Wendy Pepper
Encyclopedia
Wendy Pepper is a fashion designer who appeared on the first season of the reality television
show Project Runway
, which aired on Bravo, from December 2004 through February 2005.
and now lives in the town of Middleburg, Virginia
. She graduated high school in 1982 from The Madeira School
and then attended the University of Washington
in Seattle, earning a degree in anthropology
. While in college, Pepper studied abroad in Nepal
and began to sew carpets with local Nepali women. This sparked her interest in design and working with fabric. She returned home and continued to learn more about textiles, fabric-painting, and quilting.
. She claims it was the second most important day of her life after the birth of her daughter.
, Pepper opened her own store in Middleburg, Virginia
and also continued to work with individual clients. Soon after the show ended, Wendy and her second husband (Robert Downing) separated. She told the New York Post
that her experience on television had changed her and "it was difficult for my husband to sort of come along for that step." Pepper continues to garner media attention. She appeared on the front page of The Georgetowner magazine in Washington, D.C.
She appeared in the New York Post, The Washington Post
, Loudoun Magazine, the Middleburg Eccentric, and Factio magazine. She also took part in two other Bravo television shows: Celebrity Poker Showdown
and Battle of the Network Reality Stars
. She also took part in the interview process for contestants for season two
of Project Runway. She had a brief cameo appearance in Bravo's Project Jay, an hour-long documentary on the winner of the first season of Project Runway.
Wendy showed her debut line, outside of Project Runway, on April 11, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
She also continues to show new lines. Her previous ready-to-wear line was shown at the 2007 Cleveland Fashion Week in Cleveland, Ohio
.
Her line, Pretty World, was being sold exclusively through Highcliffe Clothiers. Currently, her designs are available at a local boutique, Betsey. Both shops are right down the street from her house in Middleburg, Virginia.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
, which aired on Bravo, from December 2004 through February 2005.
Early life and education
Pepper was born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and now lives in the town of Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States with a population of approximately 976 as of July 2010.-History:The town was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per...
. She graduated high school in 1982 from The Madeira School
The Madeira School
The Madeira School is a private, non-denominational preparatory boarding school for girls located in McLean, Virginia, United States. Originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., it was founded by Lucy Madeira Wing in 1906 and moved to the Northern Virginia suburb of...
and then attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle, earning a degree in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. While in college, Pepper studied abroad in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and began to sew carpets with local Nepali women. This sparked her interest in design and working with fabric. She returned home and continued to learn more about textiles, fabric-painting, and quilting.
Runway clothes
Pepper won two of the challenges, with her design for the Banana Republic challenge and the Grammy dress for Nancy O'Dell. Her win in the Banana Republic challenge allowed her dress to be sold in select Banana Republic stores in the United States as well as online. Her dress sold out within three hours online and within two days in stores. As a result of her win in the Grammy dress challenge, Nancy O'Dell wore an altered version of Pepper's dress to the 2005 Grammy Awards, despite some expressed reservations from the judges. She also had noticeable failures, including her outfit for the Innovation challenge and her dress for the Envy challenge.Fashion Week
As a finalist on Project Runway, Wendy was given the opportunity to display her "Thrill of the Hunt" fashion collection to a large audience at New York Fashion WeekFashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
. She claims it was the second most important day of her life after the birth of her daughter.
Current activities
After Project RunwayProject Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
, Pepper opened her own store in Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States with a population of approximately 976 as of July 2010.-History:The town was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per...
and also continued to work with individual clients. Soon after the show ended, Wendy and her second husband (Robert Downing) separated. She told the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
that her experience on television had changed her and "it was difficult for my husband to sort of come along for that step." Pepper continues to garner media attention. She appeared on the front page of The Georgetowner magazine in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She appeared in the New York Post, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, Loudoun Magazine, the Middleburg Eccentric, and Factio magazine. She also took part in two other Bravo television shows: Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown was a celebrity game show on the cable network Bravo. It was a limited-run series in which celebrities played poker, and ran eight tournaments during its five-season run....
and Battle of the Network Reality Stars
Battle of the Network Reality Stars
Battle of the Network Reality Stars is a television series that aired on the Bravo channel in the US in August and September 2005. Based on the popular 1970s and 1980s television competition Battle of the Network Stars, the show consisted of thirty-three competitors from several different reality...
. She also took part in the interview process for contestants for season two
Project Runway (season 2)
Project Runway Season 2 was the second season of Bravo's successful Project Runway, a reality competition for fashion designers. Season 2 began airing on December 7, 2005. Following a nationwide search earlier in the year, sixteen designers were chosen as semi-finalists and brought to New York...
of Project Runway. She had a brief cameo appearance in Bravo's Project Jay, an hour-long documentary on the winner of the first season of Project Runway.
Wendy showed her debut line, outside of Project Runway, on April 11, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She also continues to show new lines. Her previous ready-to-wear line was shown at the 2007 Cleveland Fashion Week in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Her line, Pretty World, was being sold exclusively through Highcliffe Clothiers. Currently, her designs are available at a local boutique, Betsey. Both shops are right down the street from her house in Middleburg, Virginia.