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Carolyn at the 2008 Philanthropy World Hall of Fame Gala
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Houston Chronicle, Feb. 28, 2008FACES IN THE CROWD / Business owner is behind city's best-dressed tables / Francesca Nilsen has switched from designing geology tools to home items By REBECCA MAITLAND, Houston Chronicle Correspondent FUNDRAISERS, galas and other major events in Houston were seemingly changed overnight when Francesa Nilsen opened Distinctive Details, a table linen rental company in 1994. "When people walk into a gala, a wedding reception or any event, it is that first impression which sets the tone of the event," she said. Setting the tone is putting it mildly, according to the chairs and co-chairs of nonprofit fundraisers and event planners she has worked for 15 years. Socialite Carolyn Farb agrees it is in the details, including the table linens that make the overall event successful. "Francesa never limits her horizons," Farb said. "Working with her is a great adventure to find just the right look. She is a major part in creating the magic and fun of a fundraiser. She helps create the theme to build on." Part of that creation is high-quality linens in different designs and colors, as well as complementary chair covers, chargers and napkins. Chi-Mei Lin, executive director of the Chinese Community Center, said his agency had always used standard hotel linens until he was introduced to Distinctive Linens through Farb. "When we walked into the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel the night of our event, there was a wow factor, the room was spectacular," Lin said. "The linens, chair covers, chargers and napkins all created an elegant evening. It made a difference to all who attended. "We would not have had the spectacular evening that we had if Francesca had not worked with us on the budget." Nilsen designs linens and complete table ensembles for galas, events, weddings and fundraisers. She often underwrites nonprofits' fundraisers or provides discounts to ensure the event's success. "There are so many highly respected nonprofits here in Houston, all raising funds for very important causes," she said. "I think it is important to give back, and I am honored to give back to a community that welcomed my daughter and I with open arms." Nilsen, who resides in Spring, graduated in 1981 from the University of Hartford with a degree in mechanical engineering. She went to work for Baker Hughes, an oilfield services company, in 1984. "I was designing tools that read the geological formations in the ground. I was transferred to Houston in 1992," Nilsen said. While decorating her home, she made a decorative table runner out of a peach brocade fabric. She decided to use her passion for decorating and sense of style with fabrics and open a business. After months of marketing a line of home accessories to no avail, a local caterer suggested she market her products, which consisted of rich damasks and brocades, to the linen rental industry. "In my research I found Houston did not have a high-end linen rental company," Nilsen said. She started Distinctive Details in 1994, and it grew to become one of the most successful companies of its nature in the state. "Houston was hungry to upgrade their (special) events and those planning events were thrilled to have choices. Business started booming and the inventory grew at an alarming rate," Nilsen said. Even though Nilsen would like to say "the rest is history," she said there were a number of challenges the first couple of years. "I just didn't give up," she said. "This was my dream and so I kept going and now everything has come full cycle." Nilsen, a single mother, is again creating home accessories. She has designed a standardized chair cover that she will sell through a second business, Pineapple Linens. It will open in the spring, also on West Alabama. "One of the many things I love is bike riding," Nilsen said. "One day I was out on my bike and came across a couple of Parsons chairs in the trash, which gave me the idea to cover them without recovering them." With the chairs in mind, she began walking through furniture stores, measuring chairs' seats, heights and widths. "I knew I could come up with a standardized chair cover," she said. "Plus, I wanted it to look good and not like it was a potato sack on a chair. I found the answer and wondered why someone hadn't come up with this before." The patented two-piece chair treatments will fit 95 percent of all dining chairs, she said. The chair cover resembles a wraparound skirt. There is a loop hole to pull the belt through to close it for a good fit, which is why the skirt fits most chairs. And the belt ties in the back to add a whimsical touch. "For once, people can change their dining room almost instantly and at a low cost, simply by using the coverings," Nilsen said. "This design fits almost all table chairs, dining and kitchen. What is even more exciting is the chair covering is two pieces so people can cover the whole chair, just add a seat cover or just add color by covering the top of the chair. "We have many designs and fabrics in inventory, or we can do custom orders." She is excited about the inventory for the new business. "Here I am, back to where I started, creating home accessories, which I am very excited about," Nilsen said. Since her chair covers have hit her showroom, she has been giving back to her loyal customers by covering their dining room chairs free of charge. "This is just my way to say thank you to those who have made it possible for me to give back, not only to the nonprofits but also to the community," Nilsen said. |
