my own experience , I have my own market .” But Kenneth has many plans as the show may conflict with his already busy schedule . The young designer is producing his own exclusive show here in his hometown of San Diego . “ I am really concentrating on my own fashion show for the end of August . Not just creating my collection for spring 2014 , I am also producing the entire show . I am reviewing many marketing strategies on how I am going to make it happen , a lot of creativity . The show is named after our brand , so we are trying to take it to the next level of creativeness of design because we want people to remember the show , remember the collection , and the story we are going to tell the audience ”.
Kenneth is not only producing his own show , he is marketing it himself as well as working on his new couture line and ready to wear collection of clothing and his new hand bag line which will premiere at his show . “ I did not realize how much work producing a show can be and on top of that all the press , the sponsors , all the other creative stuff and the details of the show . It is hard work but I am enjoying every minute of it ”. Unfortunately Kenneth declined the offer to be involved in this year ’ s Fashion Week events so that he can focus all his creative energy into his own shows .
The show will feature his collections as well as international designers , celebrities and elites who will collaborate with Kenneth and showcase their own fashions .” I ’ ve invited all of my friends from different countries . We have designers all the way from Paris , the Caribbean , Los Angeles , and other cities . They have their own background and we tried to collaborate with them in the show and that is like the whole entire purpose , which is to bring the international market to San Diego . So it is not just a local event anymore , we have a lot of celebrities we invited , personal clients , the UK press , Caribbean Press , and even the Toronto press who want to be in the show and broadcast to their own countries ”.
Kenneth wanted not only to bring international recognition to San Diego but the exclusivity for his show as only being showcased in home city . San Diego will be the only city in the United States that will showcase his fashion collections . “ On the show that I am producing these are designers that are establishing their own brands in their own countries . From the designers I met during the Caribbean Fashion Week , one of them is a designer for the House of Oscar De La Renta and I invited him personally to be in my show ”. If that does not seem like enough , Kenneth will be traveling internationally this year , touring his home country of the Philippines , Toronto Canada , the Caribbean and Paris to showcase his fashion style .
Kenneth already has celebrity clientele , his own market and his own brand . “ My first ever celebrity client was Crystal Reed who is in MTV ’ s Teen Wolf . I ran into her through a friend of mine who was styling her for a cover of a magazine . She actually called me two days before her shoot wanting me to dress her and that is how everything started . She was my first actress and since then I work with PR people , editors from different magazines that want my stuff and so many others ”. Among his celebrity client list he has dressed is , Kendra Wilkson , BooBoo Stewart from the Twilight Saga , Ashley Henshaw and Mary Murphy just to name a few . This young designer ’ s impressive resume left me speechless .
Keneth Barlis has decided to take a semester off from his studies to focus on his spring 2014 collection and gave me a sneak preview into his color story and inspiration . His spring 2014 collection is “ based on European Structures , so there are a lot of those details , with a Baroque feel to it , arches and structures infused with French Military ; Romantic yet so masculine .” What is his inspiration behind this collection ? “ Part of my background was growing up in a military base so always seeing camouflage . I want to tell that part of my story to my audience and with the European structures I like how the details are so contrasting to each other and it still works together . I think that is what the concept of this collection is about .” The main audiences for this collection are women in their fifties and sixties , retired , who love to travel the world and have a fancy lunch with their girlfriends and dinner with the husband . Women who do not mind spending $ 1,200 on a gown and live in places like La Jolla , California . That is why it is conservative yet there is still that sex appeal because of the form fitting stretch materials that any woman can wear . For this collection Kenneth went with bold contrasting colors that will grab the attention of the audience . Reds , blues , infused with gold , black and white . “ I think it ’ s also really part of my background using these colors . Bold colors that really stand out in the crowd and I think the message is to showcase the uniqueness of each garment , even though the silhouette of what I am going to showcase is very simple and basic , form fitted but yet the details are so contrasting to each other that it still works together ”. Along with his Spring Collection debut at his own Show “ The Kenneth Barlis Show ”, he will also launch his first ever ready to wear handbag and accessory line which will include 100 percent leather clutches and messenger bags for evening or work . I look forward to seeing Kenneth pave the way for future fashion designers in San Diego and I am positive we will be hearing more of this talented designer soon .
by Yasmine Santana
The LA Fashion magazine | 15