Project Runway Season 1 Contestant Wendy Pepper Dead at 53

Designer Wendy Pepper, best known for her time as a contestant on Project Runway, has died at the age of 53.

Her obituary was published in the Washington Post today, which reports she died peacefully on November 12 surrounded by her loving family. Wendy is survived by her parents, three brothers, sister, and her daughter, Finley Stewart.

Pepper competed in Project Runway Season 1, where she made it all the way to the finals for Fashion Week, and she came in third place. She won several challenges on the show, including the opportunity to design Nancy O'Dell's dress for the Grammy Awards. She also appeared on the second season of Lifetime's Project Runway All Stars in 2012, where she was the second person to be sent home.

After Project Runway, Pepper opened her own clothing store in Middleburg, Virginia and debuted a fashion line in Washington D.C. in 2006.