The Fashion X Dallas Experience

Happy Studded Collar Sunday, my loves! I hope you all are doing well and having a lovely day. This past weekend, from November 6-8, Dallas had the first annual Fashion X Dallas event- a weekend full of stellar fashion shows, intriguing gallery displays, and some of the most influential people in the fashion industry from Dallas to Los Angeles and anywhere in between. Fashion X was founded by the man behind Austin Fashion Week, Matt Swinney, who has already succeeded in making Austin the southern fashion capital as well as making Austin Fashion Week one of the top fashion events within the southern United States. With this and more under his belt, I predict only great things in the future for Fashion X Dallas. Now, you’re probably asking what this has to do with me. Well, I had the honor of being invited by one of the designers displaying at FXD to attend the first ever Fashion X Dallas, and I attended the show on Saturday. Each day showcased different designers and Saturday, the finale, was the day for the Project Runway alum and All Stars to share their passion and talent with us. These designers have now made a name for themselves and are making it big in the fashion world- it was so humbling to watch their shows! I walked the red carpet, kicked back in the VIP lounge, went backstage and met some wonderful figures (including the designers themselves!) This was such a great event, and I want to share every moment with you so YOU can fully grasp it (this is why this post is longer than usual articles).As they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so let me show you just how amazing of an experience Saturday night was.

Blouse: BCX | Skirt: Forever 21 | Reptile Skin Pumps: DSW | Tote Purse: Charming Charlie |

Bracelet and Pendant Necklace: Charming Charlie | Earings: Swarovski

I walk on carpets almost every day in my life, but none of them have held as much prominence as the red carpet. I will never forget my first experience walking down Crimson Way.

As we walked into the event, Allie, my photographer, and I had some photos snapped of us.

While waiting for the shows to begin, I relaxed in the VIP Lounge and chatted with other attendees.

A big thank you to Amika for the wonderful demonstration and gift wall! If you guys are looking for a volumizing texturizer spray or dry shampoo, then definitely take a look at Amika’s selection. Both products spray on clear, smell divine and are incredibly light. I highly recommend  them to anyone with any hair type.

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing designer Melissa Fleis backstage before her runway show and she and I had a fun conversation about her collection, her favorite trends, and a golden piece of advice. To see the entire interview, stay tuned for another post coming soon. (:

Kay B: “If you can tell us before everything goes out on the runway tonight, what inspired this collection and what is the story behind it?”

Melissa Fleis: “I guess the story is that it’s a collection. It’s a collection of past works styled together. So I took pieces from Project Runway, I have pieces that are from my most recent collection, pieces that are brand new for the collection- it’s just kind of like a mashup, which is awesome because I’ve never done that! You always build a collection, and then you show the collection together, but I said, ‘Let’s just view this from new eyes.’ I like how everything goes together no matter what season it is and that’s how I try to sell to my clients.”

 

Next stop, the second floor. This is where the shows took place as well as where The Gallery resided. It was great to see all the products and meet the designers behind the magic.

The founder of and designer for Consuela, Conni Reed, had these beautiful handbags on display that are absolutely to die for- the handcrafted, genuine leather already knocks it out of the park, but the floral designs are laser printed onto the leather for a flawless finish. Consuela also specializes in accessories and shoes. Go take a look at their website for a full view of her breathtaking products.

Such a pleasure to finally meet the talented and charmingly relatable jewelry designer, Kristin Miller. All of her beautiful jewelry is made here in the USA with hand cast brass and custom cut stones. I’ve always loved her jewelry- it can be worn in any way possible and speak to each individual. If you haven’t already checked out her lines, I strongly encourage that you do. Right now.

Madison of Mad Jewels caught my attention in the gallery with her vibrant, colorful display of handmade jewelry. When I asked her why she opted for such bright colors in the fall season among all the neutrals and darker colors, she told me that every season needs a little color, and every outfit needs a little pop of vibrancy. Honestly, she couldn’t have answered my question any better than she did. It’s her vibrant products that made her unforgettable, and if you want to be just as memorable, definitely look into Mad Jewels.

With the lovely foundress of Mona Jain Jewelry. I was so taken by the perfect combination of  traditional eastern design with a modern esthetic. From the largest pendant  to the smallest drop earring, each piece is beautifully crafted and undeniably captivating.

