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On this episode of The Jeff Crilley Show, Jeff sits down with Shane Walker, stylist to the stars, along with Mad Hatters Tea chairs Reagan Pace and Sheridan Reeder, to preview one of Dallas’ most fashionable philanthropic traditions. The Mad Hatters Tea & Luncheon, founded in 1989, benefits A Woman’s Garden at the Dallas Arboretum—the only garden in the United States designed for women, dedicated to women, and funded by the work of women....
Jeff Crilley is a former news reporter, who spent more than 25 years in newsrooms across the country. He’s an Emmy Award winning journalist, who decided to make the jump from news in 2008, when he founded his own PR Firm, Real News Public Relations.
Today, the firm has more than 100 clients, and Jeff continues to tell the stories of interesting people he meets along the way.
These are those stories.
Coming up next on The Jeff Crilley Show, you're gonna meet three of the driving forces behind Mad Hatters. It's the fashion event of the year in Dallas. They've been doing it for many, years, and it's a party with a purpose. We'll explain next. Many are predicting that the worst is yet to come, which is unfortunate, said one person here. Until now, they've enjoyed the reputation of being the nation's icebox. Watched a burglar in his home this morning by webcam. As a journalist of over twenty five years, stories are what make my world turn. Reporting live from the Dallas Newsroom tonight, Jeff Crilley, Fox four news. But in 2008, I took the jump from my familiar life and started a PR firm from my home. We're talking about anyone with a camcorder like the one I'm using becomes a television network. We started slowly growing the company and we now have over a 100 clients and we've branched into the world of live digital broadcasting. I now own eight different TV studios and have a huge team. And the stories that I now get to share are sometimes the most important of my life. Life has a funny way of coming around full circle. This is The Jeff Crilley Show. Well, Dallas is known for fashion, but I can't think of a more fashionable affair in Dallas Fort Worth than Mad Hatters. They've been doing it for many, many years, and three of the driving forces are with me in the studio right now. Shane Walker, he's a stylist to the stars. Reagan Pace, she's a co chair, and Sheridan Reeder. Thank you all for coming in the studio. Okay. Let's take everybody back in time. So this event started how many years ago? 1989 was the first Mad Hatters. Yes. And it and everything goes to benefit a very special cause. Do you wanna talk about that, Reagan? Yes. Mad Hatters, we raise money for a woman's garden. And if you have been to our amazing Arboretum And Botanical Garden, The Woman's Garden is a three acre beautifully landscaped parcel of of that property, and it is spectacular. It is the only garden in The United States that is designed for women, dedicated to women, and funded by the work of women. Much more in a second. We're gonna pull up the website, and as we scroll down the website, this event is coming up very quickly. It's Friday, April 24. So, tell us what people can expect. Shane? You know, it it's it's such a fashionable event. It's it's really amazing, and you see literally everything. And these amazing ladies come up with these outstanding themes every year, and the guests really participate in the themes. It's gotten more competitive every year. So you will see a small fascinator to a huge derby hat. You may even see a birdcage on someone's, head, but they go all out, and there's no boundaries. It's just a really high fashionable event. And I love to see the community taking such part together. So it's really talented people on this. And staying with you for a second, Shane, you've been styling for fifteen years. Fifteen years? And you have some award winning, props here. Why don't you start with the one on your left? Okay. So, this red headpiece, we'll call it a headpiece, this was worn by, Mandy Vanilla last year. And she had a a beautiful red dress that went with it. And she just looked like this gorgeous, you know, little fairy in the, Arboretum, but she wore it quite well. It was beautiful, and it looked gorgeous on stage. So she won with this hat last year, and there's six categories. And, each category, you know, is a different theme, and we were real happy with Mandy. She wore it really well. And the one in the center? So the one in the center was, worn by Nicole Benson, and she's amazing. She wanted more of a derby style hat, you know, rural Kentucky Derby, big with the feathers, southern charm. So she wore that with a pink dress, and she looked she looked really beautiful too. We're showing, you know, hats in the past. We can't show any that are being worked on now because they are top secret until they walk into that beautiful Arboretum in Dallas. Yes. And then we have Mickey and Nick. Yes. Okay. So one year, I love the theme. It was Hollywood in the Gardens. You know, we always tie in the gardens with these amazing themes, and it was Hollywood in the garden. So we we saw Marilyn Monroe. We saw all these famous, you know, celebrities entering the garden. And, of course, Mickey and Minnie from Hollywood, they had to be there. And they were certainly there. My, friend Billy and I, we wore these hats, and, it was quite a show that day. It was really spectacular. Amazing. Sheridan, let's bring you in. Tell me why you got involved. Well, so Reagan and I met actually a couple of years ago through Anne Stodghill, who was the chair of Mad Hatters. So our friendship kind of flourished from there, and we've worked on a couple of charity events. And I love gardens. I'm very involved in gardening events around the city of Dallas, and, and I also love to throw a great party. So We've got some video from an event from a few years ago, but, this the the styles really don't change. So this looks like this could have been yesterday. Tell us about the different categories, Reagan. So this year, our theme is the art of the garden, which is really an homage to all of the amazing cultural institutions that we have in Dallas, and, each theme is a different art period. So we have masters of the renaissance. Our live floral category is the Rococo period. So think of Fragonard and, swings and flowers. Then we have the impressionist, that is our group category. Cubism, because we have to bring in some Picasso. Surrealism, which is really fun, we're really excited about. And finally, pop art, which is really just fun for everybody. Yes. We've