Photo courtesy of Bludoor Studios.
By Linden Wilson
8 community membersbrsetting the standard for style & substance
What is a stylish person? The traditional definition ofbrstyle is the manner in which a person does something — the way he or shebrdresses, talks, moves or fashions their hair. A stylish person is fashionable,bryet also well-spoken, driven and humble. The eight people on the followingbrpages are the very essence of what it means to be stylish. They are full ofbrpersonality, hear and humor. Each has made a significant impact on thebrNortheast Tarrant County community, whether they own a successful business,brmanage a charity that puts smiles on children's faces or represent the finestbrin local music. They are the tastemakers of their respective industries. Andbrwhether they're dressed in T-shirts and jeans or luxurious couture, they alwaysbrlook good doing what they do best.
Bruce Schultz
With rich wood paneling, a pool table, chessboard and roomybrlounge, The Boardroom Salon for Men feels more like a fantastic man cave than abrhair salon — and owner Bruce Schultz designed it that way. Seeking an exit frombrthe corporate world several years ago, Bruce decided to explore a new businessbrmodel that offered a bit more creativity. After reading an article about men'sbrgrooming, he knew he had discovered the perfect concept. In 2004, The Boardroombropened its first location in Southlake Town Square.
“It's modeled after a cool 1920sbrcountry club, with the idea of an annual membership where you pay one price andbrcome as often as you want, so you feel like it's your place,” Bruce explains.br“Come in, see your friends, really get to know our team, and have it be yourbrescape from the hectic pace of daily life.”
Several elements of the salon are abrdirect reflection of Bruce's business background, like its name (“Everyone inbrthe business world aspires to go to the boardroom, whether it's to meet the CEObror close a deal,” he says), as well as haircut and spa service packages namedbrThe Benchmark, The Executive, The CEO and The Chairman.
Today, The Boardroom has 14 salonsbracross Texas, including Austin, San Antonio and throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.brThis year will also see the salon's first out-of-state locations in Nashville,brDenver and Washington, D.C. When he's not busy expanding his successfulbrfranchise, Bruce says he still likes to dress the part.
“I like to wear jeans, a shirt andbrjacket — casual but professional. I always try to portray the image of what ThebrBoardroom is about: looking great and feeling confident.”
Carlos Arevalo
In the mid-1980s, Carlos Arevalo arrived in the UnitedbrStates from El Salvador and took his first job as a dishwasher at Number 1brPearl Street Oyster Bar in Dallas. After years of expanding his culinarybrresume, he procured a sous chef position at Cool River Café in Las Colinas,brunder Bob Stephenson. The two became fast friends, working together 14 yearsbrbefore opting to open their own restaurant.
It took abrwhile to find the perfect location, Carlos says, but come August of this year, FnGbrEats will celebrate two years of business nestled in the heart of Keller TownbrCenter. FnG's menu features dishes you would typically cook at home, with anbrupscale touch, and it changes seasonally. One of Carlos' favorites? The hickorybrgrilled chicken and seven-cheese baked penne pasta, prepared with two differentbryet equally delicious sauces. FnG is also one of just three restaurants in thebrDFW Metroplex to own a cobra tower, used to chill spirits for mixing frozenbrdrinks. The restaurant is extremely supportive of the Keller community and is involvedbrwith groups including the Keller Farmers Market, Keller Arts Foundation, KellerbrParks and Recreation and more.
Afterbrliving the fast-paced life in Dallas, Carlos moved to “calm, small-town” Keller,brwhere he lives with his wife, 16-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son. Hebrspends six days a week in his chef whites, but Carlos says his typical off-dutybruniform is a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.
“I like tobrbe very comfortable,” he says with a laugh. “My wife says I would look good inbrthis or that, but I'm not a very fancy person.”
Carmen Evans
Houston native Carmen Evans moved to Nashville when shebrturned 30, but a change in her husband David's career brought her back to Texasbrin 2001. After settling into Southlake life, Carmen attended her first Art inbrthe Square in 2002 and was addicted from the moment she arrived.
“I justbrknew I had to be a part of it,” she says. “I joined the Southlake Women's Club,brserved on its board in various capacities and worked with Dorothy Wood on Art in the Square sponsorship from 2004brto 2006.”
