Pixie & Ivy

This tucked-away corner shop in Houston is a prized resource for hard-to-find collections.

by Laurel Pinson

Stephanie McKinley had been working as a merchandise coordinator in New York, getting the right mix of high-profile designers' product into stores, when she started to get homesick for her native Texas. Putting her impressive fashion contacts to use, she opened this airy space in Houston in 1999, which immediately became a go-to destination for off-the-radar labels like Lilies by Rick Owens and Y's by Yohji Yamamoto. "There was really no one else in the city offering the clothing that interested me," says McKinley. "I wanted a mix of up-and-comers and established talent." Both the charming pink-walled boutique and its well-stocked site host a spectacular collection of lines and pieces, including ornate vintage-looking necklaces from Marquis & Camus, graphic dresses by Jeremy Scott, and Stella McCartney's collection for Le Sportsac. 1848 Westheimer Rd., 713-630-6500, pixieandivy.com