kcfw: saturday shows recap

yayyyy! the saturday show recap is here! i have to say i was pretty amazed by all the designers, but wm couture, lauren bander (duh), and l.o.d. stole the show for me. check out my favorite looks from their collections!

the wm couture show was inspired by men's wear and i adored every look. i love these cream pants with the suspenders, and pin-up inspired top. and the dress below i may have sent out a tweet about how i need to own this. i mean, that back detail is just amazing. it's so precious.

these gowns were impeccably tailored i couldn't get over it! the black dress with the sweet little red bow and buttons i just could't get over it. and the pockets and volume of the skirt - brilliant. oh and don't even get me started on how amazing these dream of a cream (weddingish) dress is below. it moved beautifully on the runway, and then bam, pleats of men's wear shirt fabric. totally unexpected, and i loved it. all in all it was a pretty fantastic presentation.

lb by lauren bander was amazing of course. i adored her parisian theme and loved the head bands and dark smokey eyes for each look. the tulle and maxi skirts, had to be my favorite pieces from her line. she has great style to pull together such great line like this. 

see what i mean, i love this tulle skirt!!

now, i just need a place to wear this! 

and the last show of the day was from another favorite of mine - l.o.d. the black and white looks with the perfectly mastered pieces were perfect on the runway. i want this black suit in a bad way. isn't it gorgeous!

i mean, aren't her designs simply amazing! 

i loved getting to see such beautifully made pieces during the saturday show. i would wear any of these pieces in a minute. wouldn't you? i'm so glad they were inspired to create such gorgeous pieces that you can actually wear every day. maybe not how they styled the looks for the runway (but they are so gorgeous who cares) but you can definitely take pieces from each look and find a piece in your wardrobe you can wear to achieve an inspired look, from these looks. i'm inspired to wear my cream pants (normally worn during the holidays) with a crisp gingham shirt from the wm couture show. lauren bander has inspired me to wear more tulle and eye shadow for sure. but for an outfit, i love a great aline black skirt paired with a great gray sweater. and l.o.d. has inspired me to color block with my favorite colors, black and white. lol how do these looks inspire you? what look would actually wear?

xo,

cait

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holiday mart ticket giveaway

you all know how i love to shop, right!? well today i'm here to tell you all about one special shopping event that is close to my heart, holiday mart! as a member of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri i'm on the holiday mart retail committee (so fitting right!?). that's right, i got to help pick the retailers that would show at our biggest fundraiser. i can tell you it will be an amazing weekend full of wonderful vendors selling goods ranging from food, clothing, beauty, home decor, to health and wellness. holiday mart will be october 16th - 19th at bartle hall. there's literally something for everyone on your list! 

what i love about holiday mart is that we are able to raise about $500,000 from the ticket sales alone and about 85% (that's a ton of $) is reinvested into kansas city charities. the first holiday mart was in 1987 and since then it has raised close to $9 million for the kc community and the projects that support the Junior League's mission of promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving our community. each year holiday mart brings in more than 22,000 shoppers - pretty amazing right!?

i was pretty stoked when they asked if i wanted to giveaway 3 sets of 2 single day tickets! heck yes!! so if you win, you'll have a ticket for your friend to go with you! it's such a great event, you are going to love it! i went last year for the first time and fell in love with everything about it. the food, drinks, vendors, staff, and goodies. i think i knocked out like all of my holiday shopping in one day. i'm excited to see muchana (i can't wait to see what hats and scarfs they bring to the show), lily dawson (i met her last year and fell in love with her jewels), dillard's (cool), and cherry republic (i literally could eat a bag of these sour cherries in one sitting). what retailer are you excited to shop?

to win tickets, enter the rafflecopter below! in case you don't win, don't worry you can pick up tickets at  price chopper and order them online! oh and last year i was unsure of where to park, but parked in the west bottoms lot and the hallmark lot (yes i went multiple days, i just had to go back for more). we've got shuttles that bring you to your car that run constantly! it's pretty wonderful! and there's valet and lots all over the place. 

be sure to let me know if you have any questions and good luck! 

