David Peck conjured up something special for the more than 750 guests that packed into the JW Marriott Houston Downtown hotel Monday night: Two runway shows in one.
His fall collection, unveiled in the new hotel's art gallery/meeting space, was a tribute to his grandmother, who passed away earlier this year.
"One of the prints is especially meaningful because it is of a beautiful moth that I found on her screen porch," Peck says. "So it brought extra significance to the memory that I have of her."
"One of the prints is especially meaningful because it is of a beautiful moth that I found on her screen porch. So it brought extra significance to the memory that I have of her."
The unusual print appeared in an open-back halter gown, a colorblock wedge dress and long-sleeve blouse. Peck also looked to shades of the American Southwest — dusty yellows, oranges and rust colors— along with variations of greens and blues for the eclectic collection that combined vintage looks with modern styles.
"The whole idea was this road trip that I took last September for my grandfather's 80th birthday," Peck says. "I visited a lot of places where I grew up — Santa Fe, Taos, Roswell, and then went to Marfa. So it was very much inspired by the color palette and the textures of that whole area."
As usual, Peck showcased a lot of wearable separates, ranging from snow leopard faux fur vests to chiffon blouses and asymmetrical pencil skirts, along with classic sheaths in colorblock patterns and draped charmeuse dresses.
For evening, looks ranged from velvet gowns in rich colors of sapphire, plum and retro-green to Hollywood-style gowns dripping in gold sequins or platinum and navy lace. Among the best evening looks was a glittery green sequined ball skirt with a black chiffon blouse that struck the balance between elegant and "take-a-look-at-me" panache.
Before presenting his fall collection, Peck opened the runway show with two models in bold-toned looks— one in a magenta dress and the other in a green top and blue print slacks. The models were wheeled down the runway on a luggage cart to inaugurate the David Peck for JW Marriott collection.
Peck then showcased 19 mix-and-match outfits made for employees at the new downtown Houston hotel. Many of the styles on the runway models looked good enough to wear even if you don't work in the hospitality business.
David Peck rust short-sleeved blouse and pencil skirt dress.
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Flowing dresses, lightweight layers, and mix-and-match sets highlight the romantic direction of Christy Lynn’s latest seasonal launch.Photo courtesy of Christy Lynn Collection 
Hand-carved cedar earrings and cuffs are inlaid with silver or gold and finished with beeswax in Susana Vega’s newest collection.Photo courtesy of Susana Vega 
