KCFW FW'18 THURSDAY NIGHT - A RECAP

It is time for the much-awaited recap of the runway shows of Kansas City Fashion Week. I attended Thursday and Friday evening runway shows of KCFW this season, along with the Kick off at Kindred Boutique.

Pantone's Meadowlark was my anchor piece when I was outfit planning for Thursday. If you want to read about how I styled my Outfit, then Click HERE.

After I had dressed and was ready to step out, it was raining. Why do I never check the weather forecast properly, I mumbled as I drove downtown. I had missed KCFW last season, so it was so good to see some of my favorite familiar faces once again.

 My top picks of the evening were House of Pamela Renee,Wear Liv and Hannah Kristina Designs. Let's take for a detailed recap of the evening.

I am a self-confessed Body Positive champion. I have been a size zero for many years, till I became a Mom. Now I am happy and comfortable being a size 4. But in this transition, I did have to fight off my share of body-shamers. So when an evening of runway shows at fashion week, begins with a plus size designer, I think that's a great stride towards the whole body positivity movement. A beautifully curated plus size collection, by Whitney Jones - Wear Liv, was the perfect start to this season's Fashion Week adventures for me. Dr. Amber Botros slays in this red hot number, which is just magnificent. The touch of tropical colors, interspersed with jewel tones, was refreshing. Jones has a way with fluidity and fabrics, which makes her quite unique. Brownie points, when one of your friends, slays the runway, in the show.Go, Antonia Martin! 

I have a preschooler, who loves everything about the solar system, and galaxies beyond us. Its one of our favorite bedtime stories. Tonya Pesch's line Nokota Style brought the galaxy to the runway. A largely monochrome collection, inspired by the celestial forces and accessorized with the aptest hairstyle - space buns. Loved the variety in the collection with its cropped pants, fringed jackets, layering vest and flowy long dresses. Can I plan my Fall holiday now, please? 

A designer who has her own song! When the models of Pamela Renee took the runway, one couldn't help but notice the custom song. Being married to a musician, I could tell that it was a good song.

Coming back to the collection, Pamela Renee has a way with textures, which is very rare and carves out its own aesthetic niche. From the creams to the browns, she took us on a Fall-perfect journey. Did I mention that not only did she have womenswear, but also menswear in her collection? 

The next designer was Overland Park-based Rachel Pollak, with her line Rachel Pollak Designs. Her designs embody a great integration of classic and modern fashion. She brought in fur, slits and cutouts, ruching and so much more. You might have heard of over the thigh boots, but Rachel brought in, over the thigh cutouts, in her collection. And the fact that Fall florals are here to stay, was so evident in her floral paneled dress.

Oak Park Mall took the runway next with cute and sassy outfits for kids, styled by American Girl, Disney, h&M kids, and Justice.  I was surely taking notes of what I can add to my daughter's next shopping list.

After the kids, it was the turn for the men to take the runway at KCFW. West Frens by designer Lydia Loya proved her niche with tailored menswear suitings. Color blocking for Spring-Summer has been quite popular, but West Frens brought in color blocking for Fall-Winter in menswear, with military greens, camel, greys, and black. Fashion forward but relevant with a touch of fun, for the millennial man.

Iowa based Hannah Swanson took the runway with her line - Hannah Kristina Designs, specializing in evening wear for women. Evening wear need not just be your gowns, was what the designer stood for. Her collection played with sheer details, and rich tones, it played fitted with flowy, it played monochromes with color. Loved her play with greys and midnight blue. Clearly one of my top picks of the evening.

Last but not the least, was Lenzanita Couture, by designer Anita Kealey., who has been a strong proponent of sustainable fashion.  She created a collection of contrasts with textures and color, using re-purposed materials. Loved how the collection started off with citron tones and wool, to give way to grey lace.  It started off with a more casual ready to wear vibe, to finally end with haute couture. A fitting finale to the evening!

Huge Thank You to KCFW and all the sponsors for the amazing Media Swag Bag !

Stay tuned to the Blog for more updates from the Front Row ofhttp://journotalk.blogspot.com/search/label/FASHION%20WEEK Kansas City Fashion Week!

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PANTONE "MEADOWLARK " - YELLOW FOR KCFW

Pantone calls its Meadowlark and I call it my Crayola Bright . When I was planning my outfit for the Thursday runway show of Kansas City Fashion Week, I knew I wanted a statement piece. A pleated skirt in a color recommendation from Pantone seemed like the perfect idea.

Pantone comes up with their color suggestions for the year. While UltraViolet is the color of the year in general, Pantone does also have color picks for every season. "MeadowLark," a shade of Yellow is one of the recommendations for Spring 2018. Pantone color picks can often be confusing with their names, and Meadowlark is described as Confident and Outgoing Yellow.

Yellow can be a tricky color to pull off. But I have a thing for yellow outfits. The last two Spring-Summers I have featured Yellow outfit, so how could I let go of the tradition this year. I had loved my Yellow Maxi and my Mustard ruffle dress, and this year it was the turn of the skirt.

