Houtte, Alison 1960(?)–

PERSONAL: Born c. 1960; daughter of George and Jacqueline (Neylon) Houtte.

ADDRESSES: Home—New York, NY. Agent—Gail Ross Literary Agency, 1666 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Ste. 500, Washington, DC 20009. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Retail business owner and model. Hooti Couture, New York, NY, owner. Formerly worked as a model for ten years for various companies, including Avon, Reader's Digest, Kenzo, Absolut Vodka, and Dr. Pepper.

WRITINGS:

(With sister, Melissa Houtte) Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing (memoir), illustrated by Mary Coleman, William Morris (New York, NY), 2005.

Contributor to Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire.

SIDELIGHTS: Sisters Alison Houtte and Melissa Houtte learned the benefit of thrift-store shopping from their mother when they were young. Alison launched her modeling career in Paris wearing a 50-cent suit. Ten years later, she opened a vintage clothing and jewelry shop in Brooklyn called Hooti Couture.

The Houtte sisters are the authors of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing. The book not only tells the story of Alison's vintage clothing shop, but also of its customers, the merchandise, and the process of running a clothing business. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly called the book "perfect" for "fashion lovers, flea market fanatics, and thrift store junkies." Barbara Jacobs noted in Booklist that Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money is "filled with observations and reminiscences that make this a truly humane tale." Overall, a contributor to Kirkus Reviews called the book "vicarious pleasure for anyone who loves hearing about a great find."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Houtte, Alison, and Melissa Houtte, Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing, William Morris (New York, NY), 2005.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2005, Barbara Jacobs, review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money, p. 20.

Bookseller, July 15, 2005, review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money, p. 17.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2005, review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money, p. 957.

Orange County Register, November 17, 2005, Samantha Critchell, review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money.

Publishers Weekly, August 1, 2005, review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money, p. 53.

ONLINE

Hooti Couture Web site, http://hooticouture.com/ (December 15, 2005).

Papierdoll Online, http://www.papierdoll.net/ (December 15, 2005), review of Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money.