Dallas Says Goodbye to Downtown Neiman Marcus With Herrera Charity Show
Dallas's best-dressed charity lunch came with a goodbye.
The Crystal Charity Ball, the Dallas fundraiser that names ten best-dressed women each year, held its Ten Best Dressed Women luncheon and runway show at the historic downtown flagship of Neiman Marcus, the American luxury department-store chain. That store closes permanently on 30 September. WWD
The farewell carries weight. The downtown store opened in 1914. For more than 50 years, the charity luncheon has been an annual highlight there. In 2027, the event moves to the retailer's NorthPark Center store.
Geoffroy van Raemdonck, chief executive of Exemplar Luxury Group, the parent company of Neiman Marcus, opened the formal presentation. Former First Lady Laura Bush sat in the front row, flanked by Lee Ann White and Gene and Jerry Jones. The room was full.
This year's ten honourees were Haley Anderson, Jacquelin Sewell Atkinson, Julie Bagley, Shelby Goff, Shannon Graham, Tracey Kazmetsky, Tracy Lange, Erin Mathews, Felicia Powell and Katherine Wyker. The Ball honours its ten best-dressed women for community service and personal style. WWD
The clothes came from Carolina Herrera, the New York fashion house. The runway presentation featured selections from its winter and resort collections, the between-seasons range shown outside the main calendar, under global creative director Wes Gordon. "Hall of fame" honouree Tavia Hunt and honorary chair Nancy Nasher walked the runway dressed in Carolina Herrera.
Gordon reached Dallas at a busy moment. Two days earlier, he had marked the House of Herrera's 45th anniversary with a runway show at Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week. He brought an edited version of the collection to Texas.
There was news about the future, too. Mary McGreevy, chief stores officer at Neiman Marcus, said a newly reimagined Zodiac Room will open at NorthPark before the holidays. The Zodiac is the store's much-loved restaurant. Its move gives regulars a familiar place to gather.
The addresses tell the story of the shift. The downtown flagship stands at 1618 Main St. The NorthPark store is at 8687 North Central Expressway. The distance is short. The change in habit will feel larger for shoppers who have lunched downtown for decades.
What makes this stand out is the double duty of the afternoon. It honoured charity work. It gave a historic store a graceful exit. For regulars, it means the ritual continues, just in a new postcode. The dresses change. The cause does not.
