Every year, New York Fashion Week brings together designers, models and more fashion-industry professionals and fans from all over the world to participate in runway shows debuting lines for the upcoming season.
At this year’s NYFW, which ran from Feb. 9-16, D.C. designers and stylists KennyKas, or Kas, and Tamara Evon, owner of Lava Luxe, collaborated to create a 60-piece collection for the sold-out ASC Production show during NYFW. The men’s line, I Am, was inspired by old-school style brought into the modern day for classic, timeless looks. Each model donned a turban with his suit or streetwear, and Kas says he wanted the line to tell a story and send a message of equality. The women’s line was named Pandora’s Box as a reference to the unexpectedness of each look, whether it was couture or ready-to-wear.
Kas and Evon were both happy with how the show turned out, from the controlled chaos backstage to the smooth-running teamwork and leadership of everyone involved, and they have received warm reception as a result.
The two designers are not new to the fashion world. Evon started her personal line, Lava Luxe, in 2012, but she traces her interest to fashion back to her days playing dress-up with her sisters as a little girl. Evon says Lava Luxe was created to represent and empower women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.
Kas has been in the fashion industry for more than 30 years. He is a self-taught designer and was the first male African-American couture designer at Saks Fifth Avenue. He has opened stores around the country, including D.C., and he has received awards and honors for his work. His mother, who Kas says was very particular about what she wore when stepping out of the house, is one of his greatest inspirations. And his mentor Yves Saint Laurent, who he worked with for a time, taught him lessons that he still uses when designing his lines.
Kas and Evon’s NYFW show isn’t the end of their collaboration—it’s only the beginning. They are working on their individual spring lines, which will be available for order soon, and they have many more projects planned down the line, too.
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