All grown up

The prince of prints: David Peck showcases innovative designs in Fashion Houstonrunway show

David Peck developed several prints for his spring 2013 collection.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Peck's collection features bold geometric patterns.
Photo by Vara Pappas
Peck says his colletion is aimed at the woman who is looking for quality andaffordable price.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Peck featured a number of gauzy etheral gowns.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Peck says his customers love color.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Peck made origami flowers and photographed them for a print.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Peck used silk noil, a nubby, low-sheen fabric that resembles cotton and linenin a number of his designs.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
Several looks include a mullet hem - shorter in the front and longer in theback.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
A highlight of Peck's collection is his distinctive fabrics.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com
This print came from an 1850s map of Paris.
Photo by © Chinh Phan/CultureMapSNAP.com

After a year's hiatus, David Peck returned to the Fashion Houston runway Tuesday night, and it was interesting to see how far he's come in such a relatively short time.

Since presenting his first-ever runway collection at the inaugural Fashion Houston in 2010, Peck has expanded his collection (he showed a whopping 41 looks this time around), added more retailers around the nation (30 this spring alone), and has been the featured attraction at Aspen Fashion Week and at the Tootsies store in Atlanta, where his distinctive CrOp by David Peck collection has developed a following.

"The collection is a little bit bigger, which is great and I think we know better who our customer is," Peck explained after his show.

"The collection is a little bit bigger, which is great and I think we know better who our customer is," Peck explained after his show. "It's the woman who likes to dress well. She looks for quality and affordable price. She likes color. I think we're getting to be well known for tailoring and how things fit."

His collection features bold geometric patterns in bright colors and digital prints, which are a specialty of Peck's. He based the prints on books that inspired him as a child, including one featuring a print of a map of Paris from the 1850s and a fish print from the children's poem, "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" by Eugene Field. Peck made a cardboard fish and photographed it to make the print.

He also made origami flowers and photographed them for a print. "I was big nerd growing up. I loved the child craft encyclopedias World Book had. They would always have a make-and-do craft book and I like to make origami," he confessed.

Diverse collection

The collection is diverse, with etheral gowns of gauzy chiffon and sporty racerback tank-designed gowns made from sporty matte jersey that outlines practically every body part. Striped dresses, several with mullet hems (shorter in the front, longer in the back) contrast with jumpsuits and shifts in a floral yellow fabric.

"We've never claimed to be completely organic, but we try to make responsible decisions to make a positive impact, no matter what we do."

All the looks were accessorized by colorful handbags created by Houston designer Elaine Turner.

Another highlight of Peck's collection is his distinctive fabrics. For the geometric patterned pieces he used silk noil, a nubby, low-sheen material.

"It looks like linen or cotton but it's silk so it maintains the color more and stays vibrant even after you wash it, "he said.

Peck emphasizes natural fibers, including silk and organic cotton. Some striped and pink sparkly fabrics were hand woven in India using a process that requires no electricity and maintains traditions that date back thousands of years. The digital prints are done locally in a method that doesn't hurt the environment. And the matte jersey fabrics come from an East Coast mill that is one of the last to manufacture the product.

"We've never claimed to be completely organic, but we try to make responsible decisions to make a positive impact, no matter what we do," he said.

Expanding production

Peck is leading a group of young designers who are determined to design and manufacture high-quality collections right here in Houston. Not only does he produce his entire collection here, he also manufactures clothing for other designers.

"The fashion calender is going to have to shift in some way or designers are going to have to be more innovative and at least offer some things immediately."

"We are going to be producing more than 60,000 garments in our factory and we are gradually figuring out how to expand it," he said.

He also a leader in getting the product to consumers as soon as possible. He is offering several looks for spring directly off the runway online and at a trunk show at Tootsies today.

"The fashion calender is going to have to shift in some way or designers are going to have to be more innovative and at least offer some things immediately. From the very beginning of the brand, we've talked about being able to do it this way," he said.

"It may take a little while before it fully changes but now that fashion and the media has become so public, it's not guarded anymore. It's not people sketching in the salons of Paris and nobody being able to take a photograph. It's out there basically as soon as it happens."

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oh boy!

Houston's premier boys clothing boutique opens new home in 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.

Photo by Alex Montoya

Boys are welcome to read the books on the shelves.

shopping parkerjoe rice village openings

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oh boy!

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