Designed in Houston

Chloe Dao's Lot 8

Before she won the second season of Project Runway, Chloe Dao won the hearts of young fashionable things in Houston. She doesn't aspire to dress the wealthiest people in the world but to create a thriving business that can clothe her friends in the style they deserve. This photo was taken by Mark Veltman.

Lot 8 Boutique

Lot 8 opened its doors in the summer of 2000, and over the course of 5 years, the boutique has established itself as one of Houston’s premiere shops. The boutique draws a diverse clientele of local celebrities, fashion stylists, club crawlers, brides to be and modern career women. Lot 8’s success stems from the boutique’s mix of edgy sportswear, sexy cocktails dresses, and modern eveningwear at affordable prices.

Houston Designer Gets TV Show

Houston Business Journal: Houston interior designer to host TV show, 2006-Sep-20

Bill Stubbs, a local interior designer, is host of a new national television show, "A Moment of Luxury," on PBS Channel 8. The program will be filmed and produced in Houston. 

The half-hour show, to debut in the spring, takes Stubbs around the world on a search for luxury and lifestyle inspiration. He then returns to Houston to demonstrate to viewers how they can create their own inspirations through interior design, food and culture.

Announcing the First in a Line of Objets d'Houston

I have decided to focus on amazing designs produced and buy-able in Houston. And our first objet d'houston is...Moral Fabric t-shirts sold at Flyte Boutique, 2815 Westheimer near Kirby.

I found out about these t-shirts at Houstonist, where they have an interview with the designer, Bobby Wiggins.

How does Houston fare fashion wise? Are you embarrassed to see the way most Houstonians dress, or do we make you proud?

I don’t pay attention to the way people dress in Houston, or any city for that matter. I’m a t-shirt and jeans guy! But, since I have the opportunity, I will say this: There is something very special about Houston. This city buzzes with an entrepreneurial and artistic spirit that I have never seen anywhere else. Since I have moved back here (from Dallas…3 years ago) I have met such a diverse array of talented and energetic young people who are BRINGIN’ IT! I love this city, and I plan on staying here for a while!

Cesar Galindo Fashions

Cesar Galindo was born in Mexico, grew up in Houston and designed for Houston Grand Opera before going to New York and becoming a big-time fashion designer. He has worked for Dolce & Gabbano, but I'm not sure if he does now.

I've spent the last hour looking for any images I can legally reproduce, but Galindo is not associated with any company with a web site that I can find. Nor does Neiman Marcus have any of his clothing mentioned or sold on the web site. If you're really curious about his design, here's a link to a site that sells fashion photographs, but these are a few years old.

Houston Chronicle: Designer gets warm homecoming, 2006-Aug-23, by Shelby Hodge

Fashion designer Cesar Galindo emerged Monday night as hometown hero in the couture salon of Neiman Marcus. Scores of fashionistas, buff model types and pals from his youth flocked around the local-boy-makes-good figure, praising the brilliant fashions displayed on a forest of willowy mannequins.

Galindo was in town to introduce a collection of his party frocks, visit with old chums and, on this evening, assist Child Advocates. The designer donated all sales of his limited-edition wispy silk scarves ($100 each) to the charity.

Among the first to pick up one of the ethereal pieces was Page Parkes-Eveleth, who had known Galindo when he was a fledgling designer just out of Milby High School. Shelly Slovak laughingly recalled their childhood days when Galindo would cartwheel through the yard with her brother, Michael Reper.

Houston Chronicle: The Best Blogging Newspaper in the U.S.

I'm just bursting with pride. When Rita came barrelling into Houston, I relied on the Houston Chronicle blogs to know what it would be like if I had stayed. Now one of the most respected journalism professors in America and his students annoint us.

PressThink: The Best Blogging Newspapers in the U.S.* | Blue Plate Special.

