Austin Way - 2015 - Issue 2 - Late Spring - Felicity Huffman

AUST N WAY Women of Influence

True

Felicity

The American Crime star gets real in Austin

PORTRAITS OF POWER Visionary women talk success, power, and changing the city— for the better!

CURTAINS UP ON 100 YEARS OF THE PARAMOUNT

WHERE TO DINE, NIGHT AND DAY Plus Gail Chovan June Rodil Laura Huffman Christy & Turk Pipkin

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H A I R CO LO R I S P E R S O N A L D RY S H A M P O O S H O U L D B E TO O T W O U N I Q U E D R Y C L E A N S I N G F O R M U L A S TO B R I N G O U T T H E B E S T I N YO U R C O LO R

L I G H T TO N E S Enhances cool hues to balance brassiness D A R K TO N E S Maintains color richness with no dull residue

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We have the inside scoop on Austin’s best parties, real estate, dining, and more. real estate

ECO-FRIENDLY ADDRESSES

Decrease your footprint in a big way with these beautiful but energy-efficient homes.

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Couldn’t attend?

Browse the newest photos from Austin’s most exclusive parties.

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WHERE TO EAT FARM-TO-TABLE FARE Make the most of spring’s bounty with cuisine and cocktails sourced right down the street—literally.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EPSTOCK (REAL ESTATE); MARY KANG, BILL ALBRECHT (BRITTON); NATALIA KLENOVA (DINE)

SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS

Style Arbiter of Taste Designer Gail Chovan’s atelier is housed in a former grocery store that’s a century old. She shares the building with husband Evan Voyles and his business, The Neon Jungle.

photography by wynn myers; Hair and makeup by Bailey Stike for Ron King Salon

Gail Force

FEARLESS AND FIERCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, GROUNDBREAKING DESIGNER GAIL CHOVAN CELEBRATES INDIVIDUALISM IN HER MINIMALIST PIECES FOR AUSTIN, PARIS, AND BEYOND. by caitlin M. ryan “There’s such beauty in imperfection,” says designer Gail Chovan, whose eccentric, minimalist garments stand out in a town known for its casual chic. Some might say that life has dealt Chovan a far-from-perfect hand, but she would never think so. Learning the nuances of raising twins born with congenital toxoplasmosis and surviving a battle against breast cancer, including a double mastectomy, have not weakened her resolve or point of view. Rather, these experiences have made her zest for the life that she shares with her family of four stronger and the concepts she communicates through clothing even more powerful.

This spring, besides advising students for the University of Texas Division of Textiles and Apparel Fashion Show on April 23, Chovan was prepping her latest collection, Unprecious, for Paris Fashion Week. Her South Austin atelier is housed in a century-old former grocery store that she shares with her husband, Evan Voyles, who creates iconic, electric signage as the artist behind The Neon Jungle. Among continued on page 30

AUSTINWAY.com 29

STYLE Spotlight It bag

ECOACCESSORY

AUSTIN’S BREAST CANCER RESEARCH CENTER MARKS ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND GEARS UP FOR ITS ANNUAL ART BRA EXTRAVAGANZA. BY CONNOR CHILDERS Austin’s Breast Cancer Research Center is celebrating the region’s strong cancer survivors with its annual Art Bra fundraiser on June 6. Brave women who have successfully battled the disease will model the 70 one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable artwork in a runway show. “Art Bra Austin is a uniquely Austin event—it’s flamboyant, glamorous, and theatrical all at the same time,” says BCRC’s executive director, Ray Anne Evans.

“The artistic community has truly rallied around this event.

They amaze us year after year with their willingness to donate their talent and creativity to provide women who are facing breast cancer with magnificent works of art to model in the show.” June 6, $200, Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces St.; artbraaustin.org

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CUTTING EDGE

Jimmy Choo ($925). Nordstrom, Barton Creek Square, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512-691-3500; nordstrom.com

34 AUSTINWAY.COM

GENTLEMAN’S CLUB

Calling all gents: The Boardroom is now open. This salon for men launched its second location, an 1,800-square-foot 1920s club environment, designed with dark wood paneling and leather chairs for an ambience suited for a masculine, luxury experience. Boardroom services include haircuts, traditional hot lather shaves, color and waxing services, and signature services like hand and scalp massages. 3300 Bee Caves Road, West Lake Hills, 512-551-1117; boardroomsalon.com

A GRAND IDEA

Cole Haan launches a statement shoe in women’s casual wear with ZeroGrand.

