Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/745587
90 L ike almost everything in the retail genius' creative orb, Mecox founder Mac Hoak's 85-year-old mu- seum-area house comes with a good story. First, let's go back 25 years, when Hoak was working in finance in New York City. He'd fallen in love with Fred Perkins, a Houston native (now his husband and Mecox vice president), whom he'd enticed to Manhattan with the prom- ise of returning to Texas after a few years (the limit Perkins could imagine going without good enchiladas and frozen mar- garitas). But a career change intervened: On a blustery February day in 1996, Hoak drove along Montauk Highway in South- ampton and spotted a vacant storefront once occupied by a family-run landscaping business. "I was a novice gardener and had a grandfather who loved gardens," he says, "so I wanted to do something in that part of the world." When he got home, Hoak called the broker and leased the building. A month later, Mecox Gardens opened, and Hoak left Wall Street. Situated on three acres of lush gardens, the store sold unusual pots, plants, and outdoor furni- ture and was an instant hit with locals and prominent New York designers. But that was only the beginning. "Customers started asking for indoor furniture and antiques," Hoak says, "so we added those. Plants became the decoration." A half- dozen more Mecox stores opened across the country in the ensuing decades, and the couple set down roots in the Hamptons. To this day, Mecox (the name was shortened years ago) is one of the chicest things happening in Southampton. Its mix of furniture in natural materials (stone, zinc, teak, concrete), French country an- tiques, and vintage pieces with timeworn finishes draws admirers and top designers in spades. Decorator Mark Hampton was an early client, and his designer daughter, Alexa Hampton, remains a devotee. The store's first month in business, a young Christopher Spitzmiller set up his potter's wheel in a barn behind the store. Mecox was the first to sell the then-unknown ar- tist's exquisite hand-thrown lamps, which now command thousands of dollars. Manhattan came next. In 1998, Hoak opened a temporary Mecox on the Upper East Side, with a 60-day lease in case things didn't work out. It was a pop-up shop be- fore anyone knew the term, and it proved a smart move. Eventually Mecox settled in permanently, and the store still thrives. Hoak has since rolled out stores in Palm Beach, Los Angeles, East Hampton, Dal- las, and a large Mecox emporium opened in 2008 in Houston's Highland Village. But it wasn't until 2014 that the couple decamped to Houston full-time. "It took almost 20 years, but I finally honored my obligation to move to Texas," says Hoak. T he best-laid plans are always subject to detour. When Perkins and Hoak arrived to town, they rented a home and began hunting for a mod- ern house in the nearby Museum area. "We'd already bought and fixed up four old houses in the Hamptons," Hoak says. "We wanted to do something contempo- rary and modern in Houston, since that's what it's known for. Instead, we ended up with an old French house." The enclosed front yard was perfect for their dogs, and because the house was hidden from the street behind sculpted bushes and trees, it felt secluded. "We are in an urban setting, yet it feels like we're in the country," he says. The creative, unconventional vibe of the area was another draw — nearby residents include urban park designer Guy