Daughter of a Houston Oil Tycoon and Top Model Launches a New Line of Sustainable Fashion, Including One Dress With 23 Different Looks

One might not expect the scion of a fossil fuel energy fortune to turn her talents to sustainable clothing. But that is the exact avenue native Houstonian Julia Davis has chosen for her life’s work. Last August, she introduced the Promise Dress, one multi-faceted ensemble that is the basis for more than 23 different looks. All made from discarded fabric.

“The fashion industry is the second leading polluter behind fossil fuels, the two industries are so intertwined they are arguably one and the same,” Julia Davis says. “The solution is design that conserves resources through versatility, which is how The Promise Dress was born.”

Davis comes by her knowledge of both fossil fuels and fashion legitamately. Davis was educated in the oil and gas business via her father Gregg Davis, president and CEO of Houston-based D3 Energy. Her grandfather Marvin Davis was one of America’s most successful wildcatters and eventually one of Hollywood’s most powerful movie moguls.

Davis’ love of fashion and joy in dressing up originated with her mother, former Ford model Elena Statheros-Davis, and her grandmother, philanthropist Barbara Davis, who was every couturier’s favorite customer.

Now calling Los Angeles home, Julia Davis named her business the Jay Day Dress Company. The same name that her great-grandfather Julius “Jack Davis” employed when beginning his first fashion endeavor in 1932. The successful company sold 200,000 dresses per month at its peak to JCPenney and other retailers across the country even during The Depression.

That success provided seed money for Marvin Davis’ entry into wildcatting.

The social consciousness that defines Elena Davis’ interests has surely had an influence on Julia. In 2009 Elena founded I Am Waters Foundation, delivering bottles of water — aimed at providing physical and spiritual hydration — to agencies that serve the homeless. Today, Elena Davis is based in Los Angeles and serves as president of the women-owned and operated Jay Day Dress Company. Julia Davis is CEO and designer. Gregg Davis applauds and supports their efforts.

“The Promise Dress revolutionizes the way that we wear and see clothing,” Julia Davis notes on her website. “Aimed at reducing over-production caused by over-consumption, The Promise Dress is one dress that becomes 23-plus looks. The Promise is to conserve resources while always giving a ‘new’ look.”

The dress comes in two iterations — deadstock white cotton poplin and deadstock indigo denim. (Deadstock is surplus from factories and designers, fabric which otherwise would be disposed of in landfills or incinerated.) The white dress comes in seven pieces — one dress, one top, two sleeves sets and three strap styles. The indigo ensemble comes in six pieces — one dress, one top, one set of sleeves and three strap styles. The pieces attach with buttons.

“The value of The Promise Dress is that it’s the gift that keeps on giving because it can be worn to a wedding, work, fine dining or the park,” Julia Davis tells PaperCity. “It’s one design that is so versatile and places the person wearing it a firsthand role of healing the planet.”

After studying art history at the University of Southern California, Julia Davis worked at Gagosian Gallery with plans to go into the art sales business after finishing a course at Sotheby’s Art Business School in London. However, her love of fashion prevailed and she made an unexpected career path change to fashion design. She soon became disenchanted with the need for continually adding to the closet in order to maintain an au courant look.

Taking a deep dive into fast-fashion and understanding how the clothing industry is the second leading polluter behind fossil fuels, Julia Davis was spurred into action to create a sustainable, practical, yet fashionable wardrobe piece.

The Promise Dress is currently sold online here. Stay tuned, as Julia Davis and Elena Davis were recently in Houston scouting retail outlets for her unique dresses. You can follow Jay Dress Company on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.