The Chronicle was a runaway choice for top blogging newspaper. “The wizards of blogging in my opinion,” Andre Henry says. Points-wise, it wasn’t close. (128 to 69 for the second site.) The Chronicle is not the most adventurous in what it blogs about (exception: Bar Tab) but the site does everything well, starting with its Blogs main page, which features—before you get to any staff blogging— a section called Chron.commons, “Blogs from our Readers.” (They weren’t the only ones to do this.)

“This had pretty much everything I was looking for,” wrote Jessing-Butz. “It’s very evident that people read these; they comment on them. The page is easy to find and easy on the eyes. The writing is fun and clear. ”

Knitting and Grafitti Collide

Houston Chronicle: Montrose Taggers are a Tightknit Crew by Bill Davenport

Yes, knitted graffiti. It's a great sound bite: cute, but with a suggestion of crime that makes it sexy. The Knitta, Please! crew has been sneaking knitted covers onto signs, trees and cars in Montrose and nearby neighborhoods since October.

Home: The Houston Crew of Knitta.

Knitta began in August 2005, when AKrylik and PolyCotN were discussing their frustration over unfinished knitting projects: half-knitted sweaters and balls of yarn gathering dust. That afternoon, they knitted their first doorknob cozy. Then it dawned on them… A tag crew of knitters, bombing the inner city with vibrant, stitched works of art, wrapped around everything from beer bottles on easy nights to public monuments and utility poles on more ambitious outings. With a mix of clandestine moves and gangsta rap — Knitta was born! Today, Knitta is a group of more than 10 ladies of all ages, races, nationalities, religions, sexual orientation… and gender.

Update: Photos of Knitta in Action by Debora Smail, over at Flickr.

Houston Archicture Design: Intexure

Russell Hruska is Houston designer whose goal is to weave together what's available in our environment with our own best vision of the future.

Intexure: Lents Residence

This home, which highlights the use of exposed concrete masonry units in residential construction, provides a weekend retreat for the client, who owns a operates a facility which manufactures concrete masonry units.

Houston Design Blogs

We don't have too many designers in Houston blogging but I've found a few:

• Bricolage is by Karen West, who works as a social worker now but is a fine photographer with a keen eye. From her blog you can make a worthy connection to her Flickr account.
• Luke Gilman doesn't update the "Graphic Design" section of his blog very often but he has wide ranging interests and shares them well.
• Designer Echo S. shares her elegant work at Echoia.

I'll cover more blogging Houston designers and artists as I find them.

Magnolia Hotel

Today I'm making this posting from the free wifi connection in the Library of the Magnolia Hotel. One of the most elegant sites in Houston, the Magnolia has a pretty bar on the second floor, and to the left is the library with a nice selection of things to read if you're not a laptop carrier.

Houston Architecture Info: Magnolia Hotel :: 609 Fannin, Houston, Texas :: Downtown

One of several downtown buildings whose glory days are in its past. This building was once at the center of the action as a busy Bayou City evolved from a frontier plat into a metropolis. At 22 stories, this limestone covered building was once the tallest in the city. It was built for Ross S. Sterling who owned and published the Houston Post-Dispatch. It went on to become the Houston Post, and he went on to become governor of Texas. The Post went out of business in 1995. Today, the building is getting new life. Spurred by the lack of rooms downtown, the success of Minute Maid Park, and the coming downtown basketball and hockey arena, renovations are underway to turn it into an upscale 380-room hotel. Denver's Steve Holtze paid $40,000,000.00 for the building and plans to make it very exclusive ala Hotel Derek on the West Loop. When complete, guests will be able to dine at a rooftop restaurant, or swim in the rooftop pool. However, what is a swanky hotel without an equally swanky bar? The Magnolia Hotel is across the street from Christ Church Cathedral, and state law prohibits sales of alcohol within 300 feet of a church or school. At one time Mayor Brown proposed an ordinance that would exempt the Magnolia and similar hotels. But in August of 2001 he retracted it after Incarnate Word Academy and Annunciation Catholic Church complained.

Designed to Sell in Houston

The purpose of this blog is to showcase items designed in Houston, most of which are available to purchase directly from the designer.