Carmen's resume doesn't end there:brShe eventually took over beer and wine and all other beverages from Larry andbrPaula Marshall. In 2008, she co-chaired Art in the Square with Barb Cohen.brAfter taking a small departure from sponsorship, she resumed her sponsorship chairbrposition in 2010 and has remained there ever since. Carmen has also servedbron the HEB hospital gala and the Baylor women's luncheon fundraiser. She'sbrcurrently working with the Arts Council Northeast Triple Crown Affair, whichbrwill be held the weekend after Art in the Square.
While her philanthropic endeavorsbrkeep her schedule packed, Carmen still manages to find time to get away with herbrhusband or her girlfriends. This past winter alone, she traveled to SanbrFrancisco, Austin, Maine and New Orleans — with one particular thing on herbragenda.
“I like tobrdo my shopping when I'm out of town,” she says. “I can find clothes andbraccessories that people don't have here.”
Kaela Sinclair
Indie rock, kind of funky but classy — that's how musician KaelabrSinclair describes her personal style, and it couldn't be more on point. Thebrred-haired beauty (it's naturally brown, but after letting a friend experimentbron it four years ago, she's grown it love it and continues to dye it herself)brcounts Nordstrom, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters as her go-to shops. Shebralso prefers to explore lesser-known boutiques in search of unique finds.
“From timebrto time, I try to go get something from a thrift shop or consignment — somethingbrthat I normally couldn't afford, like a really cool coat,” she says.
The Floridabrnative, who graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in jazzbrvoice, is currently relishing the success of her debut album, Sun & Mirror, released this pastbrOctober. The Fort Worth Star-Telegramdubbed it the best local album of 2013, and iTunes even chose to feature Kaelabras a best new artist for a time.
She still lives in Denton, but Kaelabrspends much of her time in Southlake, where she teaches voice, piano, guitar,brmusic theory and songwriting to young kids at Hall Music Productions. She's alsobrperformed gigs at music venues all around Dallas-Forth Worth, including ThreebrLinks, The Prophet Bar and Club Dada in Deep Ellum, Dan Silverleaf in Dentonbrand Lola's in Fort Worth. Kaela will perform at this year's Art in the Squarebrfestival, where she's set to take the stage with another DFW artist and goodbrfriend, Jessie Frye.
Dixie Davis
She might not consider herself a fashionable person, butbrDixie Davis knows a thing or two about the sparkly, shiny things that light upbrlittle girls' eyes. The owner and CEO of Sweet and Sassy created the one-stopbrshop for salon and spa services serving preteen girls back in 2004 when the firstbrlocation opened in Southlake Town Square. Now, the trendsetting retail shop canbrbe found throughout Texas and in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey,brMissouri, Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Colorado. This month, Sweetbrand Sassy is opening a store in Brazil.
Dixiebrrecalls coming up with the name Sweet and Sassy after discovering a similarbrstore geared towards boys. “I thought sweet and sassy perfectly describedbreverything that young girls are,” she says. “It was difficult to convince BrianbrStebbins and Frank Bliss of the store's concept, but now we're celebrating ourbr10-year anniversary this summer.”
Frombrhaircuts and mani/pedis to ear piercings and makeover packages, the brainchildbrof Dixie Davis is the ultimate destination for girls' birthday parties orbrsimply a fun weekend of sweet and sassy pampering.
Alton Wells
On Aug. 14, 1997, Southlake motorcycle policeman Alton Wellsbrwas involved in an on-duty accident that severely broke his neck, back,brclavicle and ribs. The trauma also pushed his sternum into his heart, rupturingbrthe pericardial sac. CareFlighted to Texas Health Harries Methodist Hospital,brAlton nearly died twice in the helicopter. Yet all of his physical injuriesbrwere nothing compared to the brain injury he suffered.
“Thebrhardest part was cognitive rehab,” Alton says. “With physical rehab, you canbrsee that you are getting stronger. But for a while, I couldn't read, write orbrtell time. You could hold up a dime, and I would know it was a dime butbrcouldn't say how much it was worth.”
