KC Fashion Week - What It's Like

Last weekend I headed down to Kansas City Fashion Week with a fellow blogger and friend Angela. Although I love fashion and trends, I honestly never pay attention to runways or fashion weeks. I have recently started watching Project Runway, but other than that, I don't know a lot about that world. Angela happened to be the perfect companion because she majored in fashion design and almost competed on Project Runway herself! She was able to answer my questions all night and I really learned a lot!

We both had press passes, so I knew that the night was going to be great! I felt official and no matter how out of my element I felt, the pass meant that I belonged. After we arrived, we were taken backstage to the hair and makeup area. The models were all getting ready and there were tables full of makeup, hair products and Red Bull (which I thought was funny!). Ulta Beauty sponsored the backstage area and handed out amazing gift bags to each of the bloggers. I really enjoyed talking with them and the stylists backstage. I found out that each designer has their own salon and makeup artists to work on the models showing their clothes. Most of the hair stylists had worked a full day at the salon and then come to work all night, but were excited for the change of pace.

We left the backstage area to find our seats and take in the rest of the venue. Our seats were on the front row, which really felt glamorous. The runway was much longer than I expected it to be, but it was beautifully set up. While we waited for the show to begin, we took photos in a photo booth together and met other bloggers. Angela knew quite a few bloggers from attending Go Blog Social last year, but I met everyone for the first time. Who knew there were other bloggers in Kansas City? I do think that the blogging community here is pretty small, but it is fun to think about it growing and being one of the early starters.

The show started at 8:00pm and I was seriously already exhausted by the time it started! All of the excitement and talking had worn this momma out. I grabbed a Diet Coke and pulled out my camera as the models started walking out. There were seven designers, which seemed like a lot, but they ranged from college student level to local designers to nationally known designers. Each collection was very different and some spoke to me more than others.

Lauren Bander

 Koko Clemence

BYWHITNEY- Whitney Rorah

 House of Cochon

 Laura Kathleen

I was most surprised at and curious about the runway models. Angela told me the models are from modeling agencies around the city. I also found out each model only wears one look for the night which I had wondered about. I had also previously wondered why runway models all look so different and sometimes aren't the most striking or obviously beautiful models in the industry. (I'm not saying the models that night weren't pretty - they were! But in general I have had this thought.) Well now that I have attended a runway show, I know why. While I was watching the show I was looking only at the clothes - how they fit, how they were made, what they were made out of, etc. The clothes were all I wanted to look at. The models that were distracting in how they walked or how they looked bothered me. The best models were the ones that literally appeared to be walking mannequins. It shocked me. 

All in all I think KC Fashion week met and exceeded my expectations. While I don't really feel like I found out about any up and coming trends by attending the show, I did learn a lot! I experienced a side of the city and life that I have never seen. I met a lot of talented ladies and found out that I did fit right in. My shoes were just the right shoes to wear and so was the rest of my outfit. Not once did I feel out of place or insecure. I felt like myself but not at home. I was so glad to leave the loud music and the intensity of the evening and come home to my family. I wouldn't trade my day job - er - life as a momma for any of that. I'm so glad that I am able to blog and get out to things like KCFW because they are really good for me. I had a night off and indulged my passions and creativity and it was wonderful!