KCFW - Have You Met...?
Every season of Kansas City Fashion Week, there are new people to meet, and old friends to catch up with. On Sunday, we attended the KCFW opening event, the Garden Party, and we got to speak with models, designers, bloggers, volunteers and staff. We loved to hear what everyone is up to! Whether you are new, and want to meet the Kansas City fashion family, or you know everyone, and just enjoy reading what they said, make sure to take a look.
Phil Willoughby, CEO
"I am very excited, we have a top notch photography team, and really good designers. We planned and extra night this time, so we are already tired, but I am looking forward to it".
Tiffany & Elizabeth
“We are going shopping on Wednesday”, they responded when I asked if they already had their outfits picked out for fashion week. Tiffany Wilcut VanSickle is the owner of New Dawn Boutique and Elizabeth Blubaugh is a blogger at BluBaugh BluePrints. Together, we enjoyed the delicious meal, and cupcakes.
Teisha Barber, President
"Every season is always special, but we have a ton of new designers this season, which is great to see. We’ve added another night of shows, now we’re Tuesday through Saturday, so it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. That is what I am most excited about, to see how far we’ve come since the very first show".
Katie Sellers, Business Development Director
"The thing that I am most excited about is the Silent Auction, we are trying to keep the charitable cause in Fashion Week. Nobody will be mad about scholarships; we just want to help students that are going to college".
Molly Heise
“I will put up a decoration post in the blog soon”, said Molly when we asked her about life in her new home. Molly began studying theatre, and then switched to graphic design, she is also a blogger at Mod Circus. Undoubtedly, she has an eye for art, her new guest room will prove this.
Kelsie O'Brien, PR/Marketing Manager
“Lots of water, Redbull, and protein bars” are Kelsie’s essentials during fashion week. “Starting Monday night until Saturday, I will probably get 4 hours of sleep at night, my days start at 6 in the morning with media stuff, and then they go until midnight or one in the morning, when I get home”.
Tobie Roberts, Designer
I was pleasantly surprised to meet a fellow Stephen’s woman. Tobie is in her senior year at Stephens College, majoring in Fashion Design and Product Development. She was one of the few students selected for the Master Couture Class in Paris, taught by Stephanie Coudert.
“I spent the entire summer there (Paris) and I made both of these looks while I was there. They are all hand sewn minus the white understructure”.
Tobie used a designing and draping technique that minimizes the amount of seams used in a garment. One of her pieces has three seams, and the other, has only one.
“They are so different about thinking, they are so artistic, and I think that is what I loved so much about couture”.
Model: Victoria Gevorkov
Model: Jessica Krueger
Etinosa & Antonia
“I really like the Chiefs aspect, I haven’t been to anything like it, so that is what I am looking forward to”, indicated Etinosa Joycelin, blogger at Enhance the Individual.
“I am really nervous. I will be (modeling) in the section with the diamonds, Helzberg is sponsoring our looks. I am like, “Okay, lets do it!”, said Antonia Y Martin, blogger and model.
Georgina Herrera, Designer
“I have been working with some of these girls (models) for three seasons, we get along very well, we know each other very well. The team work makes a huge difference”, indicated Herrera. "Last fashion week we were more romantic, natural, trying to get back to our roots, take care of the environment. Now that we have passed that, we are getting more urban, more industrial, more strong".
From left to right: Noelle, Luza, Elise, Georgina, Rebecca and Hunter
Stephanie Rohr
“Have fun. Don’t get nervous, just focus on what you are doing”, is the advice Stephanie would give to new models. Stephanie will be walking every night this season, and is looking forward to it.
Julie
“I love all the fashion. I love getting to do the rack checks when the designers bring their clothes in. It’s great to see what they are all making. A lot of them make their own fabric, and paint their fabric. I sew, so I am very interested in that”.
From left to right: Samone, Paul, Darbi, Aecia, and Danielle, are some of KCFW volunteers.
“It’s been great, we’ve been able to meet so many people, photographers..."
Aecia and Danielle are models. Darbi is a fashion student, Samone is going to start fashion school, and Paul is here “just for the culture”.
There are so many more people involved in Kansas City Fashion Week, many photographers, make-up artists and volunteers behind the scenes. Thank you for all your work!
If we did not get a chance to speak with you, we would love to! Come say hi tonight, or tomorrow at the fashion shows.
Special thanks to Chuck Mason for taking this picture of us, we love it!
Story: Aurola Wedman Alfaro @aurola.wedman
Photography: William Viquez-Mora @willviquez
PS. If you want to know where the "Have you met..?" came from, do yourself a favor and watch How I Met Your Mother.