Constructed with the brand’s new cushioning system, Grand.OS, the lightweight, everyday shoe is available as an Oxford in leather or suede (SHOWN), or Slip On or Sneaker version in neoprene and mesh. The Domain, 512-834-8222; colehaan.com Vegan Mini Boxcar in burnt orange, Zink ($98).

Perfect cutouts reinvent the power pump.

Casadei ($920). Saks Fifth Avenue, North Star Mall, San Antonio, 210-341-4111; casadei.com

Christian Louboutin ($1,195). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com

Tabitha Simmons ($895).

Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; tabithasimmons.com

Gucci ($895). Nordstrom, Barton Creek Square, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy.; nordstrom.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLASHBAX TWENTY THREE PHOTOGRAPHY (BRA); JEFF CRAWFORD (COLE HAAN). COURTESY OF BOARDROOM (SALON); ZINK (BAG)

Cause and Effect

for charity

Austin-based accessories brand Zink has released Zink Vegan, a non-leather alternative handbag line. Available in two styles—jaunt and boxcar—and eight colors including lucite green, blush, and sky blue, the bags also may be monogramed in gold foil, silver foil, and non-foil. Pleased with the consumer response to the new animalfriendly products, Zink founder and creative director Ben Freedland says, “In a short time, we’ve seen the Vegan collection extend our brand to a whole new customer base.” Prices range from $98 to $128; personalization adds up to $30 and takes two weeks to process. 1601 W. 38th St.,512-5025836; zinkeveryday.com

“The light that we carry with us makes a diference.” –James Turrell Make a free reservation for James Turrell’s Skyspace turrell.utexas.edu Photo by Florian Holzherr

NATURE DOESN’T NEED PEOPLE.

NATURE IS C O N S E R V A T I O N

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Our ocean’s hidden treasures, the nurseries and homes of life in the ocean, are in trouble. Scientists say they need to be protected.

Please help. Go to oceana.org/ hiddentreasures or text OCEAN to 50555 to donate $10.

Twenty years ago, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had very few places to turn, and lost a difficult struggle.

And yet, more than 30% of all lung cancer patients still don’t know about the therapies, specialists, and clinical trials available to them.

Today, we are on the brink of real breakthroughs in lung cancer research and there are significantly improved treatment options.

Lung cancer is a formidable foe, but we are finding new ways to fight it. Please visit SU2C.org/LungCancer for questions to ask your health care professional and to learn about options that may be right for you.

Photo Credit: Kevin Lynch

Tony Goldwyn Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador

SU2C.org/LungCancer

Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

MY MOM DIDN’T HAVE MANY OPTIONS. TODAY’S LUNG CANCER PATIENTS DO.

Ellar Coltrane, Zoe Graham, Mike Saenz, and Richard Linklater

TEXAS FILM AWARDS

THE 15TH (CRYSTAL) ANNIVERSARY of the Texas Film

Awards was hosted at Austin Studios in celebration of the legacy of Texas film.

This star-studded event raises money for Austin Film Society’s programs that support filmmakers, promote film culture, and build a renowned film community. Guests walked the red carpet, sipped fine cocktails, and enjoyed an elegant seated dinner during the awards show. Boyhood received Variety’s Creative Impact in Cinema award, and director Richard Linklater attended with stars Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane to receive the honor.

Patricia Arquette

Bonnie Curtis and Jess Weixler Jeff Thomas, Tommy Lee Jones, and Sylvia Cardiel

Eiza González

Diane Land, William Hurley, and Mayor Steve Adler

Simone Wicha and Jack Shear with the University of Texas Cowboys.

OFF THE WALL GALA THE BLANTON MUSEUM’S biennial celebration did not disappoint with this year’s Off the Wall gala. Guests gathered for a cocktail hour in the museum’s atrium as the venue filled with hundreds of art enthusiasts and UT alumni, including Vince Young. Attendees were then escorted by a UT band ensemble to dinner across the street at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, where they were serenaded by an a cappella group at the entrance. Designed by Strong Events and Mandarin Design Lab, the evening was hosted in honor of UT President Bill Powers and his many contributions to the success of the museum. It raised $850,000 for future programming.

