Words by Sarah Fulton and Emily Gregor<\/b><\/p>\n
New York, Milan, Paris and Tokyo: the four fashion giants of the world. With costs of living increasing daily, many designers are avoiding these fashion hubs altogether. Instead, they\u2019re opting to live in Midwestern cities like Omaha and Minneapolis. Another option: Kansas City, a metropolitan hub creating a runway of its own to cultivate a showcase that is nothing short of glamorous. <\/span><\/p>\n After a quick fitting, bridal designer and Missouri native Kendra Harris sends her model off to hair and makeup for all the final touches she needs. From sketching to stitching, the process has always felt natural to Harris. She created <\/span>KJ Clothing Design<\/span><\/a> in December 2011. This season is based entirely on soft lace, flattering double-knit fabrics, bolts of tulle and anything else that strikes her fancy. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t design to create art. I design to make a woman beautiful,\u201d Harris says. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s all about feeling. How does it feel? And how does it feel when you\u2019re in it? So, I included a lot of fabrics that are super soft.\u201d<\/p>\n[aesop_gallery id=”5156″]\n This season, Harris is enamored with a rich, smooth burgundy, a gold that would put an Oscar statue to shame , and an immaculately flattering shade of ivory. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis fabric is very interesting; it\u2019s almost like a stretch satin, but it\u2019s a knit, so it\u2019s super soft and it really hugs the curves,\u201d Harris says. \u201cI love the idea of brides not having to worry last minute like, \u2018Oh my gosh, I gained 5 pounds. Will my dress fit?\u2019 So everything stretches slightly.\u201d<\/p>\n This year is her first time hitting the Kansas City runways and to say she is ecstatic would be an understatement. \u201cDoing <\/span>Kansas City Fashion Week<\/span><\/a> is almost like a launch of my brand,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/p>\n On the other side of the city, a power couple reigns over a kingdom of ready-to-wear essentials. \u201cThis line is all outerwear, so there are nine models and everyone will have a piece of outerwear,\u201d says designer John Moncke, one of the masterminds behind <\/span>Architexture<\/span><\/a>, a Kansas City-based industrial brand that has established itself over the past six years. He and his wife, Christina, both have established themselves in the local fashion scene \u00a0— John unveiling <\/span>kits for Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer<\/span><\/a> and Christina working on product development at companies like Hudson\u2019s and Lee Jeans. And they have the designing process down. This year, they are all about outerwear that\u2019s stylish, functional and durable. \u201cWe always say Architexture is for the strong, smart, modern woman. You should feel empowered to be wearing it,\u201d Christina says. \u201cIt\u2019s to be worn from day to work to evening easily by changing out some pieces. Typically, most of the pieces are feminine, but it is very modern.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Harris and the Monckes have learned their way around the Kansas City fashion scene. Through the process, they\u2019ve found the silver linings of working in the Show Me State, as opposed to Los Angeles or New York City. \u201cI would say the Midwest is very tight-knit,\u201d Harris says. \u201cAll of the models work for free, and most of the photographers work for free. Everybody knows each other, so it\u2019s a very tight-knit group. The relaxed atmosphere is also a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Low-cost studio space is another element of the industry that keeps designers planted firmly in the Midwest. \u201cWe have a really great studio. A studio like that in New York would cost us immensely more than it costs us here,\u201d John says. <\/span><\/p>\n An additional benefit? Since designers aren\u2019t competing with the likes of <\/span>Elie Saab<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Balmain<\/span><\/a>, they have the opportunity to get noticed, <\/span>fast<\/span><\/i>. \u201cIt\u2019s almost easier to be well-known out here because you\u2019re one of 50 designers or one of 10 bridal designers in Kansas City,\u201d Harris says. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Monckes may have developed a successful Midwest-based brand, but they\u2019re the first to admit they have to spend extra time waiting for fabrics and planning ahead. Much more so than if they were in a bigger city. \u201cOn the coasts — this is true of Chicago as well — you have some resources locally when you are in a city, like Chicago or L.A. or New York, from contractors that can produce your line to fabric sources,\u201d John says. \u201cAll of that is still available to someone here in Kansas City. You may just have to do that through travel or online.\u201d<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/IMG_0406.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”Models wearing the Fall\/Winter 2016 Andrea Marie Long collection line the Kansas City Fashion Week runway for the designer\u2019s final walk. Photo by Sarah Fulton.” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n Designers are, by nature, creative people. The Kansas City crew works from a different source of inspiration. As the Monckes strive to have their clothes sold at big retailers, like Nordstrom, inspiration often comes from practical places. Christina looks to trend reports and Pinterest to develop ideas that will sell. <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m not going to tell you Paris inspired my collection because that is not really how we design,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have the same aesthetic each season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n John agrees with his wife but also looks to the larger world. \u201cInspiration can be anywhere. It can be the front end of an Audi, the color that you see on a Mac or the glass that you see on some building,\u201d John says. \u201cInspiration can come from, of course, fashion but also outside fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n In contrast, inspiration for Harris\u2019 latest collection came from a more personal place. Her first child, a daughter named Lydia, was born in 2015. When designing the latest KJ Clothing Design collection, Harris imagined what Liddy would wear if she got married now. The theme carried into her Kansas City Fashion Week runway. \u201c<\/span>Every night before my daughter goes to sleep, I sing her a certain lullaby, which is the song my husband and I danced to for our first dance, so I had that song playing throughout my whole runway,\u201d Harris says of the song, \u201c<\/span>Tonight<\/span><\/a>\u201d by JJ Heller.<\/span><\/p>\n Getting to a place where you can design and sell clothing based on what inspires you is not an easy task. The Monckes have worked in fashion for the past 20 years, and their experiences have taught them lessons up-and-coming designers can learn from.<\/p>\n For five years, Christina taught fashion design and fashion marketing at the Art Institutes International <\/span>\u2212<\/span> Kansas City. \u201cI always told my students: Before you branch out on your own, get the experience,\u201d Christina says. \u201cGet the established paycheck from someone else to learn what you need to learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n John advocates for making sure there is thorough research and planning behind a brand launch and not just the desire to be in the news. For those who have already launched, he advises retaining a consistent aesthetic. \u201cSo many people we have seen over the years swing from one end of the pendulum to another. One season they look one way, and the next season you could not even recognize it was the same line,\u201d John says. \u201cHave some kind of consistency. Have a voice that runs through everything you do.\u201d<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/IMG_0714.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”The light from smartphones and cameras lit up the audience at the March 19 Kansas City Fashion Week show as many watched the runway through their screens. Photo by Sarah Fulton.” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n The journey to be successful in Midwest fashion may be long and challenging, but for designers who\u2019ve made it their life\u2019s work, it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n \u201cMy vision has come to reality. That\u2019s the best feeling,\u201d Harris says. \u201cWhen it\u2019s done, and it\u2019s just the way you want it and you see your creation for the first time in its entirety, that\u2019s the best part and that\u2019s why I design.\u201d<\/p>\n\nPros, Cons + Midwest Design<\/h4>\n
Midwestern Muses<\/h4>\n