DALLAS — “No one can be too much tonight,” said Brian Bolke, chair and impresario of the 60th Art Ball benefiting the Dallas Museum of Art.
Bolke, founder of the Conservatory boutiques in New York and Dallas, played up the landmark anniversary by encouraging “Sixties Glamorous” dress for the 350 attendees, even emailing a mood board of period fashions for inspiration.
Guests included Brandon Maxwell, interior designer Ken Fulk, beauty entrepreneur Edward Bess, artist Mickalene Thomas, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and “Making the Cut Winner” Andrea Pitter.
“I was going to wear Balenciaga from 1962, but when you put on something vintage and you’re vintage, it makes you look vintage,” said Becca Cason Thrash, glittering in a slinky sequined Rodarte. “Vintage is for young girls.”
Major sponsor Nancy Rogers glowed in a verdigris satin Empire gown with cluster beadwork custom made for her by Jeremy Scott.
The Moschino creative director was the man of the cocktail hour, having supplied painterly fashions from his Picasso-inspired spring 2020 collection to dress the doormen, DJ and several models, who posed in living tableaux photo ops for guests.
“I’m thrilled to be here and be Nancy’s guest and support the organization,” Scott said. “I’m from Kansas City, so I’m your neighbor. I love coming here because everyone is so friendly and genuine.”
Mary McDermott turned heads in a whimsical floral swing tunic and bellbottom pants created exclusively for her by longtime local designer Terri Camarillo Nytra.
“People don’t understand that this used to be a costume party,” said McDermott, whose late mother Margaret is the museum’s single biggest benefactor. “The first one I remember was ‘The Rites of Spring.'”
Fulk swanned among the ladies, joking about a 15-year affair with Thrash and cuddling up to Christen Wilson with the comment, “Just call us the Dallas couple.”
“He’s doing our house,” Wilson chimed in, “and he knows I’m a minimalist and he’s a maximalist.”
A number of the women sported newly natural silver hair, while Bag Snob blogger Tina Craig had colored her long hair red.
The vintage theme permeated the menu, which opened with a globe of caviar atop onion dip served with potato chips followed by beef pot pie and crudités on a silver tray reminiscent of TV dinners and chunky banana pudding with Nilla wafers.
In his remarks, DMA director Augustín Arteaga couldn’t help but tease the upcoming “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” exhibition running May 14 to Sept. 18. The DMA co-organized it with the Musée des Art Décoratifs in Paris and in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre and support from Cartier.
“It is going to be beautiful,” Arteaga said. “It is going to be the most mind-blowing thing ever.”