He’s a bona-fide celebrity design icon and a true Houston treasure, and now David Peck can add Weddings in Houston vendor partner to his list of accolades! We chatted with the Houston fashion designer about his custom wedding gown design process, his recent collab with us on our Fall/Winter 2019 issue…oh, and that time he dressed T. Swift for a mag cover and it went viral. Yup. Read on, to-be-weds, and discover more about having your custom wedding gown designed by David Peck (and why it costs less than you might think!).
Weddings in Houston: What are the most important milestones of your fashion career?
David Peck: I taught myself to sew when I was 11 because we were moving into a new home and I got to decorate my room. Fast-forward past a degree in classical cello, to when I moved to Paris to study fashion at Parsons Paris. I worked the entire time I was in school and have never stopped!
I feel like I’ve had so many wonderful moments as a designer, but early in my career I dressed Taylor Swift for a magazine cover shoot and the photographs ended up as the whole campaign for her tour. The photos were on everything from greeting cards to calendars to her tour bus!
Another great moment was landing the cover of “Women’s Wear Daily.” WWD is one of the oldest and most respected fashion publications in the business and it was such a thrill to see my work featured. I still have the issue hanging in the showroom.
WIH: What services do you offer to brides, bridesmaids, and mothers of the bride and groom?
DP: My goal is to make life easy for anyone in the wedding party. We can pretty much do everything that a bride or her family needs from luncheon and rehearsal dinner dresses to wedding gowns and gowns for mothers. We have a selection of limited edition ready-to-wear in the store, but where we really shine is in made-to-measure. Not only do you get the perfect fit, but you’re guaranteed that no one else at your wedding will show up in the same dress!
WIH: Walk us through the custom-gown-design process. What do you discuss first with the bride? What are the next steps? How long does it take from start to finish?
DP: Depending on the bride or mother, we start with how she wants to feel on the day. If she’s collected inspiration images, we will look at those and discuss what she likes or doesn’t like about particular styles. Most women have some sort of insecurity and I like to address that from the beginning. From there, I’ll do a sketch and we’ll look at fabrics. We typically have a muslin (prototype) fitting to get the proportions right before working in the final fabric.
The timeline depends on the dress and how elaborate it is. For most gowns, four to six weeks is great, but when it’s something as special as a wedding, I like to have three to four months (or more) to allow for any delays. We aim to have everything completed a month before the wedding to give everyone peace of mind. All that being said, we have done wedding dresses in three days, so anything is possible!
WIH: What are the major factors that distinguish a custom-made David Peck wedding gown from a salon-bought designer gown?
DP: The quality of our fabrics and finishes are as good or better than what you will find in a traditional, high-end bridal salon. We work with some of the finest textiles mills in the world, which supply top couture houses. Each gown is made for you from start to finish, which allows us to achieve a level of fit that is not always achievable through alterations.
Our pricing is no higher than what you would expect in most better bridal salons. The difference is that the fitting process is built into the price of the gown. There isn’t the additional (and often very significant) alteration fee added when you order a typical bridal gown.
WIH: Please say a bit about the garments and accessories you designed for our recent fashion shoot at the Corinthian Houston. What inspired you, and what are some of the standout details of those pieces?
DP: For this photoshoot, I wanted to create something with simple drama. The cape of the wedding gown is over 15 feet of silk tulle! All the beading and embroidery were done in Europe. I love the idea of including a bit of color in a wedding dress.
The bags we created were based on the idea of making a bouquet that lasts forever. We did two different versions. One where the flowers were large and like a bouquet, and the other where the flowers were encased in an acrylic clutch (see below). They have been such a big hit with our customers and they are completely customizable depending on your wedding/theme.
WIH: What is your favorite thing about working with brides and creating custom wedding gowns?
DP: My favorite part of working with each client is that each dress is truly created for them and is a reflection of their style and personality. The whole process is one that allows us to make changes along the way, so the gown you end up with is a perfect reflection of the wearer. It’s important to me that each bride or mother is the most confident she has ever been in her gown. You look your best when you feel your best.
Want to learn more? See more photos and real David Peck brides here, then contact David Peck at 281.888.6391 to schedule a consultation, and start planning the made-to-measure wedding gown your were born to wear!
