kcfw

#KCFW F/W’19 Saturday Night Runway Show

~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

The final night of the F/W’18 season of Kansas City Fashion Week was spectacular, as it always is. I am so happy to have completed my 11th season of KCFW and am pretty sad to say it will be my last; for a while anyways. I am moving to Italy for school and will be unable to attend next season but I think I left on a good note.

My Outfit

I always try to make my final night’s outfit the best out of them all. For this look, I am wearing a long red off the shoulder gown paired with a fur shawl; both by Lucia’s Sarto. I think that it’s important and shows support to wear a designer who is showing that evening. I wanted to keep the look elegant and clean so I slicked my hair back and paired it with simple, minimal gold hoops and that is all.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 presetProcessed with VSCO with hb2 preset

Designers

Lucia’s Sarto

Nataliya Meyer is an incredibly talented fashion designer with an eye for beautiful tailoring. She is the designer of the dress I wore this evening and is amazing at what she does. Her collection was gorgeous. It was so feminine and flowy with the most beautiful luxurious hues. Her gowns are always like something from a movie.

Ethel & Dean

Ethel & Dean is a children’s line for the edgy kid. I love how punk and out there these pieces are- and for kids! The color palette is wearable and light mixed with edgy decals. I love the fantasy-like details (wings, masks, hoods, etc.).

My Heirloom Bridal Design

I love looking at bridal dresses and I am obsessed that this collection was not all white! The designer incorporated blacks and beiges to adorn the white which I thought was so interesting and different.

TRBrown

THIS was probably my favorite from the evening. I want to purchase every look from this collection. This line was made for the working woman who still wants to look stylish and fashionable in the office. The designer portrayed this quite literally by having models hold coffee cup, hold briefcases, and wear pencils behind their ears. It was such a realistic fashion line and such perfect, necessary concept. My favorite piece was the metallic blue jumpsuit. To this day, I can not get my mind off of it.

Sara Kahrs

Sara Kahrs’ collection just screams fall. The colors and shapes make me honestly just want to skip summer (my least favorite season anyways) and go straight to fall. All the colors were pretty dark and then every now and then there was a pop of bright yellow to stir things up and keep it interesting. By looking closely, the garments were put together so well. I can see this being put up in a storefront window display immediately.

Her by Georgina Herrera

What an extravagant way to end fashion week. Everything (like seriously everything) about this collection was insane! The Versace-like choreography, sleek hair and bold make-up, and of course- the jewelry! Georgina is such a talented and creative designer and each piece she creates is so exclusive to anything I have ever seen. Her finale piece was a dress made from all metals and I was so blown away by it.

#KCFW F/W’19 Friday Night Runway Show

~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Over halfway done with posting my fashion week looks and reviews! This night was one of the best nights from socializing, to my own outfit, to the collectons that were shown. I felt truly content leaving this evening of KCFW.

Side note: I was unable to capture my own runway photos from where I was seated so all runway images are courtesy of photographer Danny Bourne. Go like his Facebook page here.

My Outfit

This is probably (weirdly) one of my most favorite outfits I have ever worn. This neon green dress was the most “not me” piece I could have picked out but for some reason it was a must. As of lately I feel like people, influencers and bloggers especially, have lost a sense of personal style and being different and I wanted to break that stigma with this. (I am in the middle of writing a post about this topic so keep following me a long to read!) I just kind of went for it with this outfit and did not expect the compliments that I received!

IMG_2513IMG_2514

dress : Nasty Gal | boots : Target (similar) | earrings : Nasty Gal | necklace : vintage (similar)

photographer – Sara Clance (Facebook)

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

Designers :

***runway images are courtesy of photographer Danny Bourne.

Tobie Marie

Tobie Marie’s collection was absolutely stunning and brought the biggest smile across my face. What a way to start off the evening! The designer chose all different types of models, showing that fashion includes everyone. Her pieces were feminine and luxurious. Everything was pastel the fabrics were light; it was like a dream.

Miranda Hanson Designs

Miranda Hanson is so talented at such a young age and her designs always impress me. She know the current and upcoming trends and incorporates her own touch; making them wearable and unique. Stars and flames have been everywhere lately and I was so please to see them appear at Kansas City Fashion Week. I would love to get my hands on that flame two piece set. These pieces are like a blogger and street style girl’s heaven.

