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    Artful fundraising

    Alluring Two x Two fête fetches $8 million for amFAR and Dallas Museum of Art

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Nov 13, 2019 | 10:13 am

    The 21st edition of Two x Two for AIDS and Art whisked guests to Morocco for an exotic dinner and contemporary art auction benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Dallas Museum of Art.

    As 500 patrons arrived at the The Rachofsky House's famous 7,000-square-foot geodesic dome tent on October 26, clouds of blue ombre hydrangea crawled over the entry, while Moroccan lanterns, candles, and tiles filled the dome. Using the tent interiors and giant video board, the auction items — there were 153 pieces on offer — were displayed throughout the night.

    The gala was designed and executed by planner extraordinare Todd Fiscus of Todd Events and hosted by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky along with Lisa and John Runyon.

    As usual, the sold-out, black-tie affair attracted a who's who among Dallas art collectors and philanthropists, as well as artists and supporters from around the world — even a few royals. Among the notable attendees were presenting sponsor Nancy C. Rogers, Vogue editor Hamish Bowles, Two x Two director Melissa Ireland, Jessica and Dirk Nowitzki, Kameron Westcott, Kara and Randall Goss, Charlotte Jones Anderson, Capera Ryan, Meghan Looney, Nasiba Hartland-Mackie, Edward P. Bass, Brian Bolke, Faisal Halum, Emily and Steve Summers, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, and Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece.

    The Moroccan-inspired fête began with a cocktail reception featuring sips by Ruinart champagne, Tequila Casa Dragones, Moët Hennessy USA, and Belvedere. Guests perused the luxury items in the silent auction before sitting down for a multicourse dinner.

    The co-chairs took the stage to thank the sponsors, donors and attendees of the 21st annual event.

    “Embarking into our third decade of Two x Two, it is clear that the enthusiasm continues to swell around supporting these two organizations," said Howard Rachofsky, who went on to announce a special initiative for the evening.

    "Having started Two x Two week with the devastating impact from tornadoes in our neighborhood, it was unanimous among all leadership at Two x Two, the Dallas Museum of Art, and amfAR that a portion of the proceeds this year be given to support the relief efforts in our immediate community," he told the crowd. "After all, Two x Two was created to save lives and brighten them up with the beauty of art."

    Kevin Robert Frost, chief executive officer at amfAR, presented artist Alex Katz with amfAR’s 2019 Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS.

    “Our honoree this evening joins a pantheon of distinguished honorees who represent the crème de la crème of contemporary American art," he said. "I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of our honored artist award than Alex Katz.”

    Anna Katherine Brodbeck, the Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Dallas Museum of Art, added about the artist, "Katz has been steadfastly creating portraits, often of loved ones and friends, and environmentally scaled landscapes for the past 60 years. However, he clearly does not rest on his laurels."

    Katz's painting SOUTH LIGHT 2 wasfeatured at the gala, which, Brodbeck said, "evinces the mastery of a long career while still surprising in its immediacy of expression, worlds away from the punchy stylization of pop art, the movement of which he is considered by many to be a progenitor.”

    At the dinner’s conclusion, hit singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc entertained the crowd with a trio of his hits: "Wake Me Up," “I Need a Dollar,” and “The Man."

    Then patrons got the chance to raise big bucks in the live auction, conducted by Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe. The live auction featured seven artworks including those by Sarah Crowner, Derek Fordjour, Barry X Ball, Frank Bowling, Ross Bleckner, and Andre Butzer, as well as Katz. A number of luxury and experiential packages, an original 1969 Jean Prouvé filling station, and a complete library of 426 Taschen rare books were also up for grabs.

    In total, the night raised a breathtaking $8 million for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art.

    Those who wished to raise a celebratory glass or two headed for an after party, presented by Neiman Marcus, which at which DJ Lucy Wrubel rocked the back garden of The Rachofsky House till the wee hours.

    The annual black-tie gala, part of a week-long series of events, is the largest U.S. fundraiser for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art. Since its inception, Two x Two for AIDS and Art has raised over $92 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art.

    Lucy Wrubel, Suzanne Droese, Brooke Hortenstine

    Lucy Wrubel, Suzanne Droese, Brooke Hortenstine
      
    Photo by Ryan Emberley for Getty Images
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    Celebrity wedding

    Dallas Cowboys cheerleader ties the knot in dreamy wedding in Tuscany

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Jun 16, 2025 | 4:24 pm
    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Marissa Phillips, Braden Leschber wedding, Tuscany
    Photo by Kseniya Palchi via Facebook/Marissa Phillips and People magazine.
    Marissa Phillips and Braden Leschber wed on June 3, 2025 in Italy.

    Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Marissa Phillips married her college sweetheart, Braden Leschber, in a picture-perfect wedding under the Tuscan sun of Italy on June 3, 2025.

    People magazine got the exclusive on all the wedding details and gorgeous photos by Milan-based photographer Kseniya Palchik.

    Phillips just completed her third year with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and reportedly cut the Italian wedding trip short to return to Dallas and "buckle down" for the next season's auditions. She appeared in Season 1 of Netflix's hit series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Season 2 begins streaming Wednesday, June 18.

    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Marissa Phillips, Braden Leschber wedding, Tuscany
      

    Photo by Kseniya Palchi via Facebook/Marissa Phillips and People magazine.

    Marissa Phillips and Braden Leschber wed on June 3, 2025 in Italy.

    Phillips, a Round Rock native, began dating Leschber in 2017 when they were college students: she, at Texas A&M University and he, at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin. They got engaged, fittingly, on the field of AT&T Stadium in Arlington - home of the Cowboys - on August 10, 2023.

    View this post on Instagram
    A post shared by Braden Leschber (@braden_leschber)

    According to People, the couple chose to marry in Italy for two reasons: because of Phillips' proud Italian family heritage and because it was (somehow!) cheaper than a big, traditional Texas wedding. So, they and 75 friends and loved ones jetted off to romantic Tuscany for a destination wedding extravaganza that lasted several days.

    "We wanted to make this celebration as special as it could be and stray away from the typical wedding scene whenever we could," Phillips told the magazine. "We also don’t get a lot of time to slow down and enjoy the company of our friends and family, so we really loved the idea of a destination wedding, where everyone could unplug and spend time together."

    Festivities started Monday, June 2 with a welcome party that included Italy's two most important food groups: pizza and gelato.

    The wedding was held the next day at Borgo Stomennano, a historic estate in the Chianti Classico region, near Florence and Siena. According to the website, the estate's villa and farmhouses are surrounded by woods, vineyards, and olive groves in a tiny village built on ancient Roman and Etruscan ruins that are still visible.

    For the ceremony, People says, the bride wore Katherine Tash's elegant "Luna" wedding dress, featuring a wide-scooped neckline and hand-draped bodice and skirt, from Dallas bridal shop a&bé bridal. To complete her bridal look, she rented diamond stud earrings and a tennis bracelet from Verstolo and wore shoes from Bella Belle Shoes. Her hair and makeup were done by The Styling Stewardess. Bridesmaids wore black dresses from Birdy Grey and Kendra Scott jewelry.

    View this post on Instagram
    A post shared by Marissa Phillips (@marissaphillips__)

    Phillips walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Lana Del Rey's "Video Games" and Phillips' brother-in-law officiated the Christian ceremony, in which bride and groom exchanged traditional vows.

    "[Marriage] means we are stuck with each other for life, through the good times and the bad, tied together as one under God and what God has joined together, let no man separate," Phillips told the magazine.

    At the reception, guests dined on a three-course plated dinner of Italian favorites, including trofie pasta with arugula and walnut pesto; fagottino (filled pasta) with bufala ricotta and artichokes and pecorino cheese sauce; and pork chops lacquered with honey and chopped pistachios. Dessert was traditional Italian wedding cake, which the couple "made" in front of guests. (A photo shows them sifting powdered sugar on top.)

    Phillips told People that she and Leschber took the food so seriously, they traveled to Italy a year before their wedding for a tasting with their caterer, Il Sorriso Ricevimenti.

    The bride changed into a custom party dress designed by her best friend and bridesmaid, Kathryn Emily of Belvedere Couture, made of fabric, lace and pearls from Phillips' mother's preserved wedding dress. The newlyweds and their guests then danced the night away to the live music of BritPops.

    Marissa Phillips, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders wedding.The bride and fellow Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performed "Thunderstruck" at the reception.Photo by Kseniya Palchik via People magazine.

    And, in keeping with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders tradition, members of the squad performed their iconic routine "Thunderstruck."

    Before heading home, the couple and their guests gathered the next day for a "La Dolce Vita"-themed pool party. The new Mr. and Mrs. then slipped away to Lake Como for a quick "mini moon." (They'll take a longer honeymoon at the end of the next Cowboys season, they say.)

    Back home in Dallas, Phillips is not only a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, but also an administrative assistant at an accounting firm and co-owner (with her sister) of the online Joey Lynn Boutique. She's also involved in the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her father, who died of Lewy Body Dementia in 2021.

    She's also a social media influencer. She went viral in December 2024 for gifting each of the 40 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders members a Dyson Airwrap hairstyling tool, valued at $600 each.

    “Huge thank you to @dysonbeauty and @dysonusa for helping me pull off the biggest surprise to the girls who deserve it most! All the love,” she wrote in the Instagram caption of a video of the women opening the $24,000 Christmas haul.

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