Every year, my friend David Wayne Reed throws a wassail party at his midtown apartment. Over this past holiday weekend, I went and drank my share of the delicious (and lethal) punch. I also spotted some great outfits, like Kyle's festive green jacket and Gina's beautiful maroon dress and shoes.
Gina, 31, is the manager of Habitat Shoes, which explains her gorgeous patent-leather Mary Jane heels.
She also wore a cool gold necklace that kind of resembles a smooth rope with knots. She said that it's actually a vintage Yves St. Laurent belt that she got from an estate sale.
As for her dress, she bought that at Banana Republic. Not only do I love the color, but I like how she wore it with textured cream-colored tights. It reminded me of how I dressed when I was little -- i.e. thick tights with Mary Jane shoes. "I was going for the doll effect," she said.
Gina and Kyle grew up in Blue Springs and have been friends since high school. Kyle, 29, now lives in New York, where he's a freelance designer for Phillip Lim.
I asked him where he got his silky jacket. "From my dead grandma," he said. Actually, he got it from a DAV in KCK. "I also got some Peter Cetera tapes. I think I scored some Wilson Phillips, too," he joked.
Kyle works in knitwear, so he helps design the sweaters at Phillip Lim. I asked how he got into fashion. He said that when he was 16, he thought it'd be an easy job.
"It turned out to be one of the hardest professions to get in. The hours are insane," he said. He had a warning for those who watch Project Runway and are inspired to get into the fashion business. "The kids need to know. It's not a high-glamour industry. It's long hours, low pay," he said.
Take heed, all you budding clothing designers. And drink more wassail.-- Jen Chen
We all hope someday to be cool enough to have our very own tag on the Pitch blogs. Kudos David!
Posted at: December 31, 2008 9:26 AM