No Macaroni Art Here

Dawn Bell's Houston Fashion Camp is sew much fun for aspiring young designers

On the last day of fashion camp, participants took part in a photo shootfeaturing their interpretation of the Chanel brand.
Photo by Zoe Herring
This year's participants gather for a group photo.
Photo by Zoe Herring
Part of the fashion camp experience includes sketching designs.
Photo by Zoe Herring
Seventeen Magazine threw its support behind Dawn Bell's Houston Fashion camp.
Dawn Bell, creator of Houston Fashion Camp.
Campers put their sewing skills to the test, making a tunic.

Stylist Dawn Bell has cultivated quite the reputation as a vintage expert, but before you think she’s stuck in the past, consider her take on kids' summer camp. Mood boards, sewing garments, hat construction and a full-blown fashion show are among the campers' daily activities at Fashion Camp Houston and, with a potential second session planned for July, this is a summer activity adults wish they could attend, too.

Bell started the fashion camp last summer after surveying the Houston camp scene and finding nothing like it here. New York is home to programs like Camp Fashion Design and Bell decided aspiring Houston designers deserved a camp of their own. A collaboration with Seventeen Magazine strengthened her 2012 program that much more.

New York is home to programs like Camp Fashion Design and Bell decided aspiring Houston designers deserved a camp of their own.

“I just kept thinking how much fun it would have been for me to have something like this when I was this age,” Bell says.

The first year Bell held fashion camp in her warehouse stocked with her vintage collection, but the lack of air conditioning and a burgeoning roster led her to look for a new space. This year, campers convened at Spring Street Studios to hear local fashion experts, sketch and design clothing and take part in fashion photo shoots.

Every camp, which is open to ages 12-18, also includes a trip to a successful Houston’s designers studio. Last year, campers field-tripped to David Peck's warehouse studio and this year the group visited Chloe Dao's studio.

Living in Houston off and on since 1994 before it became her permanent home in 2005, Bell judiciously tapped the contacts she cultivated over the years working in and supporting the local fashion community, combining it with her experience as a stylist for local and national publications and fashion shows. The result is an interactive and informative experience for kids influenced by shows such as Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model.

“We have so many wonderful resources here in Houston and so much great talent. Everybody has been 100 percent supportive and the feedback from the kids has been great,” Bell says.

The response has been so strong that Bell has tentatively scheduled a second session this month and is also planning a trip to New York Aug. 10-15 if there is enough interest.

In fact, the response was so strong that Bell has tentatively scheduled a second session this month and is also planning a trip to New York Aug. 10-15 if there is enough interest. Highlights of the New York field trip includes visiting the The Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, a tour of the Fashion Institute of Technology and other fashion-industry related excursions. The trip includes transportation and accommodations at The Alex Hotel for $1,795.

As fashion camp continues to evolve, Bell wants to focus on window merchandising and set design for fashion shows and hold more intense camps for advanced students handy on a sewing machine and sketch book. She is also planning camps next year for students age 6 to 11 and she stresses, everybody is welcome, including boys.

She also stresses creativity and team work, since becoming a successful member of the fashion community doesn’t happen like in the movies. One of the camper’s first challenges was to divide into teams and reimagine the Chanel brand for 2012.

Another day, the girls got a lesson in millinery from Violet Peacock designer Lindsay Halpin, who brought in a rainbow of fabrics and feathers and instructed them on how to make a fascinator. The results were wearable and inventive and the reason why Bell started camp in the first place.

“I watch them make their inspiration boards and make things and they start learning things about themselves. This is just so exciting for me,” Bell says.

For information about Fashion Camp Houston, contact dawnbell@fashioncamphouston.com or call 713-459-9210.

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LEATHER & LUXE

Heritage leather brand opens appointment-only boutique in River Oaks

Photo courtesy of Ghurka

Ghurka’s new River Oaks boutique brings its signature leather goods and custom clothing to Houston.

The heritage leather brand Ghurka recently opened a River Oaks boutique that offers custom clothing for men and women, a rare find in Houston’s luxury market.

For more than 50 years, Ghurka has built a reputation for beautifully crafted leather goods. Now, Houstonians have a new way to experience its collections.

Its new River Oaks boutique, one of only two brick-and-mortar outposts in the country, brings the label’s signature leather collection together with custom clothing and private styling, creating a personal shopping experience.

At the appointment-only store, clients can shop for leather bags and accessories while also working one-on-one with an advisor to create custom tailoring, shirting, knitwear, and other pieces curated to their specific needs and lifestyle. Houstonians will also be among the first to see Ghurka's expanded clothing offering with the debut of the Fall/Winter 2026 custom collection.

“For us, the decision to open in Houston really came down to people and relationships,” Glenn Pollack, chairman and CEO of Ghurka, tells CultureMap. “Ghurka has a meaningful history here and longstanding relationships with people who know the brand and what it stands for. As we considered returning to physical retail, we wanted to start in markets where we had the right talent, the right relationships, and a strong foundation to build on. Houston gave us all three.”

Ghurka Ghurka's appointment-only River Oaks boutique is located at 3701 W. Alabama, Suite 185. Appointments are available online. Photo courtesy of Ghurka

Founded in Connecticut in 1975, Ghurka's main focus is on leather goods designed to improve with time and wear. Its product range run the gamut from bags and backpacks to wallets, belts, and accessories. The brand is now applying that successful philosophy to clothing, with a focus on premium materials, durable construction, and pieces designed around the individual rather than trends.

Clients can work with a Gurkha advisor to decide what they need from their wardrobes before choosing fabrics, silhouettes, proportions, and bespoke details. Each piece is fully custom and finished by hand and according to Pollack, the goal of the appointment-only Houston boutique is to provide shoppers with a complete experience and a personalized level of attention.

“For us, custom clothing is ultimately about the individual rather than a particular gender,” Pollack said. “The same principles that have guided Ghurka for more than fifty years translate naturally into clothing. Offering custom for both men and women allows us to create a much more complete and personal relationship with our clients.”

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Ghurka Houston, 3701 W. Alabama St., Suite 185. Appointments are available through ghurka.com.

Photo courtesy of Ghurka

Ghurka’s new River Oaks boutique brings its signature leather goods and custom clothing to Houston.

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