princess lasertron + rock n roll bride on KMTV’s morning blend

Posted on 29. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Omaha Fashion Week was a riotous success–I’m eager to finish editing photos and invite you behind the scenes of all the excitement. Kat from Rock N’ Roll Bride, her charming husband Cuthbert Gareth, and Mondo Guerra all came and joined our crew. I need a few days to recover, so I’m going up to the lake to finish working on our new dress website so we can launch that this week and get these beauties into your closets!!

The morning after my runway show, Kat and I went on Morning Blend, a local morning TV show.

Kat wore the hot pink crinoline I made for her dress–I love how she paired it with a simple t-shirt and boots. It’s a piece that you can wear so many ways and she made it fit her style exactly.

Here’s also a preview of a photoshoot we did with Daniel Muller and Esoteric Velvet. I can’t wait to see the rest of the set–all I need to say is that we set a guitar on fire!

Photo by Daniel Muller

xo
meg

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rock n roll bride, state-side.

Posted on 24. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Earlier last year I was asked by the lovely and badass UK blogger Kat Williams, a.k.a. Rock n Roll Bride, to make a headband for her to wear to a cool industry event, and then shipping was delayed by that wack volcano in Iceland. Anyway, that’s not the point at all, it’s just a detail I suddenly remembered and I wanted to use the word “wack.”

The point is, after that first interaction we became fast internet friends and I have been in awe of her rise to fame as a wedding blogger and inspired by her eye for styling and knack for relating so well to her loyal readers. Earlier this year I asked if she was interested in coming to the United States–Omaha–to model a special limited-edition Rock N Roll Bride dress in my runway show at Omaha Fashion Week. So that’s what’s going down–from LHR to OMA, Rock N Roll Bride (including the handsome husband Gareth) is touching down in Omaha and kicking off her world domination tour through here for Fashion Week and into Los Angeles next week!

Click here to buy tickets for our Thursday show and see Kat modeling (hee!). If you can’t make it Thursday, you can also come to the finale show on Saturday where we’ll be partying in the VIP section. We will be sure to mingle a lot and you can’t miss her in her bright pink hair! Mondo Guerra from Project Runway will be there as well.

I’m nervous. I’m a little star-struck. I’m a little overwhelmed enough with organizing my show, the gift bags, the Saturday VIP party, the fundraiser for the Nebraska Aids Project with Mondo Guerra on Saturday (that’s a whole different thing to get nervous about!), and I’m trying so hard to appreciate each moment enough and really enjoy this time. It all goes by so fast! There will be more amazing blog posts to be had once this is all over and I have great photos to use!

Kat’s Rock N Roll Bride dress will be available for purchase after the Thursday show when our new dress site launches.

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the princess lasertron girl: meet my models

Posted on 21. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

I ask a lot of my models.

A good model can fit into clothes. A great model realizes that she’s not there to just sell dresses. She communicates my identity and vision and adds the magic I need on the runway to finish the love spell. I have such a sweet group of girls this year walking in my Omaha Fashion Week show this Thursday on August 25th. Let’s meet them!

Sarah Lorsung-Tvrdik

::sarah getting her hair done for our secret show last wednesday::

Sarah is my biggest source of fashion inspiration and my first muse. When I designed my first collection I continuously asked myself, “Could Sarah wear this?” This year’s collection is just improving on that vision of the Princess Lasertron girl–confident, funny, a charmer, an adventurer. We met in 2005 when I started dating my husband Dave, her husband Jon’s roommate at the time. She likes changing her hair (with the help of Team Lasertron glamour purveyor Rebecca Forsyth), collecting couture, drawing cat eyes out to her ears, helping children with disabilities and hosting parties in her beautiful mid-century inspired home. She writes at Fash Flood.

Nicole Keimig

::a sneak peek of nicole modeling in a series we did for the OFM cover::

I met Nicole about a month ago when we did a photoshoot with Bill Sitzmann for the cover of Omaha Fashion Magazine. Once she understood the look I like, she gave it 1000% and I don’t know many other girls her age (just 16) who work as hard as she does. It’s easy to see from her professional demeanor how passionate she is about developing her natural gift. Nicole is also fluent in American Sign Language which is awesome to watch when she talks to her super-supportive mom.