Angela Filardi, Bal Armstrong, and Chris Dodds

Janet Allen and Terry Quinn

Vince Young and Laurel Hooper

Eddy and Kelli Blanton

Celebrate in the Center of it All Celebrate benchmarks and milestones with award-winning cuisine in our 4-star restaurant, The Carillon. Plan an inspiring and memorable event in our Grand Ballroom. Indulge in our relaxing hotel accommodations. Or execute a high-tech meeting in our conference center. You’ll enjoy the luxury and you’ll love our Texas hospitality.

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Jacket ($2,345) and pants ($895), Alexander McQueen. Saks Fifth Avenue, North Star Mall, San Antonio, 210-341-4111; saks.com. Bavna diamond link bracelet, Azature, ($8,500). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com.

Shoes, Giuseppe Zanotti, ($845).

Neiman Marcus, see above

Dress, Cushnie et Ochs, ($1,495). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com. Gavriel hexagon gold-plated link bracelet, Rachel Zoe, ($250).

Nordstrom, Barton Creek Square, 512-691-3500; nordstrom.com. Ring, Huffman’s own Beauté: Kérastase Densimorphos Thickening Treatment Mousse ($42), Spray À Porter Buildable Texture Spray for Beach Waves ($36), Laque Couture Strong Hold Hairspray ($37), Powder Bluff Dry Shampoo ($37).

Luxe Apothetique, 201 W. Second St., 512-215-0282; kerastase-usa.com Dior Diorskin Star Foundation in Cameo ($50), Diorblush in Amber Show ($45), 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Montaigne ($62), Diorshow New Look Mascara in New Look Black ($29), Rouge Dior Lipstick in Charnelle ($35), Dior Addict Gloss in Spring Ball ($30), Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Muguet ($27). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com Photography by Frederic Auerbach Styling by Robert Behar/ Opus Beauty Hair by David Stanwell/ SoloArtists.com using Kérastase Makeup by Robin Siegel/ GRID Agency using Dior Addict Nails by Mary Ann Jones using Dior Vernis Video: Nardeep Khurmi Sittings Editor: Danielle Yadegar

The Confidence Builder MEREDITH WALKER A Houston native who cocreated Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Meredith Walker has a gift for bolstering confidence, offers a casual familiarity, and has a soft spot for pets. She moved to Austin in 2006 from New York, leaving her job as the head of the talent department at Saturday Night Live, where she became close friends with Poehler. They conceived Smart Girls (amysmartgirls.com) in 2008 as a multimedia platform to inspire and encourage young women during adolescence. Smart Girls quickly became a 24-hour job: “This feels like there’s so much more at stake.” inspiring and inspired:

Top, Tienda Ho ($90).

Garment, 701 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-462-4667; shop garment.com. Necklace, Nanis ($3,283). Benold’s Jewelers, Northwood Plaza, 2900 W. Anderson Lane, 512-452-6491; benolds.com. Cuff ($695) and bracelet ($297), Peppina. The Boutique on Stonelake, Gateway Shopping Center, 9910 Stonelake Blvd., theboutique onstonelake.com opposite page: Dress, A.L.C. ($645). Valentine’s Too, Davenport Village, 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512-347-9488; valentines austin.com. Hoops ($7,375), bracelet ($5,720), and ring ($1,650), Mary Ray. By George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-4725951; bygeorgeaustin.com.

Necklace, Master Goldsmith, Inc. ($6,000). Benold’s Jewelers, Northwood Plaza, 2900 W. Anderson Lane, 512-452-6491; benolds.com.

Heels, Céline ($770). By George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-4725951; bygeorgeaustin.com

Last summer Walker spearheaded a Smart Girls Summer Camp in Austin. She also volunteers with the Austin Animal Center and serves as a mentor at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Women like Molly Ivins and Linda Ellerbee have inspired Walker, 45. She sees Austin as the perfect place to celebrate and share their legacies.

“So many women here are passionate about social justice and change for the better.” pet project: Smart Girls, which is working toward nonprofit status, has a large adult following interested in the subjects covered, ranging from community activism to pet adoption. The site will soon feature animal “singles ads,” with friends such as Jack Black channeling a shelter dog. “He’ll be like, ‘I’m just looking for someone who is pretty consistent with food,’” says Walker, whose new dog, Banjo, definitely hit the jackpot. power point: “I love what I do—advocating for young women, encouraging them to find their own passions, to embrace their own talents, and to change the world by being themselves. If I am able to help even one young woman achieve that, then I would count myself as very successful.”