My middle region is always my problem area, so when I plan an outfit, I like camouflaging that part. A pleated midi skirt is a perfect choice, as the high waist creates the perfect illusion. I paired my skirt with a graphic tee in Grey, rather than White. A graphic Tee is a great way to underplay an outfit piece like a skirt. I like the edginess it provides an outfit. You could also pair this skirt with a cute lace top if you wanted to.  Nude shoes, wooden watch and a mix metal necklace and earring combo. I wanted the look to be light and fresh and Spring perfect. Did I tell you that it was raining the day I wore this outfit?

Fashion does not have to come with a hefty price tag. While its very easy to shop when you have an unlimited budget, the idea of affordable fashion is always worth the challenge for me. My readers have often asked me for budget versions of outfits I have put together, so for this particular occasion, I wanted to create an outfit which as all about affordable fashion.  Fashion can still be classy if you know how to shop, while on a budget. Don't compromise on your personal style while you are hunting for a deal. The best bits can often be found at the most unexpected places, only if you realize how to shop smart. For instance, my skirt came off the Sale rack of Forever 21 and was majorly reduced in price. My graphic Tee is from Target. My jewelry is from Paparazzi jewelry which is known fo their 45 offerings. So I created an Outfit which was ready for Front Row of Fashin Week, and it was under $ 100. How's that for a bargain!

Stay tuned for a round-up of Thursday Night of Runway Shows of KCFW, next on the Blog!

SHOP MY LOOK: 

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MARC JACOBS SHAMELESS YOUTHFUL-LOOK FOUNDATION WITH SPF : FLASHBACK FREE?

Its technically Spring, but we are bracing up with snow storms. I got the chance to do a Spring Beauty Refresh with Marc Jacobs' Beauty, and it was perfectly timed for KansasCity Fashion Week. I love it when brand collabs are such great timing. Have you been catching up on all my updates from KCFW? If not then click Here. 

As I always love to say that we need to change up our beauty products, as the seasons change. Our skin care needs change and we need to adapt. If you know me, then I am a self-confessed beauty junkie. But I am also particular about which products make the cut for me. I have very dry skin which is also super sensitive. I also have very warm tones and sometimes, beauty products can be tricky to match without looking pale or pink. I am in my mid-30s and my skin has adapted well to my anti-aging skin care regimen.

Marc Jacob's Beauty Shameless Youthful Look 24 Hours Foundation with SPF 25 has been creating quite the buzz before it hit the stands.Apparently its the first foundation with SPF which claims to be Flashback Free. As long as I have been writing about Beauty, you know, how I have always tried to put foundations to the flashback test. For me, if it has a flashback, then it is a deal breaker for sure. So when I was sent this product to try out and review it for my readers, I was pretty excited. Products which create such a buzz often can swing either way. It is definitely a splurge item, so here goes my review.

PACKAGING :
 How sexy does the bottle look?! After the initial admiration of how luxurious the bottle looks, I realized that the bottle doesn't have a pump. I prefer foundation bottles with a pump for the sheer convenience. It comes in a squeezy bottle, like MAC's Face and Body Foundation. The only difference in packaging is that this bottle looks like a work of art. The fact that its plastic makes it a great choice for Travel.

COLOR:
I was asked to pick out my shade from their list online, but I am bad at color matching online, in general. I prefer going to the store and color matching myself on my jawline for a perfect match. The shade I landed up with, is a bit light for me, even in my winter pale skin. I doubled up on the bronzer hence. But I love the fact that the undertones matched, which can often be tricky with foundation. As I had mentioned earlier that I have a warm undertone, so I need foundations with yellow undertone and not pink.

FINISH:
Marc Jacobs' claims to have introduced two new technologies in one foundation. If the first was being Flashback Free, then the second one was Self-Setting. The product is infused with a setting powder, which saves us a step in our make up routine. I am perfectly open to newer technologies, but as I have dry skin, I was misled with the name - Youthful-Look. The foundation self-sets to being matte on my dry skin, despite moisturizing my face. The pictures that you see, are without a setting spray or powder. The foundation claims to stay put for 24 hours, but I don't wear make up for a whole day. I will say that it's long wearing.

COVERAGE:
The name and the branding suggest that they want the users to shamelessly flaunt the natural radiance of their skin. So if you are looking for a full coverage foundation, then this will not cut it. It has medium coverage. I used a flat foundation brush to apply the foundation and then went over it with a damp beauty sponge. This foundation sets super fast so I would suggest working fast with it. I  liked the coverage and I think it will be a great option for Spring-SUmmer when we can retire the heavier foundations of winter. I haven't topped it with concealer in the pictures you see in this post, but I would probably add some concealer, next time I wear it.

FLASHBACK FREE?
This was the biggest concern for me. In my teenage years, I have been guilty of having the ghost face, when my foundation flashed back in pictures. I wore the foundation at dusk and then I tested it for flash once it was dark. I used the flash with my DSLR's Kit Lens, the front camera flash and back camera flash of my iPhone 7 Plus and it DID NOT FLASHBACK. I was almsot disbelieving myself, as I was testing it, and the results came out positive. For years, women have struggled to find a founadtion with SPF which didnt flashback and Marc Jacobs has finally come up with the technology. This is the biggest reason, I am re-purchasing this foundation, but in my perfect shade this time .

Disclaimer : I was sent this product by Influenster and Marc Jacobs compliemtary for testing purposes. The opinions in this review are those of my own.

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