SOCIETY DIARIES,
There’s an elephant in the room.
At least, that’s what most Tiger Ball attendees were thinking as they entered this year’s “Magnificent India” soiree at the Asia Society Texas Center.
An elephant-shaped topiary — the ultimate selfie photo-op — wowed arrivals eager to show off their festive national dress on the white tent’s red carpet. Saris, Lehenga Cholis (blouse and skirt sets) and sherwanis (men’s coats) in rainbow hues elicited “oohs” and “ahhs” at every turn.
Divya Brown shared that her royal-blue outfit was a repeat look from her sister’s wedding.
The evening’s theme garnered so much praise that the 2018 bash’s motif will be “Celebrating the Diversity of Asia,” aka open (attire) season.
“I have a little present for everyone,” Bonna Kol announced before dinner service. “We’ve had rain three years in a row, and I’ve brought you clear weather tonight.”
It’s true, rain has become something of a Tiger Ball signature, though organizers like to joke that the annual downpour has been good luck.
This year’s fundraiser didn’t need any extra good fortune. Co-chairs Gina and Devinder Bhatia, Dr. Marie and Vijay Goradia, and Angela
and Chowdary Yalamanchili raised more than $1 million. Kol and Chevron public affairs officer Joni Baird presented honorees Sushila and Dr. Durga
Agrawal with crystal awards for their longtime support, and then it was onto the party’s other staple: CityKitchen’s elaborate feast.
The festive dinner menu featured roasted red and golden beets with goat cheese, saffron sea bass, lamb chops, basmati rice, cauliflower and naan.
Afterward, the crowd returned to the tented Chevron Pavilion for a drum circle performance and spiced rum banana flambé.
A few guests admitted that despite studying sari-wrapping tutorials on YouTube, they couldn’t quite master the timehonored — albeit tricky — draping technique and opted for standard blacktie instead. Well, there’s always next year.