Home. Fashion. DIY. VintageKC SPRING 2017 | Vol. 5 Issue 4
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2 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
Contents SPRING 2017 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 4
learn 38 DIY DIVINATION Quan Tracy do 32 VINTAGE RECIPES Spring chicken salads 27 KC FASHION WEEK Designer Q&A
community 06 MAKERS April McAnerny 08 VINTAGE DINING Happy Gillis 30 MAKERS Art Instruments 34 MAKERS Maggie’s Corner inspiration 12 VINTAGE SPACES 815 Gallery 14 VINTAGE SPACES Lee’s Summit Home 22 VINTAGE FASHION Victorian 28 VINTAGE EVENTS Wedding 36 COLLECTORS Vintage Movie Posters
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30 Tammy and Rick Haddix tend to maintain the structure of instruments while creating their art. This bassoon lamp that sold at the 2015 Band of Angels Auction is typical of their work. It retains the instrument's natural beauty while transforming it into a functional art piece.
08
36
22
14
Original movie poster for “Metropolis” (1927)
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 3
^ from the publisher
staff
Editorial Calli Green, assistant editor/fashion director calli@vintagekcmag.com Reese Walley, editorial/sales assistant reese@vintagekcmag.com Advertising Cheri Nations, advertising rep
Follow the Lead
O ccasionally, I get the question: Where do you come up with your story ideas? If ego reigned supreme in my life, I would answer, “me.” I don’t deny I have an ego, but if I didn’t keep it under check and silenced at crucial times, I doubt if I would get anyone to work with me, which means I wouldn’t be a publisher of any magazine. Putting out a publication is always a collaborative effort involving more than one person. One can liken a publisher as a sort of producer, pulling together the right elements in search of meeting the established overarching theme. Our theme is vintage and Kansas City, and I try to give each of our contributors wide latitude in demonstrating their creativity under that theme. Doing that answers the question — our ideas come from our contributors. If you want to know whom, look at the names on the masthead to the right of this column. This issue features a cover story by Corbin Crable and photography by Silas Cook. The idea for the story sprang from a previous story we did on Michelle Meyer and her farm tables. Assistant editor/fashion director Calli Green and photographer Patti Klinge lobbied hard to do a cover feature on Meyer. What was I to do? Simply trust and agree. So most of the VKC story ideas come from the editors, writers, photographers and, occasionally, our advertising representatives. And sometimes an advertiser or reader will throw out a suggestion. Me? Oh yeah, I contribute some ideas. Some fly into print and visuals, others have the half-life of Frisbee slamming into the trunk of a tree. Ego contained. ^
cheri@vintagekcmag.com Joe King, advertising rep joseph@vintagekcmag.com Design Emily Bowers emily@vintagekcmag.com Emily Smith aew2000@centurylink.net Patti Klinge artdirector@discoverpub.com Publisher Bruce Rodgers publisher@vintagekcmag.com 816-474-1516
contributors Maggie Bonanomi Quan Tracy Cherry Melissa Cowan Corbin Crable Lauren Hedenkamp
Rhiannon Ross Sarah Teresinski Deborah Young
VINTAGEKC VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4 IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY VINTAGE MEDIA, LLC, IN KANSAS CITY, MO, AFFILIATED WITH AFFINITY ENTERPRISE GROUP, COPYRIGHT 2017, VINTAGE MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN PART OR IN WHOLE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. photo graphy Patti Klinge Sarah Teresinski Corbin Crable Nicole Bissey of Nicole Bissey Photography Silas Cook Deborah Young
Bruce Rodgers publisher
Follow along!
VKC vintagekcmag.com
vintagekc
vintagekcmagazine vintagekcfashion
vintagekc
vintagekcmag
Cover photo by Silas Cook
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VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 5
community ^ makers
LYF3 Upcycled Clothing by Calli Green
“It’s not you that needs to change, it’s your clothes!
— Apryl McAnerney (Maker)
VKC: Why did you start making?
Apryl: I have become increasingly dissatis- fied with clothing styles, prices, and standard sizes over the years because I have an eclectic style, minimal budget and haven’t been a “standard” size since I was 17. Like many women, I’ve spent my life thinking there was something wrong with me, with my body, because I just didn’t conform to what was available. It’s not us, it’s the clothes! Add or subtract a couple of inches here and there — draw, paint, dye that favorite shirt with the stain; patch that hole with a fancy fabric, and it’s yours all over again, but better! I can continue to do that for customers over the years, until it becomes a pillow, a purse, and finally part of a rag rug. And then, of course, I’ll take that rag rug back apart and use the pieces in a set of curtains. There is absolutely no waste when it comes to the usefulness and creative potential of fabric. Apryl: As a professional artist of 30 years, specializing in highly detailed pencil draw- ings, but constantly dabbling in mixed media and found object sculpture, I’d become dis- heartened by the notion of creating precious items that simply sat on a shelf or hung on a wall under glass. As a “gallerist” I recognized that matching an artist with a collector was tricky because eventually the collector ran VKC: What inspires you?
Top left: Instead of wall hangings and paintings she has made in the past, Apryl uses paint pens to create moveable, wearable art-painting fictional characters and non-fictional elements, like this perched bird on the chest of a button-up shirt. Bottom left: A fictional painting, giving the back of a timeless jean jacket new life and a pop of color. Top right: A formal dress, acquired from a friend, became something new with dye and whimsical floral artwork.
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Left: Apryl’s denim pieced curtains, made from old jeans, line the windows of local artist Diana Parrino’s creative space. Right: Painted odds and ends in Apryl’s workspace.
fit or entirely reconfigure the material into something brand new! It’s a very personal and creative dance between us. You come back to try them on and I make any necessary adjust- ments until you’re happy. I’m always experi- menting with various fabrics and designs, and as I’ve accumulated so many clothes from clients and ideas thru Pinterest, I also have several new creations on hand to choose from, to purchase or to inspire. VKC: What do you love about working in the Kansas City Metro area? Apryl: I love living and working in the KC Metro area because it embraces and supports the arts, local creatives, and small businesses. It’s a big city with a small town heart. I moved here from Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend KCAI (Kansas City Art Institute) in 1987, have journeyed often, tried to settle elsewhere, but always come back Home to KC. ^
out of wall space! Artists are compelled to create even if their artwork remains stacked in their own homes. Working with clothes provides me an opportunity to create in such a way that combines my drawing skills with found object sculpture and gave it a much richer life beyond static confines. Now my artwork moves about the world with the client, it lives and breathes and can be con- stantly reworked as it gets stained and torn and loved like a child’s favorite toy.
VKC: What’s the process from concept to design to construction and final finishing?
Apryl: My process begins with the client “shopping” his or her own closets. Bring me anything and everything you no longer wear for whatever reason — too small, stained, torn, things you would give or throw away and keepsake clothes — your favorite child- hood T-shirt or a deceased loved one’s shirt. We’ll go thru them together and discuss any attachment to the
items, what you like or don’t like about them, the way you prefer clothes to fit, your personal style, while I measure you and take notes. And you walk away while I play according to your needs and measurements, to make things
www.LetYourFreakFlagFly.com www.facebook.com/LYF3upcycled
An Eclