Sometimes, the best fashion shows are simplest, cleanest and most straightforward. The luncheon runway expo for the Women’s Symphony League was all that and more — smart, musically evocative and I dare say practical. Like good theater, it made you wonder how all that magic was accomplished.
Kimberly Chassey and Peggy Manley
Well, you can thank Patti Hauffpauir and Sue Webber for that. The team led by the owner of the Garden Room Boutique and the owner of Sue Webber Productions, respectively, selected just the right models, outfits and atmosphere for different occasions. I thought the travel apparel was sharp, chic and kicky.
Juliana Hoffpauir and Julie Sayers
Earlier during the luncheon in the vast Palmer Events Center space, some key past presidents of the League were presented in front of a theatrical version of the White House facade. These were some might accomplished women. One (Sonya Wilson) had been a member of the League for more than 50 years. Another (Pat Harris) was the first woman to earn a PhD in finance at the University of Texas.
Paula Lundgren and Patti Hoffpauir
But none was more impressive than Jane Sibley. Though encumbered with age, Sibley is still strikingly beautiful. And — get this — for the past 40 years, she has either been president, chairwoman or chairwoman emeritus of the Austin Symphony board.
Such longevity in power comes with inevitable pros and cons. But nobody else in town can claim that kind of record.