As known for serving dramatic looks on the runway as she was for stirring up drama in the workroom, Season 1 alum Wendy Pepper was one of Project Runway's first major personalities –- a designer who truly kept things interesting. During her "Project Runway" run, Pepper scored a couple of memorable wins, including a structured mini-dress which Nancy O'Dell wore for the 2005 Grammy Awards, and a short-caped navy silk dress which was sold by Banana Republic. Her designs pushed her through to finals at Fashion Week, however her "Thrill of the Hunt" collection – which showcased decadent romantic looks with a raucous edge –- failed to win the leading affections of the judges, and she placed third.
Pepper died in 2017 at the age of 53, with Middleburg Life reporting that the "Project Runway" star had cancer "for several months" before experiencing "complications of pneumonia." On Twitter, "Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen paid tribute to the memorable contestant and the legacy she'd left on the show, calling her "one of the first of many great characters to appear" on "Project Runway" and "a big reason for the first season's success."
According to Deadline, Pepper followed up her "Project Runway" success with her first major fashion line debuting in Washington D.C. in 2006. She subsequently maintained a boutique in Middleburg, VA, where she "launched a half a dozen businesses" including made-to-order bridesmaid dresses and an artisanal cookie business (via Middleburg Life).
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7XCpKCsr5mbwW%2BvzqZmbW9mbH93e8%2BrpqOdk6l6s8HNsJiyZaOprrO%2FjLKmrmWdnrSpwIynpq1lm6O8uHnDopydZw%3D%3D