Lauren Bander

Lauren Bander always keeps it consistent with a whimsical – vampy theme. I am in love with the movement of each garment. The airy fabrics and dark, moody shades are the perfect combination and remind me of a dark fairy tale. I love that I can picture these pieces in movies; this really shows that a fashion show is more than just a runway, but they can tell a story.

Munelle De Vie

I met this talented designer when we modeled the runway together back in 2013. I always liked her because she is such a light and has an eye for some serious high fashion. Not only does she have chic personal style, Munisa is an incredible fashion designer. This collection was straight out of Milan Fashion Week. I really don’t know if it was the colors or textures or what; but all I could think was MILAN! Her collection was street style meets high fashion runway and I was all about it. I can see myself (and MANY other influencers and fashion lover) wearing every single look. I am so proud of how far this woman has come!

Amanda Casarez

I absolutely loved the use of mixed textures and prints in this line! There were pops of primary colors, knits, denim, snakeskin, and much more. Somehow, all of these totally different elements came together beautifully. The minimalistic abstract makeup definitely added a nice cohesive touch. My favorite piece was the finale look; the printed pant suit with the elbow slit. Oh my gosh I would wear this in a heartbeat!

Barbara Bultman Designs

Barbara Bultman’s collection was not only physically stunning but extremely powerful. This line was made for women empowerment. Bultman kept her collection classic, with bold colors and unique shapes, but also woke and in the now, by creating a strong message. Each model had a different empowering saying written out on her hands. Now, especially, women supporting women is so important and Barbara’s message got across through art and fashion. VERY well done!

sHe by ChristianMICHEAL

Wow. This collection brought the perfect amount of masculinity to femininity. If you could mix the two aesthetics of posh and edgy together this was it. The harsh lines of the red, black, and gray structured jackets gave the looks some edge, while the quilting and fur accents kept it elegant and feminine. It truly was the perfect amount of everything. So chic yet so unique: almost like a New York business woman meets a Parisian romantic. The tailoring on every single garment was perfect and the sHe by ChristianMICHEAL logo was the best personal touch.

with Brooke Richardson

In case you missed my previous nights covering KCFW click HERE for Wednesday night coverage and HERE for Thursday night. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my final post covering Saturday night at Kansas City Fashion Week F/W’19.

xx Bella

#KCFW F/W’19 Thursday Night Runway Show

~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

Hello, hello! Your Kansas City Fashion Week F/W’19 Thursday night runway show recap is here! This was such a fun night to attend and I got to watch some amazing pieces from such talented designers go down the runway.

My Outfit

So I know I said that I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone and wear a ton of bright colors this season but when I saw these pants, I couldn’t say no. I feel like this outfit can be worn out to an event or in the office; very versatile. I paired it with my Jeffrey Campbell lion medallion pumps to edge it up a little bit.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 presetProcessed with VSCO with hb2 preset

top : Forever 21 | pants : Forever 21 | shoes : Jeffrey Campbell

Designers :

LIV

LIV started out the show with bold colors keeping everyone interested and excited. Each piece was different and unique in its own special way. I love that there are finally more up and coming plus size designers.

Nokota.Style

As of lately, I have been greatly intrigued with zodiac signs and Nokota.Style’s collection immediately made me want to read my horoscope. It was the perfect blend of moon child and space cowboy (weird but it worked and I was obsessed with it). I would wear just about wear every garment that was displayed.

House of Pamela Renee

Oh my god. While watching this line my jaw was literally dropped the whole time…no joke. These pieces are something that could be in a museum they are so unique. The House of Pamela Renee’s collection was probably my favorite from the evening. It gave off kind of an old fashioned casino vibe between the furs, colors, and prints. The tailoring was impeccable and pool balls? On clothing? Obsessed. I would wear every single item that came down the runway in a heartbeat. The collection even had its own custom soundtrack! Well done.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

Rachel Pollack Designs

Rachel Pollack brought youthful elegance to KC Fashion Week with her chic silhouettes and luxurious colors. I am a big texture girl and loved the pops of faux fur on the sleeves. The fur changed a simple dress to a statement dress and I think I need one in my closet.

