Texas Design Now

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents the exhibition Texas Design Now. Opening Reception Friday, August 21, 6:30pm-9pm. On view August 22 – November 29, 2015.

Texas Design Now features the creations of accessory, fashion, furniture, and industrial designers living and working statewide. These emerging and established designers hail from Austin, Dallas, Houston, Marfa, San Antonio, and points further afield in the Lone Star state.

Diverse design sensibilities—from cutting-edge to couture, relaxed, refined, artisanal, and handmade—are animated by the independent and resourceful spirit for which this state is known.

About the guest organizers

Garrett Hunter is the principal and owner of an eponymous boutique design firm located in Houston. His career began under renowned dealer Pam Kuhl-Linscomb as a buyer and designer at her Houston design emporium, Kuhl-Linscomb. Today, his firm has designed and completed numerous residential and commercial projects in Houston, Austin, New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York City, and rural projects throughout Texas.

Inspired by contemporary art and esoterica, his projects explore the friction between minimalism and avant-garde grandeur. In 2011, Hunter curated an exhibition at Peel Gallery called California Cool, which displayed important furniture, textiles, graphic design, and jewelry with a focus on the Los Angeles area. In 2012, Hunter curated the Lawndale Design Fair at the Lawndale Art Center, which highlighted active contemporary designers at all career stages.

Chris Goins is the Store Director of the iconic luxury fashion retailer Tootsies in Houston. Goins has worked in the fashion industry for more than a decade, gaining experience in the luxury retail, beauty, and modeling industries. After completing a BS from the University of Houston in Consumer Science and Merchandising, she began her career working as a design, fashion, and beauty buyer at Kuhl-Linscomb and was a booking Agent for the fashion division at Neal Hamil Agency.

Inspired by intricate details, impeccable construction, and boundary-pushing designers who explore unexpected materials and movement, Goins has made a name for herself as one of Houston’s most-trusted sartorial experts.

Pictured: Dennis Nance with James Hays, “Weird Wear by Dennis and James,” 2013 – current. Cotton, thread.