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Carolyn Farb At Premiere Of Charlie Wilson's WarFor more Information [click here] |
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Carolyn Farb received the JPMorgan Chase Lifetime Achievement Award. |
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Carolyn Farb in Weekend AmericaThe wealthy suburb of River Oaks is home to an energetic social scene, and recent scandals are not slowing it down. This is the busiest time of year--the holiday charity gala season. Reporter Michael May takes a peek. - - - At the Chinese Community Center Gala, the men are in tuxes, the women in impossibly high heels and the fundraisers in top form. They're looking for people with fat checkbooks, but a reporter with a microphone will do. I get pitches for building statues of Socrates in China, UNICEF and the Chinese Community Center itself. This kind of talk fills the days and nights of Carolyn Farb. She's the divorced widow of a real estate tycoon, but she's now better known as Houston's "First Lady of Philanthropy." She claim's she's in her 50s, and she looks glamorous. Tonight she works the crowd wearing an elaborate, cascading Chinese headdress that frames her blonde hair and perfect makeup. "Have you seen Yao Ming's father?" she asks one woman. "He's very young- looking. In fact, he's better looking than his son!" Carolyn, more than anyone else, has defined the Houston charity gala for the past three decades. The evening begins with a silent auction, a fundraising tool that Farb introduced to Houston. Then guests are seated at large round tables and try to chat over speeches by politicians, oil executives and a performance by a mariachi band singing in Chinese. Carolyn receives a lifetime achievement award during a dinner of filet minon and crab cakes. A video about her life plays for the crowd. "The world is showbiz, you gotta stand up and shout," she later says. "Look at Donald Trump, he's showbiz and he's in real estate." Carolyn is not simply a fundraiser—she also gives her own money. And she knows what motivates her fellow rich Houstonians: praise. UNICEF's John Tsacrios says that's okay. "There's a lot of anonymous giving in other parts of the country. In Houston, people like to be known. And I think it's good to be known. I think it's important for people to know that people they look up to are giving. They're role models. I think a showy giving is a good giving," he says. Houston charities depend a lot on showy giving. And some donors depend as much on being seen as role models. Although it wasn't enough to keep him out of jail, oil billionaire Oscar Wyatt still has a great reputation around town as a man of charity. Mimi Swartz is a writer for "Texas Monthly" and a long-time observer of the Houston social scene. She misses the days when Houston's rich were wild and eccentric. Now they shuffle from one gala to another. "They all look the same, act the same. You're not going to have the days when you had someone like Joanne Herring. She threw a party and had a Boy Scout troop dress like Nubian slaves. That's never going to happen again, and I think that's sad," she says, laughing. Swartz remembers when Carolyn Farb was also part of that world. Back in the 1970s, her then-husband, real estate investor Harold Farb, opened a night club just so he could sing on stage. But through her relentless attention to one cause after another, Carolyn has reinvented herself as a woman of taste and compassion. Barely 12 hours since the last gala, Carolyn is at it again, this time at an opulent luncheon for the Houston AIDS Foundation. Until Carolyn turned her attention to it, AIDS was not on the list of trendy causes in Houston. Now the foundation is officially a couture charity. Carson Kressley from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is the celebrity guest, flirting with the big donors-and everyone. "My, that's a big microphone you have. Or are you just glad to see me?" he says as he approaches. Kressley speaks at these kinds of events across the country, but he says the organizers in Houston are special. "What's different in Texas is that this is like a job for these ladies. We just finished lunch, and they're already talking about next year. It's like, 'What are we going to do next year?'" Later that day, I meet Carolyn Farb at her large, art-filled home in the wealthy suburb of River Oaks. She tells me she just sold a Frida Kahlo painting for a record price. Carolyn's still wearing her gown and leopard-spotted wrap, but she looks tired. She can't count all the galas she's attending this season. "Do I like to stand with four hours in the evening in high heels at these events and schmooze?" she asks. "Sometimes I don't. But it's part of the thing. You've gotta make them glad that they came. Be appreciative of their support. Be the guiding light. Show them the way."
