Inside Crystal Charity Ball’s Glittering Day of Events

Like a soigne groundhog, our grand dame of the social season, the 2022 Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show, has emerged to proclaim: Ladies, it’s time to suit up (boucle Chanel is what I’d suggest).

For the many recent coastal transplants to Dallas, a little primer on CCB. First, its purpose is to raise funds to benefit children through programs and services provided by their beneficiaries. Since 1952, Crystal Charity has distributed more than $175 million to the children of Dallas County. This year’s committee has chosen eight beneficiaries with a collective need of $7,180,555. They are: Agape Clinic; Baylor Oral Health Foundation; Behind Every Door; Educational First Steps; Family Compass; Hope Supply Co.; Southwestern Medical Foundation for the benefit of UT Southwestern Medical Center; United to Learn, and The Crystal Charity Ball 70th Anniversary Project.

In case you missed the recent excuse for sinfully glamorous day drinking and a dizzyingly fabulous fashion show from featured designers, Dolce & Gabbana, the Ten Best Dressed swanning down the runway at Neiman Marcus NorthPark Center were: Amy Prestidge, Meredith Land, Anne McPherson, Tiffany Divis, Libby Hegi, Monica Eastin, Karla McKinley, Kim Quinn, Kim Hext, and Marybeth Conlon.

Similar to last year, the 2022 event offered two seatings: the first included a ‘Buongiorno’ brunch, and the second a quintessentially Italian ‘Aperitivo.’ As I’m not a morning person, I opted for the 5 pm option.

At the top of the escalator ride to Neiman Marcus’ third floor, where D&G’s new breezy Casa home line is available exclusively until November 1. I was pleased to grab a few minutes with Max Trowbridge (who had spent quite a bit of time in the UK and was back in Dallas furiously working away on her clothing line, Eve & Max’s next collection), Piper Wyatt (fresh from a backgammon tournament in Portofino), and Christy Berry (also fresh from a glorious series of trips to her family’s summer home on the placid waters of Lake Michigan in Harbor Springs).

Then, fashion show chair Jennifer Dix signaled the sexy show’s beginning. Among the models and daring fashions included this year’s Best Dressed: Amy Prestidge, Meredith Land, Anne McPherson, Tiffany Divis, Libby Hegi, Monica Eastin, Karla McKinley, Kim Quinn, Kim Hext, and Marybeth Conlon. In the momentous 49-year history of the Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show, only four outstanding women have served as Honorary Chairs of this important fund-raising event: Margaret Hunt Hill, Nancy Dedman, Annette Simmons, and Norma Hunt. This year the fifth woman to serve as Honorary Chairman is Gene Jones.

Post-show, I hopped around Highland Park Village with some fellow guests: Nancy Rogers, Karla McKinley (with her daughter, Madison McKinley Isner and daughter-in-law Lamar Cooper McKinley), Moll Anderson, Leisa Street, Sheryl Maas, Kristie Ramirez, Christen Wilson, and Bina Patel. I finally landed with Neiman’s Head of Brand Experience and Special Events Marjon Henderson and Market Vice President Dallas/Fort Worth Mary McGreevy to laud their hard work on the day’s events.

As I made my way home, I started making the list of those who I had seen seated at along the runway that I would text the following morning for a proper coffee catch-up. That group included Kim Schlegel Whitman, Shelle Sills, Janey Condon, Jordan Jones, Kyle Branch, Lori Jones, and Melinda Knowles.