AUSTINWAY.com 91

ake a look around and it becomes clear that nearly everything surrounding us—the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the butcher-block table in your kitchen, the paper used for this magazine—comes from nature. The simple truth is that humanity cannot survive without nature: for our food, fresh water, lifesaving medicines, and so much more.

When you see the abundance of food at the local supermarket—the bins of fruits and vegetables, the seafood on ice, the water bottles on the shelves—you may not always think about where it all comes from or what would happen if nature could no longer provide for us. Currently, there are 7.3 billion people on the planet. According to a report by the United Nations, the world’s population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by the year 2050. Global demand for food, water, and energy is predicted to increase by 35 percent, 40 percent, and 50 percent, respectively, by 2030. This will further test nature’s ability to provide for us, as will the expanding middle class around the world.

The unprecedented consumption of critical natural resources poses enormous challenges for the entire planet. Some countries are already feeling the effects with depleted fisheries and diminished food stocks resulting from the inability of agricultural production to keep pace with demand. In recent years, more food was consumed around the world than was produced. The changing climate compounds these trends, as the increasing number and severity of storms (like Hurricane Sandy, which battered the East Coast in 2012), floods, and droughts threaten global food and water supplies.

Competition for increasingly scarce resources can lead to social and political instability, conflict, radicalization, and possibly even failed nations. According to the US National Intelligence Council, “[resource] scarcities are likely to hit hardest on poorer states, leading in the worst case to internal or interstate conflict and spillover to regional destabilization.” Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, the country’s premier foreign-policy think tank, agrees.

“Resources are linked to both the stability of countries and to the stability of regions,” he says. Resource shortages and competition need to be on “the list of possible sources of friction or conflict” and are “potentially a contributing cause of instability within countries and conceivably a source of instability between countries.” But resource scarcity is not just a problem for other countries; it is also a threat to the United States’ economic interests and national security.

is there hope?

Given the stress on nature’s ability to provide for the growing population due to increasing demand and the serious impacts of the changing climate, are we doomed, or is there still hope? According to Peter Seligmann, a leading conservationist and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Conservation International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting nature for the well-being of people, there is reason to be hopeful. “Many governments,

businesses, and local communities are realizing the importance of nature to the global economy, livelihoods, and security,” he says. “They are not standing on the sidelines watching as nature is depleted. They are engaging and taking actions to ensure nature is sustainable.”

Seligmann cites the example of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, which is leading the charge for sustainability among corporations with its three goals: to sell products that sustain both people and the environment, to create zero waste, and to run on 100 percent renewable energy. Due to its vast size, Walmart can have a significant impact on sustainability up and down its supply chain. “Walmart executives see that their supplies of fish and food depend upon the health of ecosystems,” Seligmann explains, “and they see that ecosystems are being stressed out by shifts in climate. That affects their supply. They’re thinking long-term.”

According to Rob Walton, the company’s chairman and the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, “For Walmart, it’s about our responsibility as a business, but partly about how many of our sustainability efforts allow us to be more efficient and to continue to pass those savings on to our customers.”

Ensuring a sustainable supply chain so that its shelves are always fully stocked is critical to the company’s business.

If you’ve noticed a difference in the size of laundry detergent bottles in the last decade, you have Walmart to thank. The company has single-handedly driven the industry to embrace more eco-friendly packaging. And at Walmart’s 2014 Sustainability Product Expo, it introduced an initiative challenging manufacturers to reduce by 25 percent the amount of water in every dose of detergent in North America by 2018. Also announced at the Expo was a new initiative to increase recycling rates in the US by providing low-interest loans to municipalities for recycling projects.

Increasingly, companies—including Disney, Starbucks, and Marriott—are realizing that environmental sustainability is not only in their economic self-interest; it is also in the interest of their customers and the communities in which they operate.

For example, The Walt Disney Company is implementing major changes designed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, improve its energy efficiency, reduce its water consumption, minimize waste, protect natural ecosystems, and inspire action on environmental health. The company is also funding a flagship project in the Peruvian Amazon to address the main causes of deforestation.

Many are aware of Austin-based Whole Foods’ eco-friendly policies, which include supporting sustainable agriculture and sound environmental practices.

The company has also designed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED]-certified stores and initiated recycling programs, and it offsets 100 percent

AUSTINWAY.com 103

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