Three New York Designers and a Host of Houston Influencers Turn This Houston Dinner Into an Outdoor Fashion Delight

There could not have been a more fabulously feminine tableau than that which filled the Memorial area home of the darling Lyndsey Zorich on a recent evening when she celebrated three equally divine New York designers. Am I gushing? Yes. And do forgive me.

If you had been among the lucky two dozen or so with invitation to this loveliest of evenings fêting the Cara Cara ladies, you would know that the laurels are well deserved.

First of all, followers of Zorich and her blog, The Avenue, have been wild about her table settings as well as her fashion savvy for several years. Secondly, the Cara Cara team of co-founders — Sasha Martin, Julia Workman Brown, Katie Hobbs — are as delightful in person as are their designs, which are rapidly gaining a solid following across the country. Thirdly, the tabletop florals by Cali & Bloom left us swooning. And finally, Chef Cody Anderson‘s SoKo Catering had even the most calorie-conscious among the fashionable femmes cleaning their plates.

The dinner followed a daylong pop-up shop at The Avenue‘s storefront on Westheimer on the edge of River Oaks, where the Cara Cara florals on this day mesmerized the fashionable femmes. The popularity of the trés feminine frocks and admiration for the designers was evidenced in the number of guests that arrived in Cara Cara gowns and separates.

This was the Cara Cara team’s second visit to Houston, the first was in November of 2019, shortly after launching the label in New York. Despite the ensuing pandemic, the stylish florals have become a cult favorite as a wave of feminine fashions has emerged as de rigueur for the spring and summer and on into fall.

The label is currently available at Moda Operandi, Goop, Shopbop, Intermix and Holt Renfrew.

“We are very excited to be launching in Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom this May with our High Summer collection,” Hobbs tells PaperCity. “For Berdgorf Goodman, we are also launching an expanded kids collection. For the Fall 21 collection shipping in July, Neiman Marcus and Saks have placed orders.”

The femmes have worked through much of the pandemic via Zoom with Martin and Brown escaping to Upstate New York and Hobbs relocating to Florida. During that time, the women were busy.

“The collection has evolved to include more effortless dress and caftan silhouettes in a variety of exclusive prints and fabrications such as poplin, linen and eyelet.” Hobbs allows. “Conceived entirely during the lockdown, many silhouettes feature smocking details for a comfortable fit.

“We also introduced a lounge set for at home entertaining in citrus and leopard prints.”

Brown and Valerie Dittner opted for the lounge sets on this evening, Brown in the leopard and Dittner in citrus. For fall of ’21, Cara Cara will be adding knits, embroidery and jersey to their line.

Among the influencers gathered around the two dinner tables were small business growth advisor Allison O’Neill,  Savor & Sweat founder Erin Stewart, House of Harper’s Caroline Knapp, landman Brett Jennings, jewelry designer Lindsey Schultz, fashion blogger Valerie Dittner, civil engineer Sydney Eifler, fashion blogger Natalie Steen, Compass Realtor Kyla Lynn, beauty blogger Kathleen Jennings, Molly Duncan, The Avenue editorial director and assistant buyer; and Alden King, showroom manager and registry director at The Avenue.