Asia Society’s Tiger Ball Paints The Town Red…And Gold While Setting Fundraising Record

Festive Décor, Cuisine And Guest Attire Are The Highlight Of The Enchanting Shanghai-Themed Gala

By Rob Giardinelli     Photography by Daniel Ortiz Photography

THE SCENE: The Asia Society Texas Center in Houston was the setting for one of the state’s most anticipated, beloved, and jaw-droppingly beautiful nonprofit fundraising events. Over 600 of the area’s most notable community leaders, sociables, patrons, and philanthropists turned out for the annual Tiger Ball benefiting the Asia Society Texas Center.

The night’s theme, Enchanting Shanghai, was a celebration of Chinese Culture and Asia as a whole. The crowd was on hand to honor longtime Asia Society Texas Center patrons Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron for their longtime support of the organization.

THE VIBE: The black-tie and international dress crowd featured a beautiful mix of traditional black-tie and traditional Asian ensembles. In the crowd one could spot all colors of the rainbow with reds and golds figuring the most prominently in honor of the night’s Enchanting Shanghai theme. The fun could be felt as guests got out of their cars in front of the Asia Society Texas Center and were greeted by Hanfu performers, who performed rhythmic drumming sets dressed in traditional Chinese attire.

Revelers then made their way to the stunning Aztec Events & Tents custom tent on the Asia Society Texas Center parking lot where many took a moment to pose for images in front of Chinese lanterns before heading inside the tent for cocktail hour. Jaws dropped as the crowd took in a stunning canopy of red flowers above the dance floor on one side and a series of experiential activations on the other.

After guests cozied up to the bar to grab their favorite cocktail of choice, they mingled while perusing an impressive set of approximately 30 live auction items that netted over $145,000. The most popular items up for bid included a Harry Winston Midnight Monochrome 32mm timepiece crafted in 18K rose gold, two tickets to the ARKIS runway show in Paris during Paris Fashion Week, and a private tour for six people of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Japanese art collection with Dr. John Carpenter.

The back half of the tent then opened up to guests so they could take their seats for dinner. Before heading into the tent, many stopped to take a second keepsake image on a red carpet draped with florals of various shades of red. Once inside the tent, viewers were in awe of what they saw.

The tent was transformed into a wonderland that brought the outside in courtesy of trees on The Asia Society Texas Center campus that were incorporated into the tent, with red Bougainvillea blossoms tied to the tree branches. Jaws dropped as patrons moved further into the space…and to their seats, which was dotted with drapes, lighting, and floral décor in various shades of red by the talented team at Prashe Décor.

Once seated, partygoers enjoyed great conversation with friends old and new for a delectable, multi-course meal courtesy of City Kitchen. The crowd was each provided with a box of Harry Winston chocolates to take with them to enjoy at a later date and serve as a pleasant reminder of the evening.

The action then moved up to the front part of the tent for dessert and dancing. While some headed to the decadent dessert table for various desserts to satisfy their sweet tooth, others took to the dance floor as revelers partied the night away courtesy of DJ Alx of Karma DJs, capping off a fabulous night of fundraising, those fortunate enough to be a part of will not soon forget.

THE NON-PROFIT: The 2025 Tiger Ball: Enchanting Shanghai was co-chaired by Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Rishi and Michelle Varma, with Nancy C. Allen, Anne and Albert Chao and Margaret Alkek Williams serving as honorary chairs. The event raised a record-breaking $1.73 million for the Asia Society Texas Center. Proceeds raised from the event will benefit the Asia Society Texas Center’s vast array of over 150 public programs each year.

The 2026 Tiger Ball: Celebrating Taiwan will be held on March 6, 2026. Visit AsiaSociety.org/Texas now to learn more on how to be a part of this fabulous event.