Houston Hotel Magazine Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014
T H E D E F I N I T I V E G U I D E TO H O U STO N
Haylie
Duff
THE REAL GIRL DISHES
ABOUT HER LIFE IN AND
OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN
PAGE 40
OOTH
PERFECTLY SM ka
t Vod
The World’s Bes
Is From Texas
PAGE 24
H-STYLE
Designers Bring High
Fashion to Houston
VOCAL MUSICIAN
Sara Hickman Speaks
Up For Music In Texas
STREET ART
The Biggest Mural In
Houston Is Unveiled
THE WOODLANDS
Where Houstonians
Go For A Play Day
PAGE 34
PAGE 28
PAGE 26
PAGE 14
Photo by Yoni Goldberg
CUTTING-EDG
COUTURE
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H O U S TO N H OT E L M A G A Z I N E
Local designers take
bold steps and bring
high fashion to Houston.
BY LEAH CAST
On the beaten path to
success, a career in U.S. fashion
usually requires a migration to its
long-reigning capital, New York
City, but a strong core of Houston
designers are taking the road less
traveled.
Houston hosts one of the
country’s few successful fashion
weeks held outside of New York
and Los Angeles and buzzes with
new couture houses that draw
the attention of H-town’s most
fashionable. Behind the scenes,
talented local designers feed the
city’s appetite for originality and
all things vogue.
Meet five designers who are on
the move.
Chloe Dao always knew she
wanted to be a fashion designer,
but winning season two of Project
Runway in 2006 was the proof she
could succeed.
Since then, the Houston native
and her brand of contemporary
classic women’s clothing have
shined in the national spotlight.
One of her gowns was showcased
at the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C., and she
designed a fashion line for QVC.
Last year, Dao served as a judge
on the reality TV series Project
Runway Vietnam.
“My experience with Project
Runway was huge for me and
what’s amazing is that it’s been
like the energizer bunny that just
keeps on going,” Dao says. “A lot
of the things I’ve done were a
result of winning the show.”
But the limelight hasn’t caused
this fashionista to lose her
Texas roots. Dao said Southern
hospitality is at the heart of
her boutique, Dao Chloe Dao,
located in Houston’s popular
Rice Village shopping area.
“To me, it’s about providing
that trusted-girlfriend
experience,” says Dao, who can
be found working at the shop
most Sundays, offering her
honest opinions to clients. “I
really want the woman to love the
piece and leave with something
that is going to help her look her
best,” she says.
And even though her Project
Runway pieces were created for
fashion models, Dao says her own
collections focus on “thoughtful
design” that flatters a broad
audience.
She says she’s a designer “for
the everyday lady” who wants to
dress nicely and beautifully, “but
with fun clothes.”
Chloe Dao
Dao Chloe Dao
Dao Chloe Dao
6127 Kirby Drive (Rice Village)
ChloeDao.com
Photos: Sydney Dao
H O U S TO N H OT E L M A G A Z I N E
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Toni Whitaker
After earning a degree in
apparel design from Syracuse
University and another in textile
technology from North Carolina
State University, Toni Whitaker
made her home in Houston.
As an aspiring fashion designer
and South Carolina native,
Whitaker quickly built a following
in H-town and operated her own
women’s wear store in the Rice
Village area for 30 years.
“For me, I never had dreams of
having a big label in New York,”
Whitaker says. “I loved having
my own store, being in control of
my life and making my hobby my
ToniWhitaker.us
career.
“I think there is a niche for
Photos: Danny Clark
everybody in Houston. No matter
what your passion or lifestyle is,
you can find it here.”
Now, this industry veteran is
working to build the city’s fashion
scene by mentoring up-andcoming designers. She serves as
an adviser for Texas Southern
University’s “For the Sake of Art”
wearable art competition and
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H O U S TO N H OT E L M A G A Z I N E
recently launched the non-profit
Houston Incubator Project to
provide mentorsing to young
entrepreneurs.
The organization, she says,
provides “something Houston has
a need for” and puts emerging
designers in contact with those
who are well-established in the
fashion industry.
“Houston is a great place to
be, and I think it is important to
build the future of the arts scene
here,” she says.
Even though Whitaker’s focus
has changed in recent years,
she still designs for clients by
request. She describes her work
as “classic clothes with a dramatic
edge,” drawing from her early
experiences in costuming for
inspiration.
“I use a lot of ethnic influences
in my designs,” Whitaker said.
“My experiences growing up,
my schooling, my travels, they
all influence my work to make it
unique.”
David Peck’s creative career
began with a degree in classical
cello and bloomed during
fashion design school in Paris,
before he was recruited early in
his career to work for renowned
fashion houses, such as Paco
Rabanne, Junichi Hakamaki and
Robert Hormand.