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xo, 

cait

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kcfw: friday show recap

architexture kicked off kansas city fashion week with a boom. the messy top knots with the deep maroon lip for the sateen feminine looks was everything. i literally died for every look of this show. the black belts pulling all the looks together, to the pops of yellow, were amazing. i mean, a glamourous yellow maxi skirt, what's not to love right? and the hair and make up i would do any day. i love a messy top know done right. so what's your take away - you can totally rock a i woke up like this hair style with a look of all neutrals (black jeans, gray top) and a pop of color (yellow earrings). no really. that's the beauty of neutrals, they are neutral, and go with everything. easy right!? no go try it and let me know what you think 

the mod looks brought by tomboy design studio by laura mcgrew were so updated that i felt like i could rock these looks now and not feel like i was wearing a costume from the 60's. you know what i mean!? there was a great homage to that era with the accessories, but the actual garments were very of the moment. the black and white ensemble was one to remember, and i adore that necklace. it's fab right!? the high low long sleeve red and white top is adorable, i want to wear it now. and the last look, a mixed print that includes black and white stripes, i done for. this show ruled, and i loved it so much! now i need to go find some 60's inspired accessories to rock with my mixed print outfits. 

the darling of the hour ms. kate walz showed one killer line. the first look a fitted (i think i need it) dress with a dramatic ruffled cape and the last look, a zac posen inspired white gown with an amazing green hand portrait painted on the torso, were my favorite looks of the show. both looks are so different but are totally rememberable. i couldn't stop thinking about either of them. i adored simplicity of the navy dress paired with the glamorous cape. and the construction of the white dress was simply breath taking. now, how do i get my hands on the navy dress. 

i met with alicia janesko of alicia janesko caftans & resort wear last thursday at the trunk show and really adore her and the fast that she's from kc! her designs are amazing and i want the one she is wearing during her final walk, that shimmer, was amazing. she is so talented! oh and those head dresses, she totally made them. i can't even begin to explain how amazing they all were. so delicate and perfect for each look. her whole line had a great feel to it! now how to rock a caftan in the fall…leather jacket, tights, and booties. are you with me?

to wrap up the friday night show - heidi herrman totally killed it! can we talk about the flattering 50's vibe i am feeling in this collection. talk about flattering and fun! oh and that printed yellow and blue skirt, oh i mean shorts, yes shorts! i died over them. like literally i want to wear them right now. i love how flowy they are just amazing! i adored this collection because it all looked like it morphed from the 1950's to modern day. and all with out missing a beat, and totally appropriate for today! i would definitely rock these looks - remind you of modcloth, anyone? i'm totally digging it!

i absolutely loved getting so sit front row with my blogging babes and with my babe. it was pretty wonderful getting to have him by my side this weekend. i got to watch the shows and actually watch the shows, while he snapped away. a huge thank you to the kansas city fashion week team for all of their amazing work to pull off such an amazing event! i loved every minute of it! stay tuned for kcfw outfits and recaps too!

xo,

cait

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kcfw: lauren bander giveaway

it's that time again to for kcfw! yes. kansas city fashion week is back! i can't wait to attend the shows, talk to the designers, and see their new collections. you might remember how much fun i had last spring, here, here, and here. lauren bander is definitely one of my favorite designers from the spring shows. she stood out to me last year with her carrie bradshaw meets goth girl collection. i adored her effortlessly layered tutu looks with cozy hand woven shawls. we teamed up together to get you all excited about kcfw and her presentation, by bringing you a great giveaway! be sure to enter the giveaway for one of lauren's amazing hand woven scarfs. a winner will be picked on friday, september 26th and announced on instagram and twitter. i thought it would be awesome to learn a little bit more about lauren too. so i've asked her a few questions so you can get to know her!

1. how excited are you about presenting at KCFW this year??

I am SO excited to be showing again at KCFW!  This quickly became one of my favorite shows to be a part of and I look forward to the opportunity of coming back each season.  KC now feels like my home away from home and I love being able to come back each season to show everyone my newest collection.  It makes it even more fun & exciting (and sometimes even makes me a bit nervous) that I have so many people excited to see me back and can't wait to see what I've been working on.

