Stylemaker Winners Revealed
Dallas trendsetters assemble for big reveal of 2015 Stylemaker Award winners
- The six Stylemaker finalists: Julian Leaver, Nelson Huff III, Nicole Bulcher, Nancy Koen, Javier Burkle, and Kendall Eckerd.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Nelson Huff III with clothes pulled from Pockets Menswear.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Looks styled by Kendall Eckerd.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Nicole Bulcher with clothes pulled from Tootsies, RiffRaff, and The Biz.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Nancy Koen, with clothes pulled from Tootsies, The Biz, and Calypso.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Looks styled by Julian Leaver.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Looks styled by Javier Burkle.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- The party started on the first floor before moving upstairs for the fashion show.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Merlinda Barrington, Candace Cabello, Michelle LevinePhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Nicole Bulcher, Tyrone Carreker, Thomas Keeling, Melissa RountreePhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Lisa Petty, Melissa Rountree, Yvonne CrumPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Cary Deuber, Bret McKinney, Julian Leaver, Angela ChoquettePhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Lisa Petty, Javier BurklePhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Kimberly Keaton, Erika RomanPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Lacy Janus, Cindy PiercePhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- The Hair Bar offered trendy braids.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Benefit Cosmestic provided glam makeup touch-ups.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Kendra Scott gave away six pieces of its signature jewelry.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- BetchySketch drew sassy portraits of guests.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- Taylor Miller, Katie KirklandPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Nerissa Von Helpenstill, Dustin HolcombPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Michelle Ho, Julie HoPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Monica, Abbracciamento, Mason McCleskey, Michelle Newsome, Steffi Burns, Rebecca MarabitoPhoto by Sylvia Elzafon
- Mini Sprinkles cupcakes were a major temptation.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- WFAA's Ron Corning proved an entertaining emcee.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- The 2015 Stylemaker Award winners, Nancy Koen and Javier Burkle.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
- New Amsterdam's Cocktail Color Bar.Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
The parade of well-dressed guests that flowed into Tootsies on October 15 signaled it was time for the second annual Stylemaker Awards, produced in partnership with the Plaza at Preston Center. Six fashionable finalists — Nicole Bulcher, Javier Burkle, Kendall Eckerd, Nelson Huff III, Nancy Koen, and Julian Leaver — showed off their styling skills during a one-of-a-kind fashion show, while those in attendance started planning how they could score the looks for themselves.
To start, guests — including Katie Norwood, JB Hayes, Lisa Petty, Tyrone Carreker, Thomas Keeling, Cary Deuber, Bret McKinney, Julian Leaver, Angela Choquette, Nerissa Von Helpenstill, and Dustin Holcomb — mingled on the first floor of this chic boutique and savored bites from R+D Kitchen, True Food Kitchen, Sprinkles, and Taco Diner. They also stopped at the New Amsterdam Color Cocktail Bar for drinks with playful names such as Sapphire Me Up (a Moscow Mule with original New Amsterdam vodka), Modern Mango, Coconut Clutch, and Ruby Red Lips. There were also bubbles from LaMarca prosecco.
Partygoers also posed for "personalized sketches with attitude" drawn by Betchy Sketch and hammed it up with pals at the photo booth provided by 2014 Stylemaker finalist Jenny Kirtland. In order to get photo and portrait-ready, Benefit was on hand for makeup touch-ups, and the Hair Bar twisted locks into of-the-moment braids. Eager gals also entered to win one of six pieces of jewelry from Kendra Scott.
DJ Blake Ward got everyone pumped up before summoning CultureMap editor-in-chief Jennifer Chininis to the podium. She welcomed everyone and turned over the microphone to the evening's emcee, popular WFAA anchor Ron Corning, who introduced the Stylemaker finalists.
In order to get to this point, the finalists had gone through two rounds of voting from a pool of potentials nominated by the public. On the judging panel were Rhonda Sargent Chambers (who also produced the event), 2014 Stylemaker winners Melissa Rountree and David Goltl, the Hall Agency's Cindy Morris, and Chininis and yours truly, who not only determined the 12 semifinalists, but also selected the editors' choice winner during the party.
For the fashion show, the finalists were tasked with creating two looks — "date night" and "Dallas look" — with items pulled from Plaza stores such as Pockets (Huff used pieces from the menswear shop to style a woman), Riffraff, and Double R. Each finalist explained their inspiration and selections before sending their models down the runway. While the judges deliberated, guests were treated to more on-trend fashions courtesy of Tootsies.
In the end, the judges crowned Nancy Koen the 2014 Stylemaker editors' choice winner for mixing pieces from Calypso and Tootsies — and knee-high socks from The Biz — to create looks that were sophisticated yet fun. Though her models sported jewelry from Bachendorf's and Kendra Scott, Koen herself was showing off pieces from B. Stellar, the jewelry collection she co-founded.
Stylist Javier Burkle proved the public was not wrong in selecting him as the readers' choice winner: He showed a sassy silver dress and black fringed vest for date night, and a put his male model in a relaxed yet sexy combo of denim jacket over a tweed vest.
Both received $1,000 shopping sprees to the Plaza at Preston Center.
Guests left the party with visions of fashions dancing in their heads and swag in their hands courtesy of Lucky Dog Barkery, Benefit, Kid Biz, Riffraff, Bar Method, Kendra Scott, B. Stellar, Hair Bar, and much more.