Allison Mitchell’s larger than life clutches are sure to turn heads, and they definitely caught my attention (Ever since I laid eyes on them I can’t seem to get them out of my head!) These clutches are made from genuine animal hide and velvet and are, as Allison told me, a blank canvas. The designs, colors, and everything in between are the first step- all stylings after that are up to the wearer, and that’s what set’s Allison and her product apart from other handbag companies. Simple yet revolutionary- I applaud you, Ms. Mitchell.

Show Time!

The genius behind La Miniature, Jeffrey Sebelia, thanks the crowd.

Laura Kathleen is all smiles after a successful showing of her edgy, feminine fall collection. Rightfully so- everything looked amazing! I love her use of textures as opposed to patterns

Daniel Esquivel wows his audience yet again with his Parisian-esque line. It is certain that he had everyone’s attention when he sent his collection down the runway.

Mychael Knight’s fun personality was more than evident in his colorful line of women’s wear. When talking with him after the show, he told me about his use of  an 80’s floral print and eventually modernizing it with neon colors is an appealing move. His collection definitely celebrated  today’s modern young women.

Korto Momolu does it again, creating a collection of women’s wear with an elegant, classic flow and a timeless design. I definitely need this blue number in my closet pronto! Bravo, Mrs. Momolu.

Melissa Fleis’s line was just as phenomenal as I anticipated it to be. It had all her edge and personality as well as the wearability she strives for. Congrats on another success, Melissa.

Michelle’s line was absolutely genius. I loved the inspiration she got from the 1930’s- she turned a time period in which the US was in an economic depression into a collection that struck my interest, kept me wanting more, and made me anything but depressed. When I asked Michelle about the layering, she told me that it appears outlandish at first sight, but each layer is wearable in daily life, so no one should feel overwhelmed. Her tips for layering? Make sure you can wear each one individually somehow and start with the thinnest apparel item.

Anthony Ryan Auld closed the show with a beautiful collection of a beautiful geometric and organic melange. I love that his pieces made me feel more than “That looks really cool,” and made me yearn for each and every item that graced the runway. What an artist, well done.

Mychael Knight and I in the VIP Lounge after his flawless show and our laughter-filled interview (the full interview will be released in a later post 🙂 )

Michelle and I caught up after her show in the Lounge as well and talked about her line, her Project Runway experience, and fashion tips for the season!

I had the chance to go backstage and chat with Laura Kathleen about her line after her show and the inner workings of the fashion industry. She also gave me a closeup look of one of her favorite pieces, the blue jumpsuit that opened  the show, and shared her thought process behind the piece. Besides being such an amazing talent, Laura Kathleen is such a sweet lady and is so fun to chat with.

I had the pleasure of running into one of my favorite fashion bloggers and “Fashion Blogger Pen-Pals”, Ellen Flowers of The Perennial Style. Such a sweet individual who is sure to lift your spirits. Go check out her own fashion blog and see what she and her sisters are up to!

One of my highlights of the night was meeting the one and only Courtney Kerr, one of my fashion inspirations and role models, favorite fashion bloggers and personalities, and not to mention quite the renowned fashion icon. She was just as sweet as I thought her to be and just as gorgeous in person as well. (Can we talk about her boot/dress combo? On point, but I’m not surprised.) Ms. Kerr’s bright, warm and fun personality made me feel at ease, and the funniest part of our meeting was that she initially thought I looked 25! Far from it, I revealed my tender age of 16 and she couldn’t believe me (: Her own website is just as memorable and captivating as she, so I highly recommend that you check out her own blog! Thank you, Courtney for being so receptive and kind to me when we met, I’ll be in touch soon. :*

There you have it , folks. This is the end of my full documentation of the first annual Fashion X Dallas. All full interviews with the designers will be posted shortly, so stay tuned. It was such an honor to be invited to this event and to be in the presence of such prominent and accomplished individuals. Thank you to everyone who made this experience so memorable, and a huge thank you to my photographer and friend, Allie Burns, for the wonderful photographs. This is just the beginning of the fun, so stay tuned with me on The Studded Collar, my loves. Until next time…

 

Stay Fab,

Kay B xx