And it was time for the Runway Shows. Kansas City Fashion Week is known to outdo itself every season. The Runway shows of KCFW have always been iconic. This season, KCFW moved its runway to the Grand Hall at the Power Light District. Friday and Saturday shows are always known to be extra special, and I knew I could not miss out on these two special days.
My favorites from Friday evening were TR Brown, Julia Fischer Andrea Marie Long and Lauren Bander. These ladies knocked it out off the ball park with their interpretation of Fall Winter '2017 .
Lets get started with a detailed recap of the entire evening .
The evening started off with Project Runway alumnus Joshua Christensen, who is quite a regular face at KCFW. Bright colors, unexpected silhouettes and a heavy Island vibe seemed to be running across the collection. The men had their faces covered in white paint, and the women had facial contouring with amber or orange eye shadow. Dramatic facial make up for sure, but somehow the collection screamed more Spring - Summer than Fall Winter. But I must add that I loved the way he had Mixed Prints throughout his collection.
The second Designer of the night was Meghann Wheelock with her interesting childrens wear line Ethel and Dean . Military inspired elements, were a big part of last Fall , in Womens wear and Menswear and it seemed like , the trend continued with kids wear. A beautiful rendition of spunky and edgy kidswear, with a mix of plaids, denim and not your regular White Ts.
The third designer of the evening was Julia Fischer. I had loved her collection last season, so expectations were high this time. And Julia didnt disappoint. Fashion comes a full circle every few years , and Retro Fashion is somehow always in trend. From holographic prints to velvet, from oatmeal, to shocking pink, from wide leg pants to mini skirt, from ruffles to crop tops, I love how Julia juxtaposed different elements in a cohesive manner.
The fourth designer of teh evening was Nasheli Juliana. Avant garde monochromes took the runway, in a collection which seemed to be inspired by Nuns.Structured details,interesting head pieces, gold and silver foil face paint brought down the curtain for the first half of Friday.
The second half of the night began with a bang, with KCFW favorite Lauren Bander. A mix of fabrics , from velvet, chiffon, lace and tulle , created drama on the runway, with super feminine silhouettes. Loved the movement in every outfit , as it went along the European style runway. Not to forget that the showstopper's outfit literally lit up the runway, as the lights in the hall were dimmed.
Andrea Marie Long is often called the Queen of Velvet, and she is truly the queen. From golds and wine last season, Andrea went off to midnight blues and emerald greens in a Fall perfect collection . She had mentioned that its Velvet 2.0 this season, when we were chatting up at her preview at the KCFW Media Meet and Greet at Fortuity. Mix of fabrics are clearly a high point of Fall Winter 2017, and Andrea Marie Long was not far off the trend. She mixed leather, chiffon , silks and lace with her signature velvet , all through her collection. I loved the gold detailing, which was recurring element in most of her outfits. The outfits were paired with accessories from Enve Designs, by jewleery designer Ngan Vuoung.
TR brown with her collection "Chelsea Girls", was a visual delight. Retro Fashion can often be tricky and can make you look dated or old. Its a tricky path to tread on, and Tiffany Brown seemed to not only have treaded on the path, but literally danced her way through. I had seen her preview at the KCFW Media Meet and Greet at Fortuity. and had loved how her designs could be worn by anyone, be it a Model with perfect abs, or someone like me, with my 5 foot frame, and not so perfect midriff. She wowed the audience with her collection, which was such a lovely middle ground between Haute Couture and Pret ! Take a bow Tiffany ! Stay tuned to the Blog for a detailed interview with Tiffany Brown.
Queens Rocket by designer Jon Fulton Adams, was the concluding line to take the runway of Friday. Menswear with a big nod to Hunting, theater and history, which somehow was too avant garde for my tastes.
Last but not the least, the evening also featured a presentation by Judy Bales, which was a juxtaposition of elements from Industrialization and Nature.
Photo Credits :
Josh Santiago : Red Carpet
Bluebaugh Blueprints : My Picture from the Runway
If you want to read more about KCFW, then click on the label Fashion Week, in the top Menu of my Blog.
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