Murry & Karen Penner
What’s unique about your team and how does the relationship benefit the business? Our team is part of our family; many of us have worked together since we were in our twenties, so we’ve literally grown up together.
Throughout the year we have many events where our brand representatives come to the store. Without exception, they tell us that our team is the best they’ve seen. This sentiment is validated often by customers who send notes of appreciation (and occasional bottles of tequila) for an experience that exceeded their expectations.
We are very proud of these accolades and credit our staff for their expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence. They love to share their interests beyond the fashion world, too; so, if you want to know anything about biking or scuba diving, great vacation spots, or dining recommendations, just ask. On top of that, they’re just a lot of fun to be around.
Tell us about your business. What’s special about what you do and how you do it? In a nutshell, we help men live their best lives in style.
We are unique in Houston by offering a curated collection of both established and artisan luxury brands, along with best of class casual offerings, all together, under one roof. We have been experts in the custom business for over 40 years and offer made-to-measure services from the most sought-after brands in the world, including Zegna, Kiton, Isaia, Brunello Cucinelli, Santarelli, Sartorio, and more. We have what many consider to be the best tailor shop in town, and we offer complimentary alterations, closet consultation, private appointments, style advising, and local delivery.
The M Penner Team: Judy Penner, Jeremy Penner, Cody Sever, Karen Penner, Belinda Hillhouse, Jesus Alfaro, Joel Choney, Andrea Irizzary, Whitney Wiggins, Murry Penner (not pictured – Javier Aceves)
What would you be willing to share with others about the secret of success as a duo? We are often asked how we can be married, work together, and not kill each other — how that works. The easy answer is we trust each other. We share great satisfaction in seeing the business and our employees grow and prosper. On occasions where there is conflict, the answer is simple. The buck stops with Murry … at the store. At home, it’s a … well, another interview!
And what makes for an effective team in retail? Everyone on the team works together, so a culture of mutual respect and trust is fundamental. We’re fortunate to have great synergy here that enhances the experiences of both our team and our customers.
Our team works hard, and they are really talented. To keep things fun, we like to have contests that involve games like winning poker hands and “stealing the $20.” We also set team goals, and it’s wonderful to see how the team always pulls together and encourages each other so everyone wins.
What’s up next? What can you share about your plans for 2023? After 17 years at this location, it’s time for a refresh and we’re embarking on a renovation early next year. We’re also planning something special next year to celebrate 50 years in business. Stay tuned!
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Artwork by May, Magallon and Carter
Each work in this group show is a collaboration between three different artists, created using the rules of the surrealist parlor game, Exquisite Corpse, or “cadavre exquis” for you Francophiles, in which a player draws on a portion of a sheet of paper, folds the paper to conceal what they’ve drawn, and then passes it along to the next player to do the same. When unfolded, the juxtaposed images can be startling, even bizarre, thanks to the synchronistic nature of the process, and the twisted humor of the artists. (The show’s title sets the vibe for this summertime (hot) exquisite corpse (bod) exhibit.)
To pull this off, Basket Books and Art co-owner Edwin Smalling, a practicing artist with an MFA from Yale, and a purveyor of and advocate for physical media (i.e. books), chose to do it the hard way. After selecting a total of 120 participants, about a third of whom are based in Houston, Smalling initiated a long-distance form of “exquisite corpse” using the venerable, but not always reliable, United States Postal Service.
The artists received a “kit” containing three envelopes each, with a strip of blank paper, postage, and instructions to adhere to the rules of the game and mail their artwork to another artist, and finally back to Smalling. By eschewing the cloud and file-sharing platforms, Smalling hoped to inspire a broader, more inclusive spirit among the artists, and create “a map of the geographic and artistic network that the drawings have traversed on their way back to Basket Books and Art.”
Given the fact that USPS moves in mysterious ways, works for Hot Bod are, at the time of this writing, still arriving in the mail.
Among the Houston artists in Hot Bod are photographer and visual artist Jermani May paired with Darius Carter, a.k.a. OGPopzIG; and Areli Navarro Magallón, Communications Coordinator for Art Is Bond. Carter has been especially busy this summer. His artwork was included in Boston Center for the Arts’ 27th Drawing Show Yušká: Uncoil and the Brooklyn Art Cave’s third annual art exhibition Where We From, and he regularly drops short, fast-cut, hip-hop soundtracked video montages on Instagram highlighting current gallery and museum shows in Houston and beyond.
May, Magallon and Carter
'Exquisite Corpse' artwork (photo by Chris Becker)
May, Carter, and Magallón’s contribution to Hot Bod is an explosive, psychedelic mini-mural, with the trio posed alongside Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas’ poodle, the namesake and mascot of Basket Books and Art, looking cool and composed beneath a burning sky and bulbous cloudscape teeming with syncretic icons. Other standout artists to search for in the exhibit include Joseph Havel, Terry Suprean, Rabéa Ballin, Jeremy DePrez, Corey Sherrard, and Dana Frankfort.
Works from Hot Bod are available to purchase; 50 percent of each sale will be donated to support the Women’s Storybook Project of Texas, a non-profit program that helps incarcerated mothers stay connected to their children by recording stories and messages of love. Hot Bod is on view until Sept. 1, and a reception is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17, from 4-6 pm.