The smoke has barely cleared from the impressive pyrotechnics that recently lit the sky above Laura Goodson’s Night Gallery show at Hotel Saint Augustine, but that hasn’t stopped fans of the roaringly-popular cowboy artist from wanting more. As Goodson’s captivating live painting shows continue to grow her fan base, the artist has been digging her spurs into Round Top.
The iconic Henkel Square now houses Goodson’s newly-minted eponymous art gallery, plus Cowboy House — a new men’s vintage clothing and accessories store that Goodson opened in partnership with her longtime friend and collaborator Marla Hurley, proprietor of haute couture resale boutique Modern Marla that’s also located in Henkel Square.
The recent grand opening of Cowboy House offered a glimpse of both Goodson and Hurley’s vision for the return of their enormously-successful Cowboy Couture event. The “Western Luxe Fashion Show” will take place Tuesday, October 14, in Henkel Square. This ticketed, red-runway event will feature curated looks by Modern Marla, Cowboy House, Lucchese, Pendleton, Westerly, Cavender’s, and Double D Ranch.
Expect to see some familiar faces, as Cowboy Couture will feature volunteer models ranging from Houston Astros cheerleaders to Miss Texas USA 2025 Taylor Davis and Miss Texas Teen USA Laika Patal — all thrilled to help raise funds for the show’s beneficiary, The Red Door Fund for Mental Health, a charity for the Greater Fayette Community Foundation.
Cowboy House
Nestled under expansive live oak trees — that share shade and bucolic aesthetics with neighbors Modern Marla and local watering hole Ellis Motel — is the cozy and rustic cabin that is Cowboy House. The washed and weathered wood plank exterior has been adorned with dozens of horse shoes, and the deep, step-up front porch is a warm welcome for shoppers in search of a lucky find.
Shoppers will find vintage menswear and second-hand custom boots juxtaposed with duffle and messenger bags by Louis Vuitton and Gucci along with the store’s non-preowned giftables. A generous selection of bespoke knives, made exclusively for Cowboy House, have become a surprise best seller — nearly impossible to keep on the shelves, Hurley and Goodson tell CultureMap.
“It’s kind of an array of things,” Hurley says of the store. “We say it’s a men’s store, but to walk in here — there have been a lot of women who have come in — it’s actually kind of unisex because of the styles. So many women wear the men’s vintage western shirts as well.”
Vintage Ralph Lauren, Double RL, and Wrangler hold court as the most popular brands at Cowboy House. “We’re having a lot of fun with it,” says Hurley.
Want to be a part of Cowboy House? The horse shoes on the exterior of the building serve as more than ranch-inspired decor — they’re for sale, sort of.
“The intention is to put horse shoes all over the building (the current count is 47), and then to have a ‘buy a horse shoe,’ and then engrave their name on it,” Goodson explains. “We are trying to do fun little ‘be a part of it’ things like that.” If an engraved Cowboy House horseshoe is on the wishlist, bring your wallet — they’re $1,000 each.
A Sunday Sip & See
On Sunday, October 12, just two days ahead of the show, Goodson will be hosting a pre-event pop-up shop in her art gallery, featuring designers participating in the show.
“People can shop the looks from the designers ahead of the show, so they can wear whatever looks from those designers to the show.” The sip-and-see will run from 5-7 pm, and Goodson will be on hand to paint items if requested. “If someone brings their jacket I’ll paint it,” she shares. “I have a pretty good working relationship with Lucchese where people are buying their denim and then I’m painting on it, and it’s just working out great.”
Cowboy Couture Fashion Show
As previously mentioned, the show will include looks by Modern Marla, Cowboy House, Lucchese, Pendleton, Westerly, Cavender’s, and Double D. “Each of the design houses gets ten looks, so it’s a pretty big show,” says Goodson. “I customize with each designer, so I’ll paint on the Lucchese boots that are seen on the runway, I’ll paint on some of the Double D. With each design house I do a couple of pieces, so select pieces in the show are customized.”
With ticketed entry at 7 pm and showtime at 8 pm, attendees are welcome to mix, mingle, and shop both Modern Marla and Cowboy House. Beverage sponsors will be offering complimentary libations at both stores, while pop-up bars by Ellis Motel will offer drinks for purchase. Hurley encourages people to arrive in time to take in the show-stopping looks of the guests themselves — they’re sure to turn heads.
“For this fashion show, everybody has their outfits set for Round Top, and has their looks ready to go. And everybody — I mean across the board — wore their best outfit to our show [Cowboy Couture spring 2025], so I think the style game is going to be pretty good, even in the crowd,” says Hurley.
“Everybody just brings their A-game to this. Some people will be in painted jackets, some people will be in merch, some people will be in gowns. We love it because everyone shows up looking their best and just fun.”
The show’s Master of Ceremonies will be Brittany Franklin of Sky High for Kids. Goodson and Hurley have sold close to 350 tickets and are expecting around 400 in attendance by the time the lights go on. After the show, attendees are invited to stick around to shop the looks straight off the runway.
“The models will be dipping out of those [looks] and they will be put on hangers and on racks for the designers — then people can shop them,” says Goodson.
“Our models are amazing and that they volunteer their time is just wonderful,” adds Hurley, who has quite a lot of experience with the spotlight, as her Modern Marla boutique is a Miss Texas sponsor.
Items of note: Laura Goodson Gallery will be closed during the Cowboy Couture show, but her paintings will be available for purchase at Cowboy House. Seating for Cowboy Couture is first come, first served, even for VIP.
Hours of operation for Modern Marla, Cowboy House, and Laura Goodson Gallery are daily from 10 am-5 pm. All three stores may stay open longer during the spring and fall shows.