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Remembering Luciano Pavarotti by Maestro William Weibel of Opera In the Heights
In one’s lifetime, there are instances that are inexplicable. One such instance happened to me during the night when I awoke from sleep and knew that Luciano Pavarotti had died. I cannot explain this but surely, there is some higher power reaching out to bring important news to your soul. This was confirmed when very early this morning I received phone call advising Pasquina and I that Luciano had passed away at 5:00 AM Italian time. A lifelong friend, Godfather to my two sons’, a colleague and a man of immense generosity to those close to him, an epoch of my life comes to a close. I am deeply, deeply saddened. For over forty years, since we first met in a cold loft in Australia as an unknown tenor, to the man who became the property of the world, we remained close. From the first time I heard him open his mouth to sing the opening strains of L’Elisir D’amore, it was a thrill that brought tears to one’s eyes to think that such a sound could come from one human being. It was my privilege to conduct his first performances of his preferred role of Nemorino along with unforgettable performances of Traviata, Sonnombula and Lucia di Lammermoor. His performances of Elvino in La Sonnombula (a role he never sang in the U.S) still ring in my ears, as something never equaled again in my operatic experience. It is hard to fathom that His Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne was only about one quarter full for his first performance. No one knew who he was. After all, all the fuss was over Joan Sutherland who was making her triumphant return to her native country. Word travels fast in Operatic Circles and after that, first performance the theatre was standing room only from then on. Luciano was generous with his talent. Encores in most theatres today are unheard of but Luciano was not against giving his public what they wanted. How many times he would repeat an aria for his public when they clamored for more. Luciano was a simple man with simple tastes. When we first met, he was a svelte 180 pound six foot plus handsome man who loved to cook. He had a little electric stovetop in his hotel room and his wife and I would cook the most wonderful Italian food on this make shift kitchen. These are times one never forgets. When I came back to the United States I immediately asked for an appointment with the then General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, Rudolf Bing and told him about Pavarotti. I begged him to get in touch with a man I was certain would take New York by storm. He said he would look into it. A few weeks later, I was called into his office and he informed me that his European agent, a Mr. Robert Bauer, had informed him that “Mr. Pavarotti”, as he put it, “was not Metropolitan Opera material” What does that tell you. Well, you do not argue with your boss so I let it go. Some weeks later, the Met was in need and Mr. Robert Herman, and then Artistic administrator at the Met asked me about Pavarotti. I had the pleasure to tell him that he was not available but was singing Manon at La Scala. How they were not aware of this I cannot tell you. The following year he made his debut at the Met and as they say, the rest is History. Pasquina and I have lost a wonderful human being from our lives. Luciano is irreplaceable in our existence and in the lives of the world. I could not let his death pass without a few words. Life goes on but it will never be the same without our “Beloved Luciano”. Addio, Caro Luciano. William M. Weibel Artistic Director Opera in the Heights |
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Carolyn's PSA to save the River Oaks Theatre with DJ Natalie Evans
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| UNICEF HOUSTON RESPONDS TO PERU EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS
UNICEF Raises Funds to Provide Support and Relief to Devastated Region HOUSTON (August 21, 2007) – According to the latest official report issued by Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) the death toll from last week’s earthquake has risen to 503 dead and 1,042 injured. In addition, 34,410 houses and four hospitals were destroyed. In response to this disaster, The Texas Chapter of UNICEF has mobilized to raise US$100,000 to provide emergency support and relief to these victims in the form of water-purification tablets, water containers, oral rehydration tablets and water tankers. To date the chapter has raised US$44,000 toward its goal. “We must act now. Human life is at stake. We can save lives with your generosity. There are urgent needs to provide supplies, to give children and their families clean water, medical support and comfort,” said UNICEF Regional Board Chair, Dr. Carolyn Farb, h.c., who went on to say “UNICEF has the commitment, infrastructure and the courage and passion of its field workers to save lives. The children of Peru are in a state of chaos from the earthquake, and it is up to all of us to open our hearts.” In addition to a mass appeal