Peck co-founded a high-end
women’s label with Laurel
Anderson called Untitled 11:11,
which is a documented favorite
of celebrities Taylor Swift,
Rose McGowan and Lauren
Conrad. After years spent with
the company in New York, Peck
relocated to Texas in 2010 to be
close to family.
“When I moved to Houston,
I thought my fashion career
was over, but I was pleasantly
surprised,” Peck said. He found
Houston “much more diverse
and vibrant” than he expected.
“The fine-arts scene and the
support for creative endeavors
here is incredible.”
Peck launched David Peck
USA in spring 2011. The fashion
house includes the ready-to-wear
women’s clothing line labeled
CrOp by David Peck, custom and
semi-custom gowns and bridal
wear and in-house manufacturing
for the brand and outside clients.
The David Peck USA showroom is
located in Houston’s Upper Kirby
neighborhood.
Peck’s brand is “classic with
a twist,” he says. “I really want
women to feel beautiful, and I
want them to feel like the shape
of the dress really flatters their
figure. But at the same time,
I don’t want it to be the same
old thing. I spend a lot of time
developing fabrics and textiles.
All the prints I do are custom.”
Peck says making quality
clothes is at the heart of his work.
During his five years spent in
Paris, he learned to appreciate
the pride French designers have
in making fashion locally and
controlling the construction of
each garment.
He says, “We want to create
things that you’ll have in your
closet for 10 or 20 years.”
David Peck
David Peck USA/
CrOp by David Peck
David Peck USA
3200 Kirby Drive, #200
DavidPeckUSA.com
Photos: Cody Bess
H O U S TO N H OT E L M A G A Z I N E
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Select Studios
Select Studios
Elaine Turner
Elaine Turner Designs
Elaine Turner Designs
2439 University Blvd. (Rice Village)
9595 Six Pines Drive (CityCentre)
ElaineTurner.com
Photos: Elaine Turner Designs
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Texas glam girl Elaine Turner
is no stranger to the luxury
fashion scene. In April 2000,
she launched her first line of
handbags, and now her designs
are frequently are spotted on
celebrities, such as Eva Longoria
and Kathie Lee Gifford.
Her brand, which also includes
shoes and accessories, are inspired
by her love for travel and color.
“Every season we take
our customer to a different
destination, for example to
Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro and Costa Rica for spring
and summer,” Turner said. “Bold
brights, sexy animal prints and
neutrals in materials, including
buttery leather, cork and raffia,
are always present in all of my
collections to create the feeling
of a glamorous getaway.”
Turner has flagship stores
in Houston’s Rice Village and
CityCentre shopping areas,
as well as locations in The
Woodlands, San Antonio,
Nashville and New York. The
Elaine Turner boutique in
Manhattan, her newest location,
opened last fall.
Although this Houston native
has branched out beyond her
hometown — with products
available at Neiman Marcus
stores and specialty boutiques all
over the world — her corporate
operations remain local.
“Houston is home to me, and
I’m lucky to have been able to
build my life and my brand here,”
Turner said. “I love that we can
convey that southern hospitality I
feel in Houston every day in all of
our stores in Texas, Nashville and
even on Madison Avenue. I want
our customer to walk into one of
our stores, feel welcome to sit on
our pink sofas, maybe sip a glass
of wine and tell us about her day.”
Jonathan Tinkle decided to
pursue a career in fashion at age
14, and since then, he hasn’t let
anything stand in his way.
The Houston native, who is
now 23 years old, says, “I grew
up with the belief that if you’re
passionate about something, you
should pursue it with everything
you have.”
Tinkle is the creative force
behind the up-and-coming
women’s clothing line, Jonathan
Blake. He launched it in the fall
of 2012 after studying fashion
at the Art Institute of Houston,
and he sought the mentorship
of renowned designer Carmen
Marc Valvo.
“I was very fortunate to have
veterans in the industry steering
me in the right direction,” says
Tinkle, who created a strong
foundation for his brand through
networking.
After receiving overwhelming
support at the Jonathan Blake
launch, Tinkle opened a
showroom offering ready-towear and custom clothing, all
manufactured locally, in Houston
in early 2013. Recently he also
introduced a handbag line.
Tinkle describes his creations
as sophisticated, luxurious and
classic. Although his work is
inspired by great luxury brands
like Chanel and Valentino, he
takes pride in being original.
“Everything actually comes out
of my mind,” Tinkle says. “I don’t
copy things or rely on assistant
designers. I sit down and sketch
out everything by hand.
“This is why I love fashion. It’s
how we express ourselves,” he
says. “Fashion is art that you wear.”
Jonathan Tinkle
Jonathan Blake
Jonathan Blake
4544 Post Oak Place Drive
JonathanBlake.net
Photos: Cody Bess
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