Andrea Gourley

::andrea being beautiful–she’s modeling a cute orange sheath dress for me::

Andrea actually found me when she responded to a request for models that I posted on Facebook. I can’t believe that she hasn’t modeled before–her natural beauty and confidence won me over in an instant.

Nicolette Biscamp

::ye olde facebook profile picture::

Nicolette has modeled a few times before in Omaha Fashion Week and we first met at Elektroshock, a gothic dance night that Dave and I used to go to every week before it closed a few years ago. Did you know I’m a secret goth? You probably did. Nicolette is funny and she has the coolest tattoos that look amazing in the orange dress she is modeling.

Caitlin Hochwender

::another preview from our cover photoshoot. photo by bill sitzmann.::

Caitlin is a goofball. When we started working together she understood instantly what I wanted from her and she brought it hard without worrying about looking dumb or messing up. Caitlin’s a friend, and I wish I had been as cool as her in high school.

Gwyneth Talley

::another magazine shoot preview. photo by g. thompson higgins.::

I first worked with Gwyneth when she was assigned to model for me at a hair show last year. She is a number one lady–a really experienced model, super confident, and the smartest girl in school. She also modeled in another photoshoot I did with photographer G. Thompson Higgins as another entry in the magazine photoshoot contest.

An Vu

::an vu gets two pictures because how could I choose one?::

An Vu is another local fashion icon. If you live in Omaha and you haven’t had an An Vu experience, it’s coming–trust me. When An’s in the room, the party has been brought, and not coincidentally Party is the name of one of her dogs, who my baby loves, and my baby also loves An and wanted to be held by her at the secret show last week. See there? We have come full circle.

Tatianna Trabucco

::tati’s beauty shot by jenn hoffman photography::

Tatianna was recommended to me by my friend Emma, a fellow Omaha Fashion Week designer. She’s a six-foot-tall knockout and I must say she’s modeling my favorite piece in the whole collection. It’s like an updated Audrey Hepburn dress and it fits her like a glove. I can’t wait to watch her on the runway!

Rebecca Culhane

::the pretty is infectious, right? photo by amy lynn photography.::

Hottie for life. Mama to two. New redhead. Lovely singer-songwriter. Rebecca’s a new friend to me and she is coming to Omaha from her home in South Dakota to model. I love her already and her beauty and sense of humor just kills me!

…did you know Kat from Rock ‘N Roll Bride is coming from London to model for me too?

If you’re anywhere in the O-NE, make sure you grab your tickets for the big show on the 25th on the OFW website before they sell out! Thursday’s going to be huge, and I’m so grateful also to House of Loom downtown for hosting our official afterparty that night just down the street. (There was also a great article about Loom today in the World-Herald, with a nice little mention of me!)

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in the midst of chaos: time out for some self-love before fashion week!

Posted on 19. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

First, some things to know:

1. My husband organized Extreme Coworking Week this week at CAMP, the workspace I own in North Downtown Omaha. We’ve been having free coworking all week, Vin Diesel movies every day, BMX biking, and mountain-dew flavored vodka shots. So there’s that.
2. My bag got stolen last Friday and I lost my cell phone, iPod Touch and the Alice pictures on it, Alice’s blankie and bunny Flocki, and camera. :[
3. A few months ago I decided to try to grow out my signature bob haircut.
4. Hated my hair. Never did anything with it.
5. Got it all cut off again by the wise and glamorous Rebecca Forsyth at Bangs Salon.
6. Proceeded to VuVu Nail Spa where Rosie Vu, mama of local ingenue An Vu, changed my life forever by putting shiny coral shellac on my nails.

Knowing that, here are some pictures from my week thus far:

Hair: Rebecca Forsyth
Nails: VuVu Nail Spa
Dress: Old Navy
Leggings: Target
Necklace: Fossil
Sunglasses: Vintage
Shoes: Anne Klein
Alice’s Dress: Vintage

Behind-the-scenes fashion week photos to come…
(Did you know our new dress website is launching on the 25th?)

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An interview with up-and-coming fashion designer Kate Walz

Posted on 17. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Even at 14 years old, local designer Kate Walz is no newcomer to the runway–she showed collections in Spring and Fall 2010 on the Omaha Fashion Week stage, as well as several other events including a fundraiser for a friend in her community with breast cancer. I sat down with her a few weeks ago to ask her some questions about the path she has been on as a designer, what she has learned, and what’s next for her as she continues to challenge herself and renew her vision as a designer.