got some video from the Dallas Arboretum, and, the Women's Garden is a very special place within the Arboretum, which is just one of the crown jewels of Dallas. This is the place, the Woman's Garden is where everybody has their wedding. Absolutely. Right? I mean, we can all picture those views. But what a beautiful gem, and, it it depends on philanthropy to support this, really, jewel of Dallas, doesn't it? Yes. The cost of the garden, the maintenance every year is about $250,000, so that's always our goal to maintain it and as well as the new installations that we're we're putting in that we keep adding every year. Alright. We're gonna pull up the Facebook page because this has a bunch of shots, I think, from last year. Shane, I I have to believe that, there's pressure on you every single year. There's always pressure. Outdo yourself. Yes. There's always pressure, you know, because like I said, it's gotten very competitive. But, you know, people make their hats. They have designers to do their hats. And it's just everyone coming together on such a wonderful artistic day to raise money for the community and the gardens. And people put a lot of art and their heart into this event, and I really love that. Tell me about the process when you're working with one of your clients. Do they are they very specific about what they want, or do they say, you do what you do, Shane? So some are very specific about what they want, and having these categories really help. Sometimes clients will pick their perfect category and say, just roll with it. A lot of times they'll send me a photo of their dress, their favorite shoes and then we'll just take it from there. But these ladies in Dallas can be pretty specific about what they want. And I just kinda turn, you know, their ideal into magic. And what does it feel like to win? It's a really good feeling to win because you get to walk the runway and everyone clap, claps and, you know, cheers for you. And there's a lot of photographs that appear in the publications and the honor of winning. And it's it's it is. It's a really great experience to win at Mad Hatters. Absolutely. Well, let's talk about the hats you're wearing today. Do you want to start? So this is a hat that I had, made for Royal Ascot a couple of years ago, and it is by House of McGregor. And It's beautiful. This is my first hat, and now I have a large collection of hats. So Alright. Reagan, how about you? This is this hat is actually my rider cap that just kind of reminds me of Mad Mad Hatters, and it's from Fleurs de Paris in New Orleans, which I love New Orleans, so I always take a swing by there when I come in, when I am in town. It's beautiful. I love it. Thanks. Alright. Shane, tell us about what you're wearing. Okay. So this hat, I made this hat for Easter last year. I I wore it to brunch and I thought I would get out of the closet today. So, you know, give it another spin. Not too many people have seen it. So, yeah, it's my spring Easter hat. You know? And some of these hats that, the ladies wear to Mad Hatters, they can wear them again. They can wear them to the Kentucky Derby or they can wear them to another event. You know? So you'll see everything there. You'll see your your, you know, hats that can be worn again. They're common, and then you'll see these outrageous, costume embellished hats. So Yes. It's a huge spectrum. And, tell us what people can, expect to experience. Is it a seated, lunch or dinner? Well, it's quite amazing. You know, when you walk into the Arboretum, all the beautiful flowers are blooming, and there's a reception Mhmm. Where they walk around and, have champagne or other drinks and appetizers. Then, that's when the hat judging goes on. So the ladies get to show off their hats and mingle and talk to the judges and and ex kind of explain, you know, where their ideal came from and give the judges a better idea of, you know, why they're wearing that. So it's a mix and mingle and hat judging, and and then they go into this incredible fashion show. And then after the well, kind of how are y'all doing it this year? Because they announced the judges before the show or after? Or So so this year, we actually are we're gonna sit for the fashion show first because we are so excited that we are gonna have the fashion show outside in a tasteful or in a tasteful place garden. And the designer this year actually, designed the dress that went with Shane's, winning hat. Her name is S. A. Ixenabor, Dallas' Own. So really excited to bring her on board for an outdoor fashion show this year. And is there still opportunity for people to sponsor? There are still opportunities for people to sponsor. We have limited amount of sponsorships left, but but we are very, very thankful for the sponsors we've had come in so far this year, and it looks like it's gonna be a great year. Wow. Can we have about, three minutes left? So I want each of you to give some final thoughts. Shane, do you wanna start? Well, if you haven't been to this event, I would highly encourage you going because it is really spectacular and fun. And those that have already been, we'll see you there. We can't wait to see the creativity you put into this. And it really is an amazing amazing event in Dallas. One of the most fashionable events you'll ever go to. So nothing to miss. Sheridan? I wanted to just mention that I'm so thankful for our sponsors this year. We're excited to have Lucy Reveal DJing the show, S. A. Xenobor doing the fashion show, and we have Planet Productions and Grow doing all of our installations. And then our my final detail is that Hunt Slonum, who is a famous artist, is installing his largest, like, installation in his career in the garden. So it will be in the garden during Mad Hatters. Wow. Alright. Reagan will give you the final word. Yes. I just wanna thank the Women's Council for giving Sheridan and I the opportunity to chair the event, and I've had a lot of fun working with her. And I hope that's reflected in in the luncheon, and I I really think it will be, and it's it's just been a lot of fun. And this year, we're also honoring Carol Anne Brown, who is the founder of the original the first Mad Hatters, and we have a special hat category for her. It's hat category seven, and it's best all around, best in show. Beautiful. Thank you all three for joining Thank on the show. We're gonna end with the website, so you can sponsor or get tickets. We're gonna put that on the screen right now. Thank you all for coming on the show. Thanks for having us. Like that. That's it for now. We'll see you next time.