Burk and Moda Operandi host ‘girls night in’
Greggory Burk isn’t a regular host. She’s a cool host.
It’s become tradition for each year’s Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Luncheon and Neiman Marcus Fashion Presentation Hall of Fame inductee to host a get-together for her class of fellow honorees. In the past, soirées have ranged from Sunday-night suppers to husbands-allowed seated affairs.
Burk took a different approach. She envisioned a house party for her turn to entertain.
“I just want tonight to be
fun,” she said. “Like a girls night out — well, in.”
So she tapped Moda Operandi, the luxury online retailer founded by Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo, to co-host. And what a striking trio Burk, Moda Operandi private client adviser
Brian McCulloch and business development and client experience manager
Belén Hormaeche made. With Burk in an architectural, ecru jumpsuit, McCulloch’s English tweed suit offset by a pearl necklace and Hormaeche holding court in a black lace Paco Rabanne duster, welcome wagons never looked so chic.
They perfectly suited the setting. Upon entering Burk’s shindig via double brass doors — which are original to her recently renovated 1960s River Oaks manse — J&D Entertainment sketch artist Andre
Roberts sat perched on a stool, rapid-fire illustrating twins Joanna Hartland Marks, a first-time Best Dressed honoree, and
Hannah McNair, this year’s March of Dimes family ambassador, on canvas paper.
In one corner, guests fawned over DeMartino Design Group’s orchid treatment in the dining room. On the opposite end of the foyer, Burk’s sister-inlaw and past Best Dressed honoree Allie Fields dazzled in a two-piece crop top and matching trouser set.
City Kitchen’s all-male waitstaff circled the space with serving trays bearing shrimp fritters, crab cakes and ceviche.
As partygoers discussed their runway looks for the upcoming luncheon
(March 25 at the Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston), Burk’s daughter Evie cleverly offered to snap photos of the women — for a small fee. The night’s honorary
pint-sized guest was counting her tip money when March of Dimes senior development manager
Kemah Blair-Flores
shared the news that $1 million had officially been raised toward the organization’s mission to improve the health of expectant mothers and their babies.
Glasses clinked as the group celebrated two consecutive years of hitting the seven-figure mark.
For parting gifts, twotime honoree Estela Cockrell included a three-piece skin care set from her clean beauty startup, Switch2Pure, with Moda Operandi’s “Fashion in LA” coffee-table books. Impressive swag for an intimate “girls night in.”