Gina Erwin and Lisa Holthouse (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
By Jeff Gremillion
River Oaks Country Club hosted a Capri afternoon with models marching the runway in resort finery, and the Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston left with $215,000.
The seventh annual fashion show and luncheon, chaired by Donae Cangelosi Chramosta and Rachel Regan, drew 350 guests under the theme “La Dolce Vita in Capri: The Art of Italian Style – Then and Now.” The money goes to scholarships for advanced study in Italian culture. To date, the center has awarded more than $355,000 for study abroad.
Deborah Duncan of “Great Day Houston” emceed. Father James Murphy, vice president of mission at St. Thomas High School, gave the invocation. The runway, Italian designers curated by Saks Fifth Avenue and produced by Lenny Matuszewski and Tamara Klosz, sat at the center of the program. Uptown Dance Centre opened the entertainment with modern Italian movement built on classic forms. A silent auction ran alongside.
The honors went to three Houston stories. Chris Canetti, president of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston host committee and former president of the Houston Dynamo and Dash, was recognized for leading the city’s bid and the more than $1 billion in economic impact the matches brought. Jason, Sal and Vince Maida represented six generations of leatherwork that began when Sicilian immigrant John Laureto Maida opened a shoe repair shop in 1906. It continues as Houston Shoe Hospital, with the next generation now in Maida’s Bespoke Boots & Shoes and Maida’s Belts & Buckles.
Dominic and Michael Mandola, sons of Luke Mandola of the Ragin’ Cajun restaurants, and Johnny Mandola, son of the late Frankie B. Mandola and steward of Damian’s Cucina Italiana, took the family honor. In accepting, the Mandolas noted the restaurants that grew from the clan, including Nino’s, Vincent’s, Tony Mandola’s, Mandola’s Deli, Ciro’s and Carrabba’s.
Guests included Kim Moody, Anne Carl, Stephanie Perkins, Zinat Ahmed, Amy Pierce, Ann Ayre, Valerie Dietrich, Debbie Festari, Chris Goins, Sidney Faust, Beth Wolff, Sippi Khurana, Beth Muecke, Leisa Holland Nelson and Lisa Holthouse.
Johnny Mandola, Luke Mandola, Michael Mandola and Dominic Mandola (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Michelle Reyna and Rachel Bagwell (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
MaryLuGarza, Charity Yarborough and Leila Perrin (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
On the runway
Stacey Lindseth and Jacqie Baly (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Ally Shell and Tiffany Halik (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Andrea Chiapuzzo and Stephanie Perkins (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Anne Carl and Christy Sullivan (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Roz Pactor and Chris Canetti (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Emcee Deborah Duncan, Rachel Regan and Donae Chramosta
Lauren Fisher, Shari Koziol and Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Nina Rand, Mikenah Joy Vega and Candace Thomas (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Patti Murphy, Camille Valente, Rachel Regan and Saula Valente (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Rosalyn Bazzelle, Vanessa Ames and Ann Ayre (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Sal Maida IV, Sal Maida Jr. and Vince Maida (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Sandra Porter, Lu Caltagirone and Debbie Aspromonte Simon