Rockin' fashion

Rock ‘n’ roll and fashion. These two things go together like bread and butter. Lucky for those of us in the Kansas City area, we get to see the two worlds collide in an amazing way. By combining local designers and musicians, you get the ultimate live experience of the Rock N’ Roll Fashion Show.

The event will be held at the Crosstown Station on April 23. The show was originated by Clay Perkins, with the help of co-producer/photographer Joshua Ferdinand and fashion coordinator Christian Micheal. The Rock N’ Roll Fashion Show’s first event was in February 2009, and the show continues to put local artists in the spotlight.

“Our purpose is to let local artists get exposure they would never receive normally,” Perkins says. “We mesh live music with fashion in one high energy show. We want to give these artists an opportunity to showcase their work, and we give them a platform in which to do it.”

This year, three local bands and six local designers will take the stage. The bands include Audiovox, The Roman Numerals and The Beautiful Bodies. The threads that will rock the runway will be provided by Hemline, La di da, Method, Chanel Hawkins, Envolve Boutique and Nikki Grant Boutique.

“We wanted to make sure that people know that the Rock N Fashion Show will not disappear or fall to the wayside,” Perkins says. “We have always been about giving a platform to local artists, and the response from the previous shows was so overwhelming that we felt like we need to continue to go out and build line ups that would continue to prove that we are the one and only original fashion show that mixes music with fashion in Kansas City.”

It’s not just the bands and designers who are locals. All parties involved, from models to make-up to photographers, are from the Kansas City area. This allows a wider range of local talent to be showcased.

To get the word out, the creators of the Rock N’ Roll Fashion Show have turned to social media sites such as Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. They have also put out a couple of promo posters and videos featuring members of the bands and clothing from the designers.

For a couple extra bucks people may attend an after party. The Rock N’ Roll Fashion show has set another date lined up for Nov. 12.

Tickets will be available at the door the night of the event. For more information about the Rock N’ Roll Fashion Show, visit http://www.myspace.com/rock_n_fashion or follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Rock_N_Fashion.
View the promo video here: http://vimeo.com/21468286

Environmentally friendly fashion

We see it everywhere. Slogans like “going-green” or “eco-friendly” bombard us in the media today. It is no secret that the idea of becoming environmentally aware has become a growing social concern all over the world. Going green isn’t just about the car you drive or your recycling habits, it’s also about the clothes you wear and products you use.

There are many fashion-related businesses in the Kansas City area that claim to be eco friendly. From jewelry and clothing designers to day spas and hair salons, going green and remaining stylish is a viable option for those of us in the Kansas City metro.

“We look to nature’s cycles for inspiration, both in the jewelry designs and in the daily activities at the workshop,” says Kylie Earlene Grater of Early Jewelry. “We focus on recycling and purchasing recycled materials, minimizing waste and supporting local resources and companies that think the way we do.”
Early Jewelry, located in Lawrence not only uses recycled metals and plastics, it also uses natural items such as animal bones, feathers and stones. Grater says that growing up on a farm in rural Kansas greatly influenced her aesthetic and pushed her toward eco-friendly design.

“The simplicity of rural life, the changing of the weather, and the cycles of planting and harvesting have all influenced my approach to creating jewelry,” Grater says.

There are also many fashion designers who have begun to use organic fabrics, second-hand clothing and accessories and recycled materials in an attempt to be eco-friendly. Because the market for organic fabrics has grown in recent years, it is more readily available and the price has gone down. This has made acquiring eco-friendly clothing a viable option to just about everyone.

So what makes fabrics organic? First, the seed must be cultivated naturally, with minimal impact on the environment. Also, all raw materials must be raised without chemical fertilizers or aids, and genetically modified seed cannot be considered green. Growers are also certified by third-party organizations and are inspected to make sure they are up to national and industry standards.

One local designer, Janay Andrews of Janay A. Handmade, has not only created an eco-friendly clothing line, she has begun to specialize in eco-friendly bridal-wear. Andrews creates anything from ring-bearer’s pillows to garters to wedding gowns themselves all in an eco-friendly fashion.

Janay A. Handmade, located on 31st Street in Kansas City, launched in 2005. Andrew’s business has progressively grown, recently attaining the Bride’s Choice Award ’11 from Wedding Wire. Andrews is also a co-founder of Wedding Hive, a bridal collective here in Kansas City.

“We strive to be green in all ways possible: We use the most beautiful vintage and organic materials we can find,” says Andrews, “we breathe new life into used materials for the most creative recycling we can conjure.”

Many of Andrews’ pieces embody these words. For instance, one of Andrews’ pieces is a ring bearer’s pillow that is made from an antique quilt. Andrews also uses vegetable-based dyes, factory-refused batting and many recycled fabrics such as old curtains.