Doctorsbrtold Alton he'd never ride a motorcycle again. However, following a year ofbrrecovery, he was back on his beloved Harley. In the aftermath of his ordeal, Altonbrbegan thinking about what he could do to help others. After his close friendbrand fellow motorcycle officer, Robert, passed away from a brain tumor in Augustbrof 2007, Alton gathered with Southlake resident Kevin Howell, Keller officer MikebrNorris and Dallas Stars Stanley Cup winner Craig Ludwig to found Spokes4Hope, abrnonprofit dedicated to gifting bicycles to underprivileged children. Thebrcharity works closely with organizations throughout Northeast Tarrant County,brincluding Keller Williams Realty, Gateway Church, Sam Pack Five-Star Ford, TexasbrHarley-Davidson in Bedford, Bank of the West, Frost Bank, Goodyear Tire andbrBlagg Tire and Service. Tri Dal offers Spokes4Hope trucking services, while Cabela'sbrand Feed Store BBQ (Alton's favorite place to eat) have both offered theirbrservices for the charity's fundraising events.
“It'sbrincredible to see the outreach people do,” Alton says. “Children from advocacybrcenters who have been brought into the system have already been taken away frombrtheir home. They have nothing. From the police aspect, I'm looking at futurebrchoices that child might make. Bikes might not be a big thing to most people,brbut to a kid, it's a little bit of freedom.”
Holly Morgan
Sixteen-year-old Holly Morgan has successfully placed higher in local and state scholarshipbrpageants, having won the titles of Miss Ellis County, Miss TarrantbrCounty and this year, Miss Southlake Teen. This June, she's set to compete forbrMiss Texas. However, the blond beauty didn't enter the pageant world for thebrglitz and the glam. When Holly was in sixth grade, two of her friends confidedbrin her about being bulimic.
“It wasbrscary to me because they were so young,” she says. “That's when I reallybrstarted thinking about creating a platform. Once I got involved with the MissbrAmerica organization, I developed BLING. It stands for body love in the newbrgeneration, and my goal is to help people understand that different people inbrdifferent ways are unique.”
Miss America promotes fourbrdifferent points: style, scholarship, success and service, which is Holly'sbrpersonal favorite because she feels like the crown acts as a tool to go out andbrserve. She recently had the opportunity to speak about her platform at a women'sbrconference.
“It was so incredible because allbrof the women came up to me afterward and told me how touched they were and howbrmuch my words meant to them,” she says. “It just really inspired me to go outbrand serve more.”
In addition to spreading the wordbrabout her mission, Holly aspires to receive an undergraduate education atbrPepperdine University, followed by a business degree from Harvard. She even hasbran idea about what career path she'd like to pursue.
“Growing up, I've always been reallybrinterested in weddings. I'm very artsy, and I love details, so I would love tobrbe a wedding and event coordinator.”
Mike Mills
Mike Mills and his wife, Sheri, grew up just south of Dallasbrin DeSoto, but after meeting at the Byron Nelson golf tournament in 1997 andbrgetting married two years later, they selected Southlake as the place to callbrhome.
“We werebrready to have kids, so we picked Southlake because of the school system,” Mikebrsays. “We liked how, much like DeSoto, Southlake is a one-school town. Everyonebrfeeds into the same place, and you get that sense of community.”
Communitybris a big part of the couple's life. Last year, they chaired the GRACE Gala, andbrSheri is currently running uncontested for the CISD school board. Mike, a current member of the Southlake KiwanisbrClub, spends his days protecting families' valuable assets as presidentbrof Mike Mills Wealth Management.
Prior to his career, Mike served inbrthe Air Force. In December of 1995, his life took a drastic turn. While in SanbrAntonio, Mike was heading to Lackland Air Force Base on his motorcycle when hebrwas involved in an accident.
“Any organ you need on the inside,brI messed up, including my spleen, kidneys, gall bladder,” he says. “I had abrcompound femur fracture, so I have a hole in my leg where it just popped out.brThe accident wiped out all my blood, so they basically had to refill my bloodbrsupply.”
The day of his wreck, he weighedbr220 pounds. After swelling post-skin grafts, the number rose to 330. When hebrfinally left the hospital, he weighed in at just 160. Recovery took at least abrfull year, but although Mike lost his left arm, he didn't lose his sense ofbrhumor — or his sense of style.
“I'm a good ole Texan,” he laughs.br“I like wearing jeans, a jacket or blazer to dress an outfit up and my Ostrichbrskin boots.”
Photos by Bludoor Studios
Makeup styling by Victoria Bradshaw, Corinthian WellnessbrSpa
Select clothing provided by Malouf's