KCFW Designer Interview + Giveaway!

Andrea Marie Long KCFW March 2014

Tonight is the kick-off night for Kansas City Fashion Week featuring the fall/winter 2015 collections of local designers! It is a three night event held at Union Station in downtown Kansas City. The lineup for all three nights is fantastic! Tonight's runway show features well-known designer Paolini Garment Company. Personally, I'm really looking forward to Friday night's show! The undeniably chic designer Andrea Marie Long is showing her collection on Friday's runway. Saturday will also be a special show. Architexture Clothing and Kate Walz will be among the ranks displaying their designs on the catwalk! It's definitely going to be an artistically-inspiring, unbelievable show.

In anticipation of KCFW events, I got together with designer Andrea Marie Long for a Q&A on her style, designs, and inspiration. Andrea has been an influential designer in Kansas City since moving back from Seoul. This will be her fourth collection at KCFW and she's excited to return to the show after taking a season off. This little break has helped her recharge and brainstorm new designs that challenge her previous collections. Andrea also has generously offered a giveaway for my readers, so read on my friends!

Q. When did you start designing? What inspired you to become a designer?
A. I've been interested in sewing since I was little and probably sewed my first thing, a drawstring backpack at 14 or 15. (Go mid-90s!) I started working on theater costumes in high school and through college. I tried to get a 'real job' and do journalism at first (to work in a fashion magazine), but my heart was in sewing, so I changed to theatre design for costumes and graduated from KU.

Q. Where do you draw inspiration from when you design?
A. Each of my last collections have been uniquely different. Each one is inspired by a particular 'thing.' Sometimes it's a photo, a particular era or silhouette, a color, a texture, and more. But for each collection, I work within a very narrow inspiration box once I've found it. That's so the pieces tie into each other and tell a complete story. For example, this one is about a particular color, mixed textures of smooth and rough and brightness.

Q. What's one word you would use to describe your clothing/bags/jewelry line?
A. Oooh... that's a hard one. This collection - #seasilk. In general, can I use two? Powerfemale vintage-inspired (that counts as two? :) )

Q. What time period of fashion most inspires your designs for the KCFW collection?
A. For this collection, I'm incorporating 40s and 50s silhouettes, 1990's colors, and a modern 'brushstroke' if you will.

Q. What's your favorite thing about being a designer for KCFW?
A. I love being provided an incredible, highly respected, and organized way to present my looks. The event has helped a lot of local designers have a platform for their designs and elevate the industry with a community feel. And dang it feels good to walk a runway to friends and family cheering on the incredible amount of work that I pour out of my artistic self each season. And the party feel :)

Q. Anything else we should know about your brand?
A. I love to re-purpose fabric when I can. I feel like it's economically, socially, and environmentally friendly. That includes vintage fur and the curtains from my studio re-design. I also, like I said, work within a really specific inspiration window for each of my collections. So while that tells an amazing story in and of itself, each of my collections are very different from each other. I got for similar elements for sure, but am highly varied in my approach.

Q. What do you love most about Kansas City?
A. I love so much about KC. The growing focus on fashion! The arts in general, First Fridays, amazing restaurants, and the history here. I would say I'm most excited for KC in the springtime with fountains and great tree-lined boulevards!

As I said earlier, Andrea has offered a generous giveaway for History & High Heels readers! For the winner of the giveaway, she'll create a custom designed scarf out of silk of their choosing and she'd collaborate with the reader on her design! Such a unique and fabulous gift!

To win this giveaway, complete the following steps:
1. follow Andrea Marie Long on Instagram (@momentarydaze)
2. follow me on Instagram (@HistoryandHighHeels)
3. comment below giving your Instagram name and tell me which piece of Andrea's 2014 KCFW collection you love! Just follow this link for her designs!

Giveaway closes at 8pm on Sunday, March 22.

Many thanks to Andrea Marie Long and Kansas City Fashion Week! Keep up with the latest runway shows with the hashtag #KCFW and on my Instagram!