HOUSTON – Trendsetters and fashionistas take note: Fashion Houston 2012 is featuring some of the world’s most influential international designers as it roars into Houston’s Wortham Theater Center November 12-15, 2012.  With the goal of bringing the best in world-class fashion to Houston, organizers moved the dates from October in order to lure more top name designers to the Bayou City for the whirlwind week of fashion activities.

 

“After surprising and delighting audiences in Houston the last two years, we are absolutely thrilled to raise the bar with our stellar 2012 lineup,” said Jared Lang, founder, president and CEO of Fashion Houston.

 

Georges Chakra, the Beirut-based Lebanese haute couture designer, will have his first trip to Texas as he opens Houston’s fashion extravaganza on Nov. 12. Chakra regularly shows his collections at Paris Fashion Week and red-carpet clients of Chakra’s include such notable leading ladies as Helen Mirren, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba.

 

Direct from the runways around the world, two of the most popular LA-based collections from designers Max and Lubov Azria will highlight Fashion Houston 2012.  The Azrias’ popular BCBGMAXAZRIAcollection for Spring 2013 – which was shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York in early September – will close the first night of Fashion Houston on Nov. 12, while the super-sexy Hervé Légerby Max Azria collection of bandage dresses – which was also shown at New York Fashion Week – will be featured here on Nov. 14.

Zac Posen, Monique Lhuillier and will showcase their latest collections on the runway of the Grand Foyer at the Wortham Theater Center as well.  Posen is known for designing eye-catching mermaid gowns, fitted suits with a 1940s flair and colorful cocktail dresses favored by celebrities. 

When you think of celebrity weddings, you think of Monique Lhuillier.  She has become known as the go-to designer for celebrities, including Reese Witherspoon, Giuliana Rancic, Vanessa Millino and Alicia Silverstone.  She is also very established and well known for her stellar ready-to-wear collections of red-carpet gowns and daytime dresses.

New to FASHION HOUSTON 2012 are designers Black Halo by Laurel Berman, who burst on the scene in the 1990s and designs contemporary fashion that can be considered iconic; Maison Rabih Kayrouz, who shows four collections per year and continues to apply rigorous haute-couture style codes to his ready-to-wear collection, and his distinctive ease to couture; David Peck, who has worked for renowned fashion houses such as Paco Rabanne, Junichi Hakamaki, and Robert Normand in Paris before moving back to Houston to start his collection, CrOp; FOTINI, a Greek designer who is known as the “Queen of Corsets” for her intricately designed collections featuring bold colors, laser-cut fabrics and figure-flattering corsetry; the Haitian-born brothers Fabrice and Patrick Tardieu, who design the Bogosse menswear line; Kevan Hall, who redefined the hallowed House of Halston from 1998-2000 and revived the dormant brand to its former glory before launching his own evening-wear collection in 2002, has dressed stars such as Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek and Celine Dion; Rubin Singer, whose designs are worn by celebrities such as Glenn Close, Beyonce, Heidi Klum, Lucy Liu, and Alicia Keys and whose fashions have adorned the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, The New York Times, andThe LA Times; and Gemma Kahng, who burst on the scene in the 1990s and whose classic and modern styles have dressed celebrities from Madonna to Sharon Stone.

 

Returning to Fashion Houston this year is local designer, Jerri Moore, who had her debut collection featured on the runway at Fashion Houston 2011. Also returning is Project Runway Season 2 Champion,Chloe Dao, who recently rebranded her Lot 8 store name with Dao Chloe Dao, the label sewn into all of her designs.

 

Fashion Houston is the premiere fashion event in Texas that combines international style with Texas hospitality. Started in 2010 by philanthropist and visionary Jared Lang, Fashion Houston has been embraced by the fashion loving community of Houston as well as the international fashion community. With partners such as Audi and the Houston Audi Dealers, Neiman Marcus and Hotel ZaZa Houston, the third annual event will thrill thousands with sparkling runway shows and out of this world parties. Fashion Houston takes place Nov. 12 – 15 at the Wortham Theater Center, located at 500 Texas Avenue in Downtown Houston. For more information on designers, to see the lineup or to purchase tickets to the event please visit www.fashionhouston.net.