Fall flourishes
Houston designer Christy Lynn Lee is a fan of mixing old and new
When fashion designer Christy Lynn Lee presented a fall/ winter 2022 collection at Hotel ZaZa Memorial City, her inaugural solo show, temperatures hovered high over the 90 degree mark. With any luck, that won’t be the case in a few months time, when Houston’s most stylish will be swapping their swimsuits and sundresses for transitional pieces to shift into autumn. Or, begin planning their wardrobes for holiday and winter travel.
The latter need represents a large chunk of Lee’s customer base — and inspiration. Women come to her for travel outfits and she, in turn, is often influenced by wonders seen abroad.
“This fall collection is based on architect Zaha Hadid’s iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza in South Korea,” Lee says. “She built that huge plaza right in the heart of Seoul, looking out to the future. And she’s female.”
The Houston-based Korean American designer is also a fan of mixing old and new, hard and soft. There’s an abundance of Korean florals paired with thick-soled lug boots. In between light silk and chiffon dresses are textured separates.
“You’ll see a lot of layers — sweaters with flowing skirts, fully leather pieces, embroidery and cutouts,” Lee says. Flowery prints are part of her signature. The leather skirts and jackets become standouts in shades of bone and dark green.
For the past 10 collections, she’s relied on stylist Luisa Babarczy to tie the inspiration and vision into a cohesive story. The duo met when Babarczy pulled Christy Lynn dresses for a local jewelry designer’s photo shoot and discovered their visual and creative processes were in sync. Sharing their first-ever presentation with a live audience at Hotel ZaZa was icing on the cake.
“We do a beautiful process of trend forecasting to tap into what’s coming and what’s going to enhance every collection,” Babarczy explains. “I wanted to go a bit edgier with necklaces and chunkier sole (shoes). I curated the playlist to be very French and feminine and playful. I do pull the looks together but, ultimately, tie-in what Christy envisions for her designs.”
Lee is still figuring out exactly who the Christy Lynn customer is and what she’s shopping for. At first, Lee thought her clients were primarily in the market for ultrafeminine looks. But ever since she opened a stand-alone atelier in Montrose’s Avondale neighborhood, a new demographic has emerged.
“There’s a huge range of age, from 35 to 70, of women who are working as lawyers or (in) finance coming to me for beautiful blouses to wear under blazers,” she explains. “The women who have more time during there day to go to events are buying the flowing dresses.”
Houston has a sizable cohort of ladies who luncheon in addition to the gala set. Adding black-tie gowns is a natural next step.
“I want to expand the collection into more evening,” Lee hints. “I love specialty things like Italian lace and French lace.”
French fashion has been on her mind lately. She visited Paris over the summer and plans to return twice each year for an international project that is still hush-hush.
Before Lee set up shop in Houston, she spent several years on the East Coast. A career-defining stint in Manhattan helped to share her personal style, too.
“I like to look polished and chic, I’m a city girl at heart,” she says. “Texas women are a little more put together, the shoes are on point here. Maybe that’s because in New York we’re walking in sneakers and flats. Here, they can drive, so they wear picture-perfect shoes with the outfit. And Texas women are not afraid of color.”
After studying at the Rhode
Island School of Design, Lee worked under Nanette Lepore, as an assistant designer of beading and embroidery, and Elie Tahari, where she honed her tailoring and suiting skills. She also spent five years with Catherine Malandrino, who became her mentor.
Launching a clothing line in New York felt daunting; in Houston, the idea seemed much more achievable. What began as a small capsule collection for Lee’s own wedding looks — engagement party, bridal portraits, etc. — were a hit when she shopped the pieces at wholesale market.
“Everything snowballed after that,” she says. “Leah (Hale) at Tootsies was the first to buy my collection. They’ve been onboard since day one.”
The womenswear boutique near River Oaks will carry Lee’s pieces next season, too. Attendees at her Hotel ZaZa show were able to shop on-site via QR code, but there’s still the old-school way, too: inside her historic atelier “home” in Montrose.
amber.elliott@chron.com