Summer in Space

Top emerging fashion designers will take center stage during the ninth annual West 18th Street Fashion Show. This year’s free, outdoor event, Summer in Space, will be held at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 6. This outdoor fashion show– which draws nearly 2000 spectators– is held on the block of West 18th Street, between Wyandotte Street and Baltimore Avenue.

The event will bring together eighteen established and emerging designers, featuring returning designer Ariadne Fish, who has recently been gaining notoriety both locally and nationally. Fish, a Kansas City Art Institute graduate, will display her unique brand of powerful, avant-garde fashion. The show will also feature perennial favorites Jovana Mirabile (New York); Joscelyn Himes (awarded KC Magazine’s 2008 Best Local Fashion Designer); Peggy Noland (featured in Rolling Stone, Elle, and Spin); Birdies Panties and Swimwear Boutique located on 18th Street, and more. This year's theme, Summer in Space, serves as a source of inspiration for the designers, and it guides the stage design and event identity.

The event organizers have enlisted the help of a panel of fashion experts, which includes retired fashion designer and current Curator/Director of the Kansas City Historic Garment District Museum, Ann Brownfield; designer and owner of Crossroads boutique, Tomboy Design Studio, Laura McGrew; and former editor of KC Magazine and stylist, Chadwick Brooks.

Prominent local theatre actor Corrie Van Ausdal will host the event. Local artist, musician, and jazz ringleader, Mark Southerland, will be the musical director.

Photo: Tom Foley