Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2009 > March > 10
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Vicci Goes Gay as Kiss and Fly
Anybody else remember the ecstatic mid-1980s in Austin? The gay club scene started — and sometimes ended — with 10-cent drink nights at the Boathouse (now Starlite). Then, when the elbowing at that deep, cool club grew tiresome, one tripped across the street to chilly Halls, an even larger disco with basement and patio, done up in the high-tech style of the moment (tubular metal, exposed mechanics, glass brick).
Now it’s reopening as a gay club called Kiss and Fly. Soft opening March 20, grand opening March 21, right in the middle of SXSW.
This changes things. Rain and Oilcan Harry’s continue to burn up West Fourth Street with high foot traffic. With a third large gay club — a fourth, Rainbow Cattle Company pulls a slightly different following and sits a bit west — Fourth and Colorado could become Austin’s gay mecca again. That could significantly affect gay visibility and culture. We look forward to reporting.
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Toast of the Town Fashion Show at Neiman Marcus
Small is all this season. Organizers have scaled back galas. Social events that formerly would have filled banquet rooms are now making do with domestic arrangements.
Debbie Novelli Farrell, Tobie Funte
For some causes, this is nothing new. Toast of the Town, which benefits the Neal Kocurek Scholarships, has subdivided its fundraisers for 25 years. This season, between April and May, 25 mini-parties are planned for private homes.
Cara Abazari, Lindsey McDonald
Nobody makes all of them (or do they?). Especially since each event comes with a different dress code. That would mean 25 new outfits for some fashionistas. So Toast of the Town threw a fashion show at Neiman Marcus on Tuesday to help match those sometimes fanciful codes (Texas Glamour, Golf Formal, etc.).
Nora Myint, Vivian Lee
The celestial Karen Landa, remembering that I had written a Glossy column about such codes, invited me to the event, and Robert Nash came along to multiply the male factor at the event significantly.
Stacey Parker, Christina Hester
Like so many NM events, it was pitched just right. Only sad note: the store’s accessories specialist Jamie Broadhurst is leaving to help open a new Orange County store. Jamie has some serious fans out there in fashion land. We wish him luck.
Karen Landa Jamie Broadhurst, Cindy Busby (Toast co-chair)
What of the fashions on display? Everybody knows that’s not my specialty. Although I will applaud the return of rich colors and “investment shopping,” the only kind I’ve done.
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O&A SXSW 1: Tip Jar
Tip Jar: Out & About had planned to cover 100 parties during the 10 days of SXSW. Not gonna happen. Not with these roasted gams. Yet your social columnist promises to post 100 juicy SXSW reports with your help. Send news tips, street anecdotes, celebrity sightings and party pics (only the best) to mbarnes@statesman.com and check my Facebook, Twitter and austin360.com blog accounts for updates on your own good reporting. It’s my party and I’ll post if I want to …
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Out & About Social Schedule for March 10
Dipping my (injured) toe back into the social waters today.
11 a.m. Toast of the Town Fashion Show at Neiman-Marcus
6 p.m. VIP Reception for editor Helen Thompson of Austin Monthly Homes at Kirk Gallery
Yes, that’s it.