West Fens

Such a unique menswear collection; business on the top, party on the bottom. Two toned pants are something you don’t see a lot of, especially on men and I thought it was so different and extremely well presented. These pieces are definitely for the youthful working male millennial who values personal style.

Hannah Kristina Designs

Hannah Kristina brought an exquisite blend of edgy femininity to the runway. The dark colors and girly shapes made for a attractively uncommon collection. My favorite pieces were the navy jumpsuit and the black embellished finale piece.

Lenzanita

So quick backstory on this designer: this designer was the first designer I ever got to model for in my Kansas City Fashion Week history when I was 13 years old! I remember how nervous I was for my first runway show and on top of that, she had me do a quick change! That was years ago and now as media, watching from the other side, I am so happy to see her back in KC showing more of her beautiful work. Lenzantia is a sustainable fashion line and it is obvious to see her love of texture. I appreciate the mix of mens and womenswear in one line and adored the color scheme. This was a huge collection and each look was carried out beautifully.

with Eliza Williams and Brooke Richardson
with Brooke Richardson

Thank you so much for the read! Stay tuned the next two days for the Friday and Saturday recap of #KCFW!

In case you missed it click HERE for Wednesday night’s review!

xx Bella

***all runway images taken by me, feel free to repost them as you will but remember to give me credit**

#KCFW F/W’19 Wednesday Night Runway Show

~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

I can not believe how much I have slacked off with blogging. I am usually one to post event coverage hours after it happens but sometimes life gets in the way. My sophomore year of college has ended and I am about to start the summer hustle before I study abroad in Florence, Italy but, before I get super busy, I figured I should write up my 2 month late Kansas City Fashion Week Recaps.

This season, KCFW was held at the Grand Hall at Power & Light (one of my favorite venues) for the F/W’19 collections. I am thankful that I got to attend these events as media for my third season.

My Outfit :

This season of fashion week I stepped out of my comfort zone and incorporated bright colors! I am usually one to stick with all black or neutrals but wanted to try something new. I found this hot pink coat at Topshop and I knew it was the right piece to kick of KCFW!

Processed with VSCO with hb2 presetIMG_2337

coat : Topshop (similar) | shirt : Karl Lagerfeld | skirt : Missguided (similar) | boots : Rebecca Minkoff (similar)

photographer – Jason Atherton (Facebook)

DESIGNERS :

 Fey Chavez

The very first collection to be shown at Kansas City Fashion Week was one of my favorites of the whole season. If you know me, you know I love menswear a LOT. These pieces were so well tailored to the models and look as if they are 100% ready to be sold in a retail setting. My favorite piece was the knitted boatneck sweater. Texture is so important to me so this really stood out but stayed true to the collections aesthetic with similar colors.

 

Cierra Marie McMichael

This collection, so I was told, was inspired by superheros which is so badass! Only a few colors were used, as you can see below, but each piece was so different. The leather and silver combination was extremely powerful and the movement on each garment was amazing.

 

Sew Unrelaxed

Red has been my favorite color for a while now and I got so excited about this collection. My favorite piece was the red velvet cape. Very powerful vibes here.

 

Schyline

I met the designer of this collection, Schyler Slaven, a few years ago when we runway modeled together. I am so happy and proud to see how far she has come since then. I want every single piece from her line. I almost want to call it “elegant loungewear”. The colors and fabrics were sheer and simple and I fell in love with everything about it! Keep it up girl, you’re killing it!

 

Candace Callahan Wolf

Candace Callahan Wolf’s collection was so diversely chic. There were gowns, pants, dresses, and jackets- so much variety; and all in white! The pearl detailing on some of the pieces was such an elegant surprise. My favorite piece from this line was the button up bomber jacket, so cool.

 

Em’s Trends

Em’s Trends’ line somehow brought me back to my childhood. As a kid, I was a princess and fairytale fanatic. Between the floral headpieces and embellished gowns it was like a dream come true. I wish the models could walk down the runway hundreds of times because I really wanted a close look at the detail. Really, really beautiful.

