Patricia Bonaldi Makes Personal Appearance at Tootsies

Brazilian designer Patricia Bonaldi marked her first American store appearance at Tootsies in Houston with a tropical-themed dinner party for a coterie of social influencers and style-savvy fans of her PatBo collection.

Bonaldi teamed with social media darling Lyndsey Zorich of The Avenue for the event, which kicked off with caipirinhas and ended with after-party dancing.

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When Bonaldi launched her line in 2017, Tootsies in Houston was one of the first retailers to snap up her colorful collection. Fast-forward two years, and Bonaldi chose the Texas store as the location for a personal appearance and party.

“Tootsies was one of the first stores who believed in me and bought my brand, so this is very special to me,” Bonaldi said. “I still produce all my clothes in my hometown and I am trying to translate my DNA to another public.”

The Gown Room at Tootsies was transformed into a lush playground for the invite-only crowd, who dined under a canopy of greenery at farmhouse tables that begged for Instagram pics. Bonaldi was in the social swirl herself, taking pictures for her own Instagram account.

An influencer in her own right with more than 1.3 million followers, Bonaldi was a late adopter of social media, skipping Facebook and Twitter in favor of the creativity of Instagram.

“I didn’t plan this with Instagram, but for me, it’s through the Internet that people can feel your personality,” Bonaldi said.

After the seated dinner, the party shopped the PatBo collection at the store and then hopped across the street to Armandos, an upscale Tex-Mex spot for dancing.

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