Project Runway contestant Wendy Pepper dead at 53

Wendy Pepper, a contestant on the first season of Project Runway, has died. She was 53.

Pepper, whose real name was Anne Eustis Pepper Stewart, died on Nov. 12, according to an obituary in the Washington Post.

She appeared during the first season of Project Runway in 2004, making it to the finals at Fashion Week and ultimately coming in third. While on the show, she won several challenges, including the opportunity to have one of her designs sold at Banana Republic and the chance to design Nancy O’Dell’s Grammy dress.

Pepper also made an appearance during the second season of Project Runway All Stars, which aired in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, she appeared on two other Bravo reality shows — Celebrity Poker Showdown and Battle of the Network Reality Stars.

Born in Dayton, Ohio in 1964, she was raised in Washington, D.C. She debuted a fashion line in D.C. in 2006 and sold her designs out of a boutique in Middleburg, VA.

She is survived by her daughter Finley, her parents, three brothers, a sister and several nieces and nephews.