 

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

Sewrissarenee

This collection was to show that a modest and conservative woman can still be fashionable and chic. It was an entire denim collection and the tailoring was incredible. Denim will always have a special place in my heart and I have a love for the reconstruction of it. I can see myself wearing a lot of this collection.

 

 

with colorsofcostarica.com

Again, I feel so terrible for how delayed this post is but as I said before, life gets crazy and it’s healthy to relax and sometimes not worry about anything at all. The next three nights of KCFW will be posted within the next three days in chronological order so stay tuned.

xx Bella

***all runway images taken by me, feel free to repost them as you will but remember to give me credit**

Ball-Pit Color-Block

~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

I saw this super tacky, rainbow, color block dress on Nasty Gal and fell in love with how weirdly loud it was so obviously, it was an instant purchase. I knew that this was made for some kind of “out there” shoot and had just the idea.

Channeling my inner McDonald’s play-place loving self, I did a photoshoot in a ball pit. I was inspired by the ugly location challenge and haven’t seen anything like this. I worked with the super talented Jordan Marc and he made my ball pit dreams a reality. Definitely give his work a look, it’s incredible! I am so glad I got to meet and work with such a down to earth creative person.

Hope you enjoy these childish, bright images below. I plan on creating more high quality, editorial-like content very soon.

xx Bella

IMG_1646IMG_1639IMG_1647IMG_1635IMG_1637IMG_1657IMG_1659IMG_1656IMG_1665IMG_1662IMG_1640IMG_1645

dress : Nasty Gal | belt : Gucci | hat : Target (similar) | boots : Rebecca Minkoff (similar) | jacket : vintage (similar)

photographer : Jordan Marc

OOTD : 2/25/18 | MODA Shoot at Lee Jeans Headquarters

~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Hello! This is just a real fast post but I wanted to quickly mention what I was doing at Lee Jeans Headquarters this past Sunday! So Lee Jeans is based out of the Kansas City area, Merriam, Kansas to be exact, and I was invited to be a model coach at the MODA Photoshoot. MODA is basically a collaborative group bringing together all sorts of people within the industry to network and create. Check out MODA here. I had a blast working with other models and professionals and can’t wait to attend more!

xx Bella

LEE HQ
LEE HQ

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

jeans : Lee | shirt : Baldwin (similar) | belt : Gucci | boots : Rebecca Minkoff (similar) | hat : Target (similar) | jacket : Forever 21 (similar)

Dear 2017

~ bellalightner ~ Leave a comment

Dear 2017,

Thank you for being so amazing and for giving me so many incredible opportunities and experiences.

This year has been THE absolute best year of my life so far. There were times when things got really hard and it was difficult to stay motivated but overall, I would not change anything that happened this year.

In 2017, I covered two seasons of Kansas City Fashion Week as official media and one of those seasons I worked as a stylist – pulling 18 looks for the runway and 2 looks for a window display at the Oak Park Mall in collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs. I was invited on the first official KCFW cruise as media and a model. In February of this year, I covered a collaborative photoshoot for my blog and my article was published in Kansas City Fashion Collaboratives Magazine. Throughout the year I continued to work part time at Etiquette Boutique as a sales associate and started working part time at MOD On Trend. At Stephens College, I modeled in the 73rd annual fashion show. This Summer, Lee Jeans invited me to attend the music festival Boulevardia in KC as a blogger. Also this summer, I had an internship with Melanie Knopke, previous editor in chief of Simply KC Magazine, where I learned a lot about the industry and got a more up close look on how things really work. Throughout this year I collaborated with brands and designers such as Jord Watches, BootayBag, Rich Apparels, Lee Jeans, and L’Occitane. I also attended other various fashion shows and events such as Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week in Bentonville, AR, Flyover Fashion Fest in Iowa City, IA, Travis Kelce’s “Walk the Walk”, and the Kritiq in Kansas City.

Kansas City Fashion Collaboratives Magazine Shoot
NWA Fashion Week
JORD Watch
KCFW F/W’17 – Media
KCFW F/W’17 – Media
KCFW F/W’17 – Media
KCFW F/W’17 – Media
BootayBag
Stephens College Fashion Show
Flyover Fashion Fest
Flyover Fashion Fest
Rich Apparels Event
Rich Apparels Event
Etiquette Boutique x Walk the Walk
Lee Jeans
Lee Jeans x Boulevardia
Lee Jeans x Boulevardia
Summer internship
Summer internship
L’Occitane
Summer internship
Summer internship
Summer internship
KCFW Oak Park Mall Window – Stylist
KCFW S/S’18 – Stylist
KCFW S/S’18 – Media
KCFW S/S’18 – Media
KCFW S/S’18 – Media
KCFW S/S’18 – Stylist
L’Occitane
KCFW Cruise
KCFW Cruise
KCFW Cruise
KCFW Cruise

2017 has been incredible and I am so grateful for everything that I have done and every opportunity that I have received. In 2018, my goal is to increase the quality and quantity  of my content, rebrand my entire website and aesthetic, work and collaborate with more photographers and brands, attend more fashion related events, and much MUCH more.

Thank you so much to every single person and company I have worked with this year and to everyone who follows me and reads this blog. This has taken over my life and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Happy New Year and stay tuned!

xx Bella

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

 

VLOG 2 : KANSAS CITY FASHION WEEK CRUISE 2017 – MIAMI, KEY WEST, COZUMEL

~ bellalightner ~ 2 Comments

HELLO! Thanks so much for tuning in to my second ever vlog. I am obviously still getting the hang of being comfortable talking to the camera in public which is why I’m so awkward at times but I’ll get better. I am so blessed to have been invited on the first official Kansas City Fashion Week Cruise trip. We had an amazing team and I had so much fun. I am hoping that KCFW does something like this again soon!

BLOG POSTS FROM THIS TRIP :

DAY 1 MIAMI

DAY 2 ON BOARD

DAY 3 KEY WEST

DAY 4 COZUMEL

DAY 5 ON BOARD

#KCFW Cruise 2017 – Day 4 : COZUMEL

~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

Hello from Cozumel! This was my first time ever going to Mexico! It was so pretty and we all had a blast. The water was so blue and salty and the beaches were beautiful and the best place for our photoshoot. Since this is a cruise, we are on a set schedule and couldn’t stay here for a long time so I definitely want to come back to Cozumel in the future.

Processed with VSCO with g3 preset

set : Etiquette Boutique | sunglasses : vintage (similar)

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

swimsuit : LV Swim | sunglasses : vintage (similar)

For today’s shoot, we had caftans from Alicia Janesko and a couple bathing suits from LV Swim. Like I said earlier, this beach was the perfect spot!

Photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | Clothing : Alicia Janesko
Photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | Clothing : Alicia Janesko
Photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | Clothing : Alicia Janesko
Photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | Swimsuit : LV Swim

Alicia Janekso – Facebook page, website | LV Swim – Facebook page, website

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

swimsuit : American Apparel (similar) | sunglasses : vintage (similar)

IMG_7251

#KCFW Cruise 2017 – Day 3 : KEY WEST

~ bellalightner ~ 1 Comment

Day three is here and today we docked in Key West, Florida. I have never been to the Keys and this place was absolutely gorgeous. We shot a couple of looks right as we got off the boat. I modeled today and wore a top by Maria Behnen. We also shot some Kansas City Chiefs shirts because they are one of Kansas City Fashion Week’s official sponsors.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
IMG_6995
wearing : Maria Benhen | photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | Hair/MUA : Ashley Hazelwood
IMG_6997
photo : Layne Haley Whitehouse | H/MUA : Ashley Hazelwood | models (left to right) : Bella Lightner (self), Jazlynne Dawson, Audrey White, Aezia Jardin

After we were finished shooting we all could go explore the city. Key West is beautiful! As much as I love black and more edgy city environments, it’s so refreshing to change the scenery.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

sunglasses : Diff Eyewear | top : Brandy Melville (similar)

Our cruise ship
Key West

After walking around Key West for a while, we boarded back on our ship and hung around (napped, lol) until an amazing dinner!

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

dress : Forever 21 | blazer : Nordstrom (similar) | belt : Vintage (similar) 

IMG_7236

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
left to right : Brooke Richardson, Mariah Kellii, Bella Lightner (me), Eliza Williams, Aezia Jardin

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

set : Rachel by Rachel Roy | shoes : Steve Madden (similar)