“Many of our gowns are made of organic cotton with eco-friendly ribbon made from recycled plastic water bottles,” Andrews explains. “Girls can also bring in heirloom jewelry and incorporate that into the design.” Because no one wants to be the “cookie-cutter” bride on her wedding, the customization at Janay A. Handmade makes eco-friendly design even more fun and interesting.

Being eco-friendly and fashionable goes farther than your clothing and accessories. Day spas and hair salons also have made an effort to become green. One salon in particular is Studio Salon 39 located in the Crossroads Art District.

“As a green salon, we’re committed to organic living and creativity,” says Gemy Vinson- Chiarizio, founder of Studio Salon 39. Becoming a green salon and spa was not an easy task for Studio Salon 39. Because most products in the industry are not certified green, it took the salon some time to figure out what worked best.

“I realized that most professional beauty products were no ‘cleaner’ than mainstream products,” Vinson-Chiarizio said. “I felt very let down by the industry that I loved so much.”

It took a year of researching, but the salon finally found a professional product line that was organic. From this point forward, Eufora became the new staple line for Studio Salon 39.

“The entire bottle, including the label, is used from recycled products,” Vinson-Chiarizio says. The salon also began using European hair color because it is plant-based and uses fewer petrolatums than the average dye.

Just like the Eufora product line, which is green in every aspect, Studio Salon 39 has worked to be green in every way possible.

“We started recycling in the salon, which was challenging since it is normally not offered to businesses as part of the trash service,” Vinson-Chiarizio says. “To help cut down on our waste, we began a salon-wide recycling program.” Because recycling is not a normal option for businesses in the area, the employees took turns taking the recyclables to a nearby drop site.

“That was very eye opening,” Vinson-Chiarizio says. “We went from four huge bags of trash a week to one small bag. We also began to offer our recycling customers a discount; those who bring in empty product bottles receive a 10 percent discount on their retail purchases.” This incentive is not only a nice perk to customers, it may influence them to begin recycling themselves.

The employees of Studio Salon 39 have adjusted and also have made an effort to become even greener. They installed water-saving fixtures, solar shades and replaced inefficient appliances with new energy saving ones. All of these things make Studio Salon 39 one of the greenest salons in town.

Being green about your fashion does not mean you have to travel long distances or sacrifice your fashion sense. With many businesses in the Kansas City metro area dedicated to being green, it makes your search that much easier. Not only will you be contributing to the environment, you also will be contributing to local businesses and designers.


If you’re interested in any of these businesses, links to all their websites are listed below:
http://earlyjewelry.com/
http://www.janay-a.com/
http://www.studio39salon.com/

Princess Diana: A fashion icon

One of the most famous, most iconic dresses in the history of the modern world is the bridal gown of the late Princess Diana. Now, in an exhibit at the Union Station, the bridal gown along with other designer dresses, tiaras, jewels and other possessions are available to be seen by the public.

Diana’s wedding gown, which is now 30 years old, is the centerpiece of the exhibit. The dress is enclosed in a large glass case to accommodate its 25-foot train and the accompaniment of the flower girl’s dress. The gown is a sight to behold with intricate beading on the bodice and a veil to match. While a train of that size would be completely unfeasible to most, Diana showed some practicality in her shoe selection, choosing white flats with a small kitten-heel.
Large images of Diana wearing the monumental dress surround the display, allowing you get a life-sized visual of what it would have been like to be present at the wedding. The whole display has a larger-than-life feel; what one might expect to feel when in the presence of such an important piece of fashion history.

With all the recent talk of Princess Diana’s dress, there has been an increased amount of speculation about the dress Kate Middleton will don for her wedding ceremony. There have been leaks of possible designs although there has been no official word yet. Middleton and Prince William are set to wed at the end of next month.
The designer gowns shown at the exhibit showed that although Diana was royalty, she was also a real woman. Her dress size ranged from a size 4 to a size 14 throughout her life. She also had a wide range when it came to her taste in style. Many of her dresses were ultra-chic but she also owned many traditional pieces. She wore dresses of heavy, rich velvet, gorgeous gowns suited for a future queen. But then, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she slipped into something sexy, favoring cocktail dresses by Versace.

In addition to her wardrobe, Diana’s jewels were something out of a fairy tale. Many of Diana’s rings, necklaces and tiaras encrusted with the sparkling diamonds and smooth pearls were on display. Each piece of jewelry in her collection was exquisite and just being in the presence of such expensive jewels is any girl’s fantasy.

Besides all of the fashion-related items on display several of Diana’s personal items were also at the exhibit. Things like Christmas cards, autographed wedding photos and other knick-knacks give insight into Diana’s personality. This gives the viewer the opportunity not only to see the glamorous side of Diana’s life, but also the more personal side.

The exhibit opened March 4 and will remain in Kansas City until June 12. This is the last stop the exhibit will make in the United States, so go while you can. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster as well as the Union Station box office.