Buckle : Vote For Your Favorite Design – #MakeItYours Designer Challenge

In part with Kansas City Fashion Week and the Kansas City Fashion Council, Buckle sponsored the first challenge of Oak Park Mall's 2018 #MakeItYours Designer Challenge.

Think Buckle meets your favorite design competition show - Kansas City style.

Five up-and-coming fashion designers were selected to compete against each other in a series of four weekly design challenges for the ultimate grand prize. Buckle's Tune up the Denim Challenge was first up - so you know we had to set the bar high.

The challenge involved two of our favorite things, denim and music! Designers randomly drew a music genre - country, hip-hop, rock, pop, or jazz - to determine their inspiration for the challenge.

Starting with a pair of our Gilded Intent jeans and a flannel, the designers channeled their inner rock star to create a whole new look that would hit a high note.

As Project Runway mentor, Tim Gunn, would say, 'Make it work!'

Make it work they did. After a week of designing, the designers were ready to showcase their music-inspired looks. Let's meet the designers and their designs:

Start the Runway Show

Design 1

Designer: Donna Kay

A self-taught designer who will be starting school at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City this fall. Donna is inspired by nature and the arts. Her work reflects these passions. If she wins this challenge, she will use the resources to further her business and get closer to her dream of starting her own clothing line.

Music Genre: Jazz

Tell us about your look:
My look includes three pieces. The first piece is a denim jacket which was reconstructed from the jeans provided. I spent some time this weekend at 18th and Vine (downtown Kansas City), this influenced my look a lot which you can see on the back of the jacket. The next part is a sparkly tank top to communicate the glamour of jazz in Kansas City. Lastly, I created a piano-inspired skirt which incorporated flannel squares from the shirt provided.

Design 2

Designer: Roger Figueroa

With a degree in Apparel Design and Technology, Roger is an active member of his community with a love of art, music, fashion, and culture. His goal is to work on the East and West Coasts in the fashion industry as a creative designer and use his fashion career as a platform to make a difference.

Music Genre: Country

Tell us about your look:
My take on this challenge was turning the Buckle jeans (that I loved so much and I didn't want to cut) into skirt overalls, detailing the skirt part by keeping the inseam stitching. My take on the flannel shirt was making it a little more feminine, adding dramatic cold shoulder bell sleeves and detailing the shoulders with ruffles made out of denim.

Design 3

Designer: Lovell Cox

At age seven, Lovell was shown how to use a sewing machine by her mom. Her interest grew and last summer she interned in New York City for the womenswear line BB Dakota. This experience solidified her desire to start a career in the fashion industry. Her goal is to eventually have her own ready-to-wear line.

Music Genre: Pop

Tell us about your look:
My look is a white tulle skirt with a silk blue waistband. I made the crop top out of the blue jeans and flannel provided by Buckle. The top is reversible and has an asymmetrical design. I chose Madonna as my inspiration because she was a distinct pop superstar in the 80s.

Design 4

Designer: Esmeralda Lole

With a dream of becoming a fashion designer since age ten, Esmeralda started her pursuit by revamping old clothes and today has her own line, Kyrie Eleison Couture. She is a self-taught designer with a goal to one day have her own design studio.

Music Genre: Rock

Tell us about your look:
My look features patchwork denim and faux leather, a plaid crop top with a hint of royal blue, and a distressed faux leather jacket.

Design 5

Designer: Kimby Sweeney

A graduate of the Johnson County Community College fashion design program, Kimby's aesthetic is modern and chic, and her clothes are made for confident, stylish women. She would like to launch her own clothing brand, K:13, with designs that reflect her point of view.

Music Genre: Hip-Hop

Tell us about your look:
I made a three-piece look that included a bomber jacket, a crop top, and a pair of shorts. I used most of the jeans to make the jacket sleeves, collar, and bottom band. I bought the vinyl to make the jacket body. With the semi-transparent vinyl, people can see the detail of the crop top inside, which is completely made from the flannel. To pair that, I made a Dijon short with hanging sleeves on the side, which was cut off of the flannel shirt.

It's Voting Time!

What design makes you want to burst out in song? That's right, you get to be the judge!

To vote for a design, text the design keyword of your favorite look to 4442222. Below is the keyword for each design:

DESIGN1 = Donna Kay

DESIGN2 = Roger Figueroa

DESIGN3 = Lovell Cox

DESIGN4 = Esmeralda Lole

DESIGN5 = Kimby Sweeney

The winner of this week's challenge will win a Buckle Gift Card and a chance to win the grand prize which includes a guaranteed spot in the Spring/Summer 2019 Kansas City Fashion Week runway shows, a professional editorial portfolio shoot, a gift card, a job shadow with Buckle, and $1,000 in cash.

Checkout #BuckleStyle to see more Buckle looks and behind the scenes from the challenge!

*Voting ends May 16, 2018. One vote per mobile device per challenge will be accepted.