over: The untucked shirt. I think it's passed.
Fashion advice: Have your own style. Fashion and trends are one one thing, but distinctive qualities that define who you are and things that you really like, whether they're en vogue that season or not, are really important to making a gentleman's style his own.

Ekaterina Kouznetsova, 23
Entrepreneur; founder, Our New Monarch
Instagram: @czarina_ekaterina
One trend she's so over: Culottes — they are an abomination of a skirt.
How she describes her style: It's feminine, modern, and simple.
Fashion item she can't live without: A giant skirt with a tiny waist.

Brittanie Buchanan Oleniczak, 37
Media sales director, Southwest Carol Orr & Co.
Instagram: @brittanieoleniczak
Fall trend she's looking forward to: Velvet. I have some velvet blazers that I'm excited about. And also chokers. I have some from the '90s that I'll be pulling out again.
How she describes her style: My style is a good mix between masculine and feminine. I like feminine dresses, but then with a motorcycle jacket. Or I like a feminine blouse with a blazer, or incorporating more masculine accessories with feminine dresses or blouses or skirts.
Fashion item she can't live without: My husband; he's my mancessory. Other than him, my classic Chanel caviar handbag. It's my go-to, and my husband actually proposed to me with it, and my ring was inside. So both of those together, I can't live without either one.

Guillermo Tragant, 43
Creative director/principal, Richards Lerma
Instagram: @guilletragant
Fall trend he's looking forward to: It's a little controversial, but fur.
One trend he's so over: Sweatpants.
Fashion advice: Be yourself and dress your age.

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Vote now for the readers' choice winner in the 2016 Stylemaker Awards. Vote once a day, every day, until October 19 at 11:59 pm.

Ekaterina Kouznetsova

Ekaterina Kouznetsova

Photo by Hoyoung Lee

Ekaterina Kouznetsova

shopping stylemakers jwvideo

Fashion on display

Rare Halston fashion exhibition now on display in unlikely Texas city

Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen Noël Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

A rare exhibition honoring fashion pioneer Halston has popped up in an unexpected place: West Texas. Dallas fashionistas who are fans of the designer can make a five-hour pilgrimage to Odessa’s newly revamped Ellen Noël Art Museum to view "Halston: Inventing American Fashion."

Halston’s minimalistic fashions are rarely the subjects of retrospectives, although the designer’s dramatic life story recently had a pop-cultural resurgence through a 2021 Ryan Murphy miniseries. "Halston: Inventing American Fashion" assesses the talent that made him a household name.

Known now for outfitting 1970s icons like Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger, Halston changed the international reputation of American sportswear as part of the famous 1973 “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, holding his own against Paris’ most lauded couturiers. His uniquely louche style still influences contemporary brands like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who was briefly the creative director for a revised Halston label.

The mannequins in the Odessa display are outfitted with 75 ensembles from flowing Ultrasuede daywear to more dramatic draped gowns. The pieces “illustrate how Halston revolutionized fashion by prioritizing comfort, confidence, and modern femininity,” according to a release.

Although Odessa may seem an odd choice for the show, Halston had deep Texas connections. After he moved on from hat making, Amarillo millionaire Estelle Marsh was his sole backer willing to fund his first Madison Avenue boutique.

$Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum, Odessa, new facade.$ The new facade at Ellen Noël Art MuseumPhoto courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

$Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum$

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

And the recently completed renovation of Odessa's Ellen Noël Art Museum has some of the designer’s signature sleek. Designed by architect R.J. Lopez, the renovation includes new galleries and improved circulation, but the centerpiece is a striking transparent façade, replacing the original brick of the 1985 building.

“The renovation project has been over 10 years in the making and in the construction phase for the past two years,” says the museum’s buildings manager, Steve Patton, via a release. “The completion of the project has resulted in an incredible facility that is a shining star in West Texas, offering programs and exhibits that will be a destination point for people all over the world!”

"Halston: Inventing American Fashion" will run through March 22. Admission to the Ellen Noël Art Museum is free.

exhibits odessa fashion west texas museums designer texas

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