I enjoy working with everyone that's a part of this show so much and love that I have become friends with so many.  I've been very lucky too because a lot of my girls (my models) have been with me since my first season at KCFW and they are a huge reason as to why I look forward to coming back each season.  I couldn't ask for a better group of girls, or to be a part of a better, more giving show (they are always giving back to their community, and this season have even partnered with the Make-A-Wish foundation).  I definitely feel honored to be able to show with them and cannot wait until Saturday.

2. how many years have you presented at KCFW? 

This is my 4th season with KCFW.  My first show was in the Spring of 2013. 

3. how would you describe your new collection?

The best way to describe my new collection is that it is very me.  Spring collections are usually a little more difficult for me because I'm not a very colorful person and a lot of people expect to see brighter colors and bold prints on the Spring runways.  I personally like neutrals, especially black and other dark colors.  So that tends to make creating these collections a bit more difficult.  This time though I decided I wanted to do a spring collection I would really love, so I'm taking a slight risk and there won't be any color on my runway.  The designs though stay true to me and what I always do: pieces with an abundance of fabric, lots of movement on the runway, feminine...That part won't change, it's just that it won't be your typical spring/summer color story.  

4. what inspired this collection?

My inspiration for this collection was photos of Paris.  They have sort of an eerie feel, mysterious...but I think they're really beautiful photos.  They're a bit dark but still beautiful, sort of what I was going for with this collection.  

5. who inspires you the most?

As a designer one of my biggest inspirations has always been Christian Dior.  I love his feminine styles and the large amounts of fabrics he used.  His gowns have always been an inspiration, and what I look towards when I fall into a creative block. 

6. what is your favorite piece from the collection?

My favorite piece in the collection....this is a difficult question.  My favorite always tends to change. I'm partial to ball gowns, I would wear one everyday if I wouldn't get such crazy looks lol so those are always some of my favorites and the reason I usually have more than one in the collection.  But another of my favorite is a long, black chiffon strapless dress.  Its super simple, but I think that's why I like it so much.  I tend to like the really simple pieces, because I like to be able to layer them or change looks just by changing accessories.  

7. when do you present at KCFW?

 I show at KCFW at 2pm on Saturday September 27.

8. where are you from?

I am from St. Louis, MO

9. how long does it take you to create your lines for KCFW?

While I'm constantly thinking of new designs and what I'll do next, the actual process of creating a collection (from the idea stages and mood boards to the completion of samples) usually takes me about 5-6 months, depending upon the number and complexity of the designs.  But it is also not unlike me to throw out some pieces and start almost completely over just weeks  before, you just can't ignore when inspiration hits lol 

10. who are your top three (i'm sure you have more) favorite designers?

So of course my favorite designer is Christian Dior...but I also really love The Row (designed by Mary-Kate Olsen & Ashley Olsen) and Alice+Olivia.0

be sure to follow lauren bander:

facebook

twitter

instagram

website

i look forward to see you and lauren bander at kcfw! if you need tickets you can get them here.

xo,

cait

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the chick event at park place

you know how i love park place. i mean what's not to love, good food, good entertainment and it's super close to were i live! so last weekend i was invited to attend the chic event. it was the first of many and i enjoyed every minute of it. a ton of my favorite local retailers were there, my husband loved getting to chat with katy from sandlot goods about their wallets. it was a pretty cool moment for sure. we had a great time checking out all the tents and talking to the vendors about their products. i was blown away by all the talented artists and designers that attended. i pretty much wanted one of everything! the fall decor signs i loved! i mean how stinkin' cute are they!? that burlap pumpkin is adorable, wanted that for the casa. the watercolor on canvas painting blew me and hubs away. the baby moccasins and printed pants had me swooning (no babies yet). the colors of the abstract painting were beautiful! the vintage jewelry and bags i was literally dying over, there's an art deco necklace that i'm still thinking out. the music and food was amazing!! oh and those homemade soaps - killer, my favorite was a mint and lavender mixture. see what i mean, everything at the chick event was awesome! and i can't wait to go again. to learn more about the event check it here. 

have a great weekend! and if you're in kc - head down to the plaza and enjoy the plaza art fair!

xo,

cait