to all local UNICEF supporters and the community-at-large, UNICEF was the beneficiary of an event at Josephs Shoe Boutique hosted by Shirley and Alfred Wexner in the Highland Village Shopping Center. The renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman made a guest appearance and all funds are going directly to aid the children of Peru who have been affected by the earthquake. UNICEF’s representative for Peru, Dr. Guido Cornale, stated that “an immediate response is essential in order to prevent diarrhea in children, which is quite frequent when entire neighborhoods collapse, no safe water is available and sanitary conditions are very limited.” In view of such circumstances, UNICEF has already supplied 90,000 chlorine tablets, 540 large plastic containers with lids and faucets, 300 chlorine measuring devices and 20,000 DPD tablets which will help provide safe drinking water to the affected children and families. UNICEF said these actions were just the beginning of its support for the relief effort. Over the next two weeks UNICEF will also be working closely with state and national officials to provide US$200,000 for the response phase and approximately US$300,000 for the reconstruction phase. John M. Tsacrios, Jr. |
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Carolyn Farb was recently named a trustee to the Board of the American Film Institute. And, she has been named Chair of the Board for UNICEF. |
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March 12, 2007 |
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Fendi's Texas Turn Friday, March 09, 2007 (HOUSTON) Fendi made its first foray into the city of Houston Wednesday with company president Gianluca Flore and Carolyn Farb hosting an intimate luncheon at Barbara Smith’s chic Alden Hotel for the city’s most stylish and philanthropically minded ladies. Ninety women bought tickets to attend the affair, which benefited UNICEF and featured a specially curated Fendi trunk show of runway fashions, rare bags, and accessories not sold in the U.S. outside of New York and Los Angeles, as well as a spring/summer fashion show. Fendi transformed the venue into a Roman garden, substituting statues with product displays of its covetable merchandise. Over a lavish, Ryan Pera-prepared meal of chilled asparagus vinaigrette, lump crab, curried chicken salad, and lemon ice box pie, Flore noted that while Fendi’s presence in the city has trailed behind its counterparts, many of whom have debuted flagships here in recent years, that’s all about to change. “Wednesday’s luncheon marked the beginning of Fendi’s new relationship with the hospitable city of Houston,” he said. “Our renovated 2,100-sq.-ft. Peter Marino-designed Galleria store, which will reopen this summer, will finally accommodate the entire Fendi collection. I arrived in Houston a Roman, but after the luncheon, I left a Texan.”
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Gianluca Flore and Carolyn Farb |
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HOUSTON DYNAMO TROPHY BABE! (click here for article) Dr. Carolyn Farb, hc
Carolyn Farb personifies the perfect volunteer and the true meaning of a philanthropist. Her life exemplifies public service and is an example of the power of one individual's commitment to a cause. In 1983, Carolyn received international recognition when she raised the first million dollars in a single evening for the Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research. Carolyn was most recently honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award and named the first Cadillac Texas Legend by the Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV. For the last twenty years, she has dedicated her talent, creativity and wisdom to chair several campaigns for UNICEF raising $15 million dollars benefiting the children of the world and the AIDS pandemic. She has authored two books: "How to Raise Millions, Helping Others, Having a Ball" and "The Fine Art of Fundraising," which are available on Amazon.com. Carolyn wanted to congratulate the Houston Dynamo from The Vale-Asche Foundation Playground which opened December, 2006 in Memorial Park. This first of its kind "inclusive playground" will offer all of Houston's children equal play opportunities regardless of their abilities.
DIANE VON FURSTENBURG
CAROLYN CHAIRS UNICEF EVENT 002 Magazine, June 2006 Carolyn Farb chaired the second annual gala helping raise $500,000 for UNICEF programs that provide care and support for orphans made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Grammy songstress Michelle Williams provided the entrertainment along with award-winning composer Richard Sherman.
CAROLYN HONORED Carolyn has been honored as a Cadillac Legend. Watch the Cadillac Legends show on KHOU Channel 11, Saturday, June 17th at 2pm and Sunday, June 18th at 1:30pm. Read the PDF here or watch the promo here. KINKY FOR GOVERNOR Friends of Kinky Friedman for Governor can go directly to www.kinkyfriedman.com and contribute to his becoming the first independent governor for the state of Texas in 150 years. We need your support!
