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    Making Coco Proud

    One hot little black dress: College designer takes the fashion staple into a sexy future — for the win

    Heather Staible
    May 23, 2014 | 10:34 am

    The fashion scene at Little Black Dress Designer competition Wednesday night at the House of Blues would certainly have made Coco Chanel proud. From sequins and sheaths to lace and leather, the LBD was the unofficial dress code of the night, but all eyes were on the frock made by Gabby Ong, the Houston winner of the Little Black Dress Designer competition sponsored by Audi Central Houston.

    The evening certainly drew nearly every key member of Houston’s fashion community. They came to support the mission of the contest and flaunt their own interpretation of the Little Black Dress. It’s an ideal match, and one Jeff Shell has cultivated since creating the competition in 2008.

    “The LBD is the perfect subject for competition for design students. It’s the dress you can wear day or night. It’s the everything dress,” Shell said.

    After the runway show, Shell gave the crowd just moments to text in their favorite dress, sending phones and fingers flying.

    Ong’s everything dress had the appearance of being made from laser cut leather, but the Houston Community College student said she hand cut the material after seeing a Chanel advertisement.

    “I got the inspiration from a Chanel ad with beautiful stairs and really unique banister. I took the design and implemented it on the dress and made all the cutouts,” Ong said.

    Shell has also spread the competition to Dallas where designer Mai Pham wowed with her winning dress. Winners receive part of a $34,000 scholarship fund to the school of their choice.

    Claire Ferran locked in the second place honors and Natthakan Chomphuwiset won third place and there is still an audience choice winner to be announced. After the runway show, Shell gave the crowd just moments to text in their favorite dress, sending phones and fingers flying. The winner will be announced in the coming week and share in the scholarship fund.

    Shannon Hall, Vivian Wise and Debbie Pakzaban chaired the event which also honored Julia Anderson Frankel, founder of Houston Community College’s Passion for Fashion luncheon. The students in both cities will work with designer mentors over the summer, while looking to influential fashionistas as muses. Shell hinted at a fall event to unveil their efforts.

    Good thing we know just what to wear.

    Jeff Shell with top 10 Little Black Dresses on Neal Hamil Agency models.

      
    Photo by Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com
    Jeff Shell with top 10 Little Black Dresses on Neal Hamil Agency models.
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    oh boy!

    Houston's premier boys clothing boutique opens new home in Rice Village

    Holly Beretto
    Jun 11, 2025 | 11:00 am
    ParkerJoe clothing store Rice Village
    Photo by Alex Montoya
    Boys are welcome to read the books on the shelves.

    Houston’s premier boys-only boutique now has a permanent home in Rice Village. ParkerJoe, which offers clothing, accessories, and lifestyle brands that takes lads from wee tykes to pre-adolescent (in sizes newborn to 16), originally opened last year in a temporary spot in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

    Now open at 5515 Kelvin Dr., Suite 95, the store unfolds across 1,900 square feet, all of it stocked with the retailer’s carefully curated inventory that embraces all kinds of boys and all types of occasions. Families will find looks that range from formal and preppy to sporty and casual, with brands such as Bailey Boys, Classic Prep, Saltwater Boys, and Appaman as well as local brands like Sunnies, which specializes in polarized sunglasses for children, and onesies from Houston children’s apparel purveyor Oink Moo.

    “We wanted to create a place where boys are seen and heard,” said Lisa Hostler, who owns the store with her daughter Chelsea. “Their needs and their wants are represented at ParkerJoe.”

    Hostler is excited to be in the Rice Village spot, an affluent area known for its walkability and attractiveness for families, which make it an ideal location for a niche retailer like ParkerJoe.

    “It’s a younger population and a strong retail mix,” she said. “We couldn’t be happier here in a center that has welcomed us so warmly and made us feel at home.”

    The store itself is designed to help boys enjoy the sometimes awkward process of shopping for new clothes. Towards that end, they are welcome to touch and play with toys on the shelves, which are stocked with books, games, and stuffed animals.

    An official grand opening is planned for September, but prior to that customers can expect a summer of events including trunk shows, a fashion show, and an influencer brunch.

    Even as Lisa and Chelsea are excited to be in Rice Village, they are setting their sights on continued expansion. They currently have a temporary outpost in Memorial City Mall, and are looking for retail locations in other Houston neighborhoods, with a desire to open across Texas.

    ParkerJoe in Rice Village is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

    ParkerJoe clothing store Rice Village
      

    Photo by Alex Montoya

    Boys are welcome to read the books on the shelves.

    shoppingparkerjoerice villageopenings
    news/fashion
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