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Tutu Chic Took A Bow Tuesday At Its Debut

Question of the day: What’s popping up at more events as the accessory of choice this season? Answer: After the jump.

Now, let’s get on with yesterday’s Tutu Chic Luncheon at the Winspear, where the ladies who couture were out in full force to see fashions and support the Texas Ballet Theater. Cooperating with the fashionable apparel was the chilly weather debut. But we’ll get on to that in a few graphs along with other choice items. In the meantime, let’s review the Basic 101′s of this luncheon.

Each year Cowtown’s Fashion Show is a champagne-giggling success with members of the Texas Ballet modeling clothes at the Bass Performance Hall. It borders on almost being positively raucous as only those cowgal guests can party hardy.

Well, three of Dallas brightest fund raisers (Elaine Agather -pictured, Gina Betts, and Tanya Foster) plus a former Dallasite/current Fort Worthy (Olivia Kearney) took the FW idea and decided to add their own spin to it.

Hoping to get 200 for their first time out, the foursome had 250 arrive at the Winspear and could have stopped right there and then with the fashions showing up at the check in. New Cattle Baron’s member Sunie Solomon (pictured) was just an example of how skirts are rising with transparent hems, fur is flying from jackets to purses, and ankle boots are at teeter totter heights with fur to spare.

Then it was on to the stage with its Nutcracker backdrop and assigned seating for the guests. The makeup of the audience was not your typical Dallas Dozen. No, it had smatterings of all segments of Dallas five-star types like Carol Reed, Kay Hammond (pictured), Toni Brinker, Janie McGarr (Watch out, Cappy. She was taking plenty of notes about the runway fashions.), Denise Wolford, Julie Turner, Lisa Schnitzer (pictured), Mary Crossland, 2010 Cattle Baron’s chair Kristi Sherrill Hoyl, and the Nancy’s (Dedman, C. Rogers, and Halbreich). By the way, Nancy C. Rogers (pictured) was not only the presenting sponsor of this first-time event, she also looked like a prima ballerina with her blond hair swept up. Sugar Plum Fairy, take note. Your job is in jeopardy, if Nancy C. wants it.

And don’t think the crowd was girls only. Nope. On the front row was Texas Ballet Theater artistic director Ben Stevenson. Just across the way looking like the man who dreamed up Santa was Stanley Korshak‘s Numero Uno Crawford Brock (pictured). Crawford not only invited the ladies over to Korshak afterwards with 10% of the sales benefiting the Texas Ballet, he also handed over a $2,500 gift certificate to be auctioned off. The boy knows how to please the ladies.

Then it was on with the show and what a show. Unlike the tall, lean beauties that usually grace the fashion runways, these models were smaller and very, very toned. In other words, small packages with plenty of power. But what else would you expect from ballerinas? Just to prove that they weren’t your typical fashion models, they made some show-stopping lifts that showed off the Korshak and J. Mendel fashions beautifully. Why it was enough to make you want to get up and do a pirouette.

Just as the ballerina models paraded off the runway, tiny flakes fell on the guests and the Winspear chandelier lowered proving to be the biggest snowflake of the season.

Then Elaine headed the guests up and moved them on to the Winspear cafe for lunch and chats. Topics of the day included talk about the new hairstyles being worn by co-chairs Gina and Tanya (pictured). The new looks were created by Ceron, the creative director for the new CERON Salon in Neiman’s downtown. Now get this. You know how Ms. Gina (pictured)  is a partner at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell? Why that should be enough to keep a girl busy. Not Gina. She’s also the owner of CERON and three other salons.

Another hot topic of conversation was the White House party crashers. You do know that Washington doesn’t have the exclusive on those types of folks. You’re surprised! Oh, lambs, don’t be. Veteran social supervisors know the naughty ones and who’s been turned away on one or two or a dozen occasions. It’s nothing new. It’s as old as having valet parkers.

Oh, and for you Olivia Kearney fans, she hasn’t changed one smidgen since moving to Fort Worth. The gal looks great (pictured) and can still entertain all in sight. For instance, she told of a former spouse, who asked her what those VL’s on her luggage stood for. She responded, “Why Victor Luigi!” From that time on, whenever they were scheduled to take a trip, he’d say, “Get your Victor Luigi’s packed.” Poor thing never caught on that Olivia not only has a great sense of humor, but her favorite traveling gear is Louis Vuitton. Perhaps that’s why he’s an ex-Mr. Olivia.

Now if anyone is still wondering what this season’s hottest fashion accessory is, here is the answer — bodyguards. It’s become more and more apparent since the former first family moved to Dallas. The good news is it’s oh-so chic and comforting. Think of it as a social seat belt. The downer is you have to plan ahead and make arrangements for the escort, or in some cases escorts, to attend events, too. Hmm, wonder if you get a half-price rate, if the bodyguard just stands on the sidelines?