Playgrounds without Limits opened on December 16 , 2006 and is named – "The Vale-Asche Foundation Playground". >>MORE
AFTER A FASHION FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE ...it was just a prelude to our visit to Houston to see the divine Carolyn Farb in her stage debut in Die Fledermaus. >> MORE CAROLYN DONATES PAPERS TO U of H Carolyn has donated her papers to the Special Collection of University of Houston Libraries for research and study. >> MORE
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Down in Houston Lana Marks launched the first ever American exhibition of Lana Marks’ Jeweled Red Carpet Cleopatra Clutch which has been worn to every Academy Awards since 2004 by the likes of Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron. This collection of unique handbags is valued at a million dollars. The event which benefited the lifesaving programs of UNICEF was chaired by Dr. Carolyn Farb and Donna Speer. Nidhika and Pershant Mehta opened their gorgeous memorial home for the luncheon and fashion show.
I lived a number of years in Houston over the course of my life but definitely not the Houston I've spent time in over the last few years. Friday, I entered the gaping maw of Houston High Society – a fascinating mix of nouveau and old-veau – to attend the Houston Grand Opera Imperial Ball. My friends Doug and Jennifer Bosch, owners of the swank Inn at Dos Brisas near Chappell Hill, Texas, had invited me to be at their table for the event, and I jumped at the chance. Of course, I'd be nothing without a photographer following me, so I arranged for my paparazzo, Seabrook, to accompany me. He was shacked up at the residences at the Four Seasons, which truly is the hub of transient luxury in Houston, but I stayed at my hosts' swank River Oaks spread. The dress code for the event was "International White Tie," which meant white tie, white vest, white shirt, black tailcoat, and trousers. But the addition of the word "international" meant that you could also wear the formal wear of your native country. Hmmm. What on earth to wear? Naturally, I couldn't abide some preset dress code, but did I have something grand enough for the occasion? I considered all the glittery Versaces, brocade vests, and formal jackets in my closet and wasn't pleased with any of the ensembles I tried. Then I remembered something I'd heard about people actually renting clothes for an evening. Rented clothes? Hmmm. How did I feel about that? Well, I do a lot of shopping for vintage on eBay, so could that be so different? Clearly not, since Al's Formal Wear on Guadalupe and 29th had great service and a kickass white duster coat and pants by Ecko, that I restyled into a dandyish riverboat gambler look by wearing black cowboy boots, a black silk shirt, a black jewel at my throat, a large white fan with black Chinese lettering on it, and all the jewelry I could carry. But the coup de grace of the outfit was the pair of Roberto Cavalli sunglasses that Jennifer gave me – huge, dark lenses adorned with jeweled black and silver snakes. They are the sunglasses to end all sunglasses, and suddenly, all doubts about my outfit melted away. Dear friend and former Austinite Mark Sullivan, who has just left Houston's Studio Communications and formed his own On the Mark Communications, was my escort for the evening (he did have the proper attire, of course). Along with our hosts and two other couples, we embarked on the limousine ride from hell. Upon entering the car, the driver was given specific instructions to enter the Wortham Center on the Texas Avenue side. But upon seeing the line of limos debarking Houston's royalty, the driver unilaterally made the decision to drop us at the back entrance to the Imperial Ball. Excuse me? Back entrance? Sorry, Rudy, but the point is to be in that line of limos. Rudy then compounded his error by trying to turn around on the Allen Parkway, which meant that we practically had to drive back to River Oaks. But we made our grand entrances at last, and grand they were, with trumpeters in knee breeches, a grand procession, and pretense galore. The lovely Dr. Carolyn Farb and her date were at our table – a primo position at the corner of the dance floor, and Mark was sitting next to me. Directly across the dance floor sat Mark's partner, Ceron (the hairdresser in Houston), with his escort, Diane Lokey Farb – the other Mrs. Farb. Ah, the complexities of polite society... Dinner was abysmal: They served potpie, and you could practically see the empty Swanson boxes stacked up in the kitchen. The entertainment was interesting and brief, and the afterparty was dreadful except for the desserts. We had a great time nonetheless; sometimes dire circumstances bring out the best in everyone. Not to mention the fact that Houstonians came out of the woodwork to find out who I was. My favorite moment was when the general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue in Houston sent an emissary to fetch me to their table and explain exactly who I was. I loved that, and they loved me. By the end of the night, I'd shaken so many hands, my paw began to swell up, but a late-night party that included the divine chef Robert del Grande of Cafe Annie and his incredible wife, Mimi, ended the evening sublimely. Sunday, we moved on to the Inn at Dos Brisas (www.dosbrisas.com), but we'll tell you about that another time.
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