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austinchronicLe.com
After a Fashion 4.2.04
BY STEPHEN MACMILLAN MOSER
Mark Sullivan, Lance Avery Morgan, Carolyn Farb, little
me, and Rita Garza at the divine Hotel Icon in Houston for
Brilliant magazine's party honoring Mme. Farb
photo by Shelley Daly
THE SOCIAL CIRCUIT Omigod, I've just had the most glamorous 24 hours of my life! So impossibly glam, I can
hardly stand myself. You'll probably raise an objection, too, but for now, let's just snuggle up under my ermine lap
robe and enjoy some delicious dish. Lance Morgan and Phil Hudson, publishers of Brilliant, invited me to a party
they were throwing in Houston for their recent cover girl, Carolyn Farb. Well, you know how I feel about Carolyn: I
think she's a goddess. Others can smirk, but I care not. I'm deeply impressed to know her. My frequent walker
Mark Sullivan said, "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse; come down to Houston, and I'll put you up in my
penthouse at the Four Seasons." Well! How could I refuse? Then, the lovely e-mail arrived from Carolyn (she who
loathes e-mail), asking me to come down as well. I called Carolyn the next day, and when she asked if I'd like to
come to her house, I swooned. Yes, indeedy, I would. My frequent consort Rita Garza happened to have a meeting
in Houston that day, so I invited her to accompany me to the party, and invited myself to ride down in her brand
new 350Z. We arrived late on Tuesday at Mark's place, and it was heavenly - spacious and exquisitely appointed,
with sweeping views to die for. He was the perfect host, and we stayed up and gossiped until all hours. After asking
Carolyn's permission the next morning, I begged Mark to accompany me, afraid I might disgrace myself by passing
out (or worse). Carolyn's River Oaks home is not especially grandiose from the outside, but it is a 1930s John
Staub structure that had been redone in the Eighties, and the overwhelming quality from the outside is privacy. But
inside? It's like an art museum where no alarms go off if you touch the art. The furnishings become inconsequential
next to the breathtaking displays of art that trail everywhere, from the garage, through both floors of the house,
across the patio, around the pool, and into the pool house. Mark and I were giddy to stand in front of Frida Kahlos,
Jasper Johnses, Warhols, Rousseaus - a staggering personal collection that perfectly described its owner. The
full-length Aaron Schickler portrait of Carolyn hanging in the circular stairwell was among the many incredible
portraits of her. When she suggested lunch at the Grotto, a high-society watering hole, we eagerly agreed (I rode
with Carolyn in her to-die-for Aston Martin convertible). We were immediately seated at the center table, and the
parade of society babes winding its way through the restaurant was straight out of Dynasty. Carolyn identified them
for us, giving us brief background info on them: "She's number one on the best-dressed list," (I also met No. 2 later
that night) or, "She used to be a newscaster," and Mark and I lapped it up. Suddenly I realized it wasn't Dynasty, it
was the La Cote Basque section of Truman Capote's Answered Prayers - and I swooned all over again. Carolyn
is not only witty and engaging, but she's as shrewd and clever as she is beautiful and gracious - and she behaved
with far better manners than any of the pretenders to her throne who were present. We regretfully bade Carolyngoodbye and went on a whirlwind tour of Houston, after which we retired for a brief respite and then got ready for
the party and made arrangements to meet Rita there. The party was at the drop-dead gorgeous new Hotel Icon -
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Brilliant in the media..., article, 2003-12/2005-10; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1983280/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.