There’s just something about a gala…with so much work that goes into celebrating and supporting an organization for just one night. No gala is perfect mind you, yet I have seen many that have come quite close. I’ll never forget when I donated my time to raise funds as a dancer for the Center For Child Protection’s very first Dancing With The Stars in the mid-2000s. None of my fellow dancers who terpsichored on stage for the maiden voyage of the gala (that now regularly raises well over a million dollars in one evening) knew what to expect while dancing in a ballroom of over a thousand contemporaries.
There was one life lesson I acquired in the arduous final days of the months of rehearsing a dance production number that I still think would rival the scope of work of anything you might see on an episode of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars hit series. The lesson was so simple and shared with me by my professional dance partner, who helmed our competitive dance duo. Go out there and do your best. No one in the audience will see you’ve made a mistake…because they don’t know your choreography. It was a pivotal moment that I absorbed and have often applied to life since, and certainly life while chronicling the social scene.
We’ve all attended so many wonderful galas, and some that, well, had the potential to be wonderful. Our cover story feature this month shares an insider’s look at one of the grandest galas in years, Houstonian Becca Cason Thrash’s series of events to support the Musée du Louvre. It has previously occurred mostly in Europe, yet due to the pandemic, she brought the action closer to home, in Los Angeles. “What is so majestic about an event hosted by Becca is that you have the most wonderful mix of familiar faces and interesting people you would never meet otherwise,” noted Society Texas COO Rob Giardinelli, who was in attendance. “The combination of these two elements creates fabulous, unforgettable experiences you will remember for the rest of your life.” It was a three day tour de force of parties and unforgettable rare, private art collection viewings to remember, as you’ll read about and see, which might inspire your own gala planning.
Along with that story, we catch up with another Texas luminary, legendary media professional Neal Spelce. He witnessed and reported on, as much as anyone, many events that have shaped our world. His new book, With The Bark Off, is a true page turner for true Texans. And don’t forget to enjoy our one-of-a-kind feature on fall shoes to set you on the path to fun.
Along with our wildly talented lifestyle experts, writers, editors, designers, and publishing teams, we love all things Texan as we continue to celebrate and elevate the finer things in life for you to also enjoy. Now that we’re all back in the saddle this fall season, let’s get out there and be as spectacular as always. Until then, see you in the ballroom.
Lance Avery Morgan
Editor-In-Chief &
Creative Director
Portrait photography by Romy Suskin