In past years, Kate has presented several collections that showed her growing range, starting from tulle skirts and moving into taffeta party dresses and long gowns, always experimenting with silhouettes and textures.

Kate and I met at Blue Line coffee in Dundee and she was accompanied by her dad and brother. Kate’s parents are her biggest supporters–every time we have a meeting or fashion week designer event, there is no shortage of encouragement from her mom and dad. I love seeing that and it makes me so optimistic for Kate’s future because nothing is more important and helpful than when your parents have faith in your passion.

Here’s a look into our conversation that day!

Meg: How is this year’s collection different from what you’ve done in the past?
Kate: Last fall I did all tutus–it was fun and girly. This year I am trying harder to edit my collections, and I’m showing ten pieces. For this fall I am doing all jewel tones. I have some reversible skirts that the models will take off with a beautiful ruched fitted dress underneath. I’m also not just doing skirts anymore. I’ll always use tulle though, because it’s lightweight and there’s so much you can do with it. And you can get it in any color.

This year I am making sure everything matches, using the same colors and fabrics. In my first show, I just used all different colors in the same tutu, the same dresses, and after the first show when I saw the pictures, I realized that I wanted the collection to be more cohesive.

M: Do you plan to pursue a career in design at this point?
K: I want to go to fashion school, and I’m excited to go to high school next year where I can take some fashion classes.

M: Have you sold any of your pieces yet?
K: I used to sell at Bellwether Boutique in the Old Market as Just Because by Kate Walz. I sold some shirts there. I make clothes for myself and my friends–like matching dresses. I did a dress with satin on the bottom that was pink, blue, and purple, with a black bodice and roses around the neckline.

M: What are you most proud of, out of all you have accomplished and learned in the last two years?
K: I’m most proud that I’m even in fashion week as the youngest designer. One of my models bought a dress-she was going to wear it in a pageant, so that was an honor.

M: How do you learn new techniques? Do you take classes?
In the past I have taken some sewing classes at the Bernina store where I made a pair of shorts and a bag–

M: –I think I took that class when I was younger too! A denim bag?
K: Yes! And we embroidered it with a machine. Mostly when I want to use a new technique, I just wing it and see what works. Sometimes I watch YouTube too. Like I learned how to gather by watching a video.

M: So has it been hard being a young designer? I mean, I can imagine that without a certain level of experience it might be hard to take charge or something.
K: Last year at Omaha Fashion Week I freaked out a little bit because my models kept leaving. But I’ve done a few shows since then and I’ve gotten more comfortable taking charge and telling the models what I need them to do.

M: Because a lot of them are the same age as you, or even older!
K: Yeah most of them are older. I’m working with some very professional ones this year.

M: Older, like sixteen. What kind of model do you typically look for to convey your brand message?
K: I’ve been using a lot of the same models–I’ve figured out my look. I want variety and diversity in models so it looks like anyone can wear the clothes. I don’t want there to be an age limit on who can wear my clothes. At my first fashion show, one of the Omaha Fashion Week organizers wore one of my tutus!

M: Besides Omaha Fashion Week, what else is coming up for you?
K: I’m doing a show in October called Sweet Couture. It’s cool because pastry chefs design chocolate hats for each dress. I was asked on Facebook to design the finale piece. One dress will even be made out of chocolate–I’m not sure how that will work.

M: What else?
K: I’d like to be a designer living in New York, and have my own store. I’d like to be able to sell my own clothes and make money doing what I love.

M: What advice do you have for other young people who want to get into designing?
K: Start out drawing and learn how to sew. Just take a class. You don’t have to design something you’re capable of sewing in the beginning, so you’re just being creative at first. Don’t let yourself be held back just because you can’t sew it. I started out drawing lots of tutus because it’s all I could sew. But now I draw more things and I’m gradually learning how to turn my sketches into pieces that work on the runway. My teacher said, you should make your clothes look expensive. Use smaller stitches, have cleaner seams, sew closer to the edge, etc.

Go see Kate’s Omaha Fashion Week show this year on Tuesday, August 23rd at 8pm. Buy tickets for the Tuesday show at the Omaha Fashion Week website! (And pick up a pair for the Thursday show too so you can see my new collection drop!)

Thanks again, Kate, for meeting with me at Blue Line and telling me more about your work. I think you’ve already made a splash here locally and I can’t wait to see you continue to come up as a new designer.

xo
meg

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