Kansas City Fashion Week

The brisk wind that blew over Kansas City last Thursday evening was all too fitting for a fall/winter runway. But the warm glow of the chandeliers inside The Grand Hall at Power & Light easily made up for it.

High heels. Glitzy makeup. Bright camera flashes. Kansas City Fashion Week was everything a fashion show ought to be—plus some.

Eight designers took to the U-shaped catwalk that night. From Liv’s fierce designs for women wearing sizes 12 to 36 to Nokota.Style’s distinguishable equestrian flair, this time inspired by the moon. With each and every collection, the venue’s art deco backdrop faded, only the runway in focus. By the last designer—LENZANITA Couture—the marbled floors, elegant columns, and gold accents were but a bokeh.

If I had to pick a favorite, this would be it. Anita Kealey’s fashions are truly pieces of wearable art. And her brand is entirely backed in sustainability. But it’d be hard to even guess that her creations used scraps from a local balloon manufacturer or now-obsolete media tape; it’s natural among otherwise classic shapes and lines.

As excited as I am for springtime, the olives, plums, slate blues, and heather grays LENZANITA featured had me yearning for a pile of fallen leaves. Any of the wools (from South Dakota-raised sheep, no less) would be a perfect pairing with those ankle boots in my closet, I daydreamed, sitting front row in my off-the-shoulder multi-colored maxi dress. When Kealey, herself, walked out, just imagine me as the heart-eyed emoji.

Chalk it up to this being my first fashion show, but LENZANITA is something special. I’m not the only one to notice, either. Publications like Midwest Living and Martha Stewart have already spotlighted Kealey’s work.

It’s exciting to see a Midwesterner making their mark—or the lack thereof—in today’s fashion. The industry’s future lies in brands like LENZANITA. The industry’s future lies in environmental consciousness.  

By: Zarah Eads