Patrons for the upcoming Mad Hatter’s Tea were treated to a private reception at the Preston Center boutique Nardos Imam for a preview of dresses that will be shown at the tea on April 9. The name may be relatively unknown now, but it will be fairly well known after next week’s event. The ladies were truly in awe of the beautiful creations.  

Nardos Imam was born and raised in the Northern African country of Eritrea. She obtained a degree in Fashion Design and Apparel. Since then, Nardos has gained international recognition with her luxury wedding dresses and continues to produce stunning pieces for her clientele.

From an early age, Nardos was enamored by the art of dressing. It was more than just a love of playing ‘dress up’, the then aspiring designer carefully watched how her mother, a successful seamstress, brought garments to life through her precise stitching. She would flip through vintage issues of Vogue and admire the craftsman of the garments that adorned the models. She would also take her mother’s fabric scraps and create gowns for her dolls; hoping to emulate the couture threads she saw in magazines.

Her philosophy is to find what’s beautiful in each individual woman, and celebrating that beauty by creating a gown that is unmistakably hers.

Celebrating its 27th year, the Mad Hatter’s Tea will be on Thursday, April 9 at the Dallas Arboretum. This fabulous and fun party has been an ongoing fundraising event sponsored by the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Monies raised grow and maintain A Woman’s Garden, a major garden at the Dallas Arboretum.

Sherwood Wagner is the Honorary Chair and Marena Gault serves as President of the Woman’s Council. FOX4 News Anchor Clarice Tinsley is the Celebrity Chair.                      

The event includes a champagne reception in Ginsburg Plaza, professionally staged and choreographed fashion presentation produced by the inimitable Jan Strimple, and followed by a seated luncheon. The fashion show will feature the creations of Betty Reiter, Canary, Nardos Imam, and V.O.D. 

A custom-designed piece of jewelry from David Lee Holland Fine Jewelry will be auctioned. David Lee Holland Fine Jewelry is the brainchild of designers David Lee Holland and Yanni Kyriazis who create botanically-themed jewelry.

Individual ticket levels begin at $250. Contact Evelyn Sandy 214-696-3311 sterlingrabbit@aol.com or purchase online at www.womenscouncildallasarboretum.org.