West Eighteenth Street Fashion Show, Kansas City

History of the West 18th Street Fashion Show

The West 18th Street Fashion Show began in the summer of 2001. Former West 18th Street merchant, Isabel's Boutique, saw a need for a new and creative platform to showcase emerging talent in the Kansas City fashion scene. The success of the first annual outdoor West 18th Street Fashion Show, Isabel's Fashion Spectacle, paved the way for an exciting and eclectic new K.C. tradition.

The yearly tradition of the Isabel's Boutique-organized outdoor fashion event continued to thrill audiences with uniquely funky collections by both independent designers and local boutiques through the summer of 2003.

Amidst West 18th Street proving itself as a hub for K.C. art and fashion, designers Hadley Johnson and Peregrine Honig- who had both designed for 18th Street Fashion Show since 2002- opened shop on the street itself. Honig, along with local actress Corrie Van Ausdal opened a panty and lingerie store, Birdies. And, in the former Isabel's space, Johnson opened spool* Boutique, specializing in unique and limited-edition clothing and accessories for women and children. At this time, spool* and birdies decided to become the driving force behind the tradition that had carved out a place for itself in the summertime annals of Kansas City.

Hence the birth of the first Birdies-and-spool*-organized West 18th Street Fashion Show, 2004's Italian Summer. Sponsored by Vespa (among other lovely sponsors), Italian Summer featured collections by select local designers and boutiques. Amidst a set of Italian scooters, local burlesque troupe, Burly Q Girlie Crew, helped introduce the twelve collections. And inspired by the warm, languishing months of summers spent on the Mediterranean, models sauntered up and down the runway in an array of original designs.

The following year, the summer of 2005 ushered in Indigo Summer. Evoking the dark warmth of urban, summer nights, each collection was as unique as the designer behind it. And the "part jug band, part dream soundtrack" music of The Afterparty ushered the models down a loosely Americana-inspired runway. In the vein of shows past, Indigo Summer was well received by both the public and the press.

In both a response to the continuing increase in attendance and the desire to take the show to the next level, the merchants and event-organizers of the annual 2006 event, Birdies, Shuttlecocks and spool*, decided to bring in outside help.

Enter Ashlee Broome. A native Kansas Citian, and an experienced Event Planner with a background in theatre, Ashlee brought her experience in fashion show production to West Eighteenth. (It helped, also, that she'd modeled in the annual event since the summer of 2002.)

The 2006 show, Chocolate Summer, brought the audience a new level of fashion theatre. Back-dropped by a dark, velvet curtain and with a 100-foot runway, the Chocolate Summer fashion show featured eighteen collections, over sixty local models and VIP seating. Inspired by chocolate, the "white, milk and dark" collections interpreted the show's theme through the richness of various drapings, colors, fabrics, hair and make-up. With a live, hip soundtrack led by local jazz musician, Mark Southerland, local actress Corrie Van Ausdal as narrator, and collection intermissions featuring arias performed by local opera singers, the audience was satiated by sight and sound.

2007's A Summer Wonderland brought many firsts: a grand, hand-crafted archway of gold detail framing the stage, lighting and pre-show entertainment by the Couture Marching Band. Inviting thoughts of jumping down the rabbit hole, the whimsical days of summer were brought to life by the eighteen collections and one hundred models. With extended VIP seating and numbers that far surpassed any of past shows, A Summer Wonderland was cozily crowded and curiously couture.

The winds of 2008 brought salty air and nautical finery to the Summer at Sea spectacle.  The first official Designers Selection Committee helped to usher in eleven designer new to the 18th Street Fashion Show.  The debut of the water-free synchronized swimming troupe– the Kansas City Sea Sirens– opened the runway and gave way to eighteen collections of sea-inspired fashions.  And Mark Southerland and Friends' oceanic jazz beats accompanied the models as they walked the plank and posed on a grand cruise ship stairway.  It was a seaside success.

Each summer ushers in warmer reception from pre-show and post-show press, alike. The West 18th Street Fashion Shows has hosted NYC's acclaimed fashion publication, Women's Wear Daily, and the KC Star's Fashion Editor, Jackie White, among the many other top-notch reporters that have taken notes from the front row of the event. The presence of this sought-after press represents the growth of the annual West 18th Street Fashion Show. The West 18th runway shows have also been featured in Verge Magazine, My Midwest (Midwest Airlines' In-Flight Magazine), Present Magazine, Pitch Weekly, Ink and Urban Times. Also, the event organizer– the West 18th Street merchant Birdies– has been covered nationally in such publications as Elle Magazine, USA Today, BUST, National Geographic Traveler and Nylon, as well as locally in KC Living, Spaces and Kansas City Magazine.