Black Tie & Tales 03.16.17

From best-dressed contests to baby announcements, here's the latest on the Sarasota social scene.

By Niki Kottmann
| 6:00 a.m. March 15, 2017

Doc Wallace (pictured with Masako Carlson and Haunani Wallace) found his custom cat bowtie on Etsy.com, which he wore proudly to Cat Depot' s Stop in the Name of Love Gala on March 11 at Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

Black Tie

Who was best dressed this season?

After more than 10 years, our Black Tie Standouts issue is back! We’re currently compiling a list of all our favorite fashion-forward black tie scenesters — basketball tournament style — and we want your input. Starting March 20, you can cast your vote at YourObserver.com/contests/BTBracket. There, you’ll see our picks for the top eight women and top eight men for best dressed of the 2016-2017 season. Cast your votes in three separate rounds as we narrow it down to the top four and top two in each category. Voting closes on March 31. We will announce the winners in our Black Tie Standouts special section May 4. Happy voting!

Doc Wallace found a custom bowtie on Etsy.com that he wore at the Cat Depot Gala on March 11 at Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Photo by Niki Kottmann

Tidbits

Lilly and George Buchanan helped Diana Buchanan spread the news about her baby girl due in June. Photo courtesy of Diana Buchanan

Baby momma-to-be … Diana Buchanan announced last week via Facebook (using an adorable photo of her children Lilly and George taking a break from eating cookies to pose with the ultrasound image of their future sister) that she and Matt Buchanan are expecting a baby girl this June … Feline fashion … We saw a lot of great outfits at Cat Depot’s Stop in the Name of Love Gala on March 11, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota, but we have to give Doc Wallace a special shoutout. He got his custom-made cat bowtie off Etsy.com and wore it with a proud smile while supporting his feline friends …

Stylist Kelly Chiesa transitioned Halle Olsen’s hair color from blonde to red using a balayage technique to create color variations of light and deep copper. Photo courtesy of Alicia King Robinson

(Potential) Award-winning hair, you should care ... Two Yellow Strawberry stylists were named finalists for a national cut and color contest last week. Kelly Chiesa and Devon McLaughlin are top 10 finalists in the Intercoiffure America/Canada’s Nouveau Creative Cut, Color and Texture Contest for which final winners will be announced at the Spring Atelier from April 1 - 3 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

Don’t miss your chance to be Wonder Woman

Tickets for Girl Power: The 29th Annual Girls Inc. Celebration Luncheon are going fast, so don’t forget to purchase them! The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 31, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Tickets can be purchased at girlsincsrq.org for $125. Call 366-6646, Ext. 211 for information.

Correction

The curriculum More Too Life founder Brook Bello spent 12 years creating to teach children about internet safety and to help them stay away from human traffickers was misidentified in last week’s People with Purpose. The correct name of the program for sixth- to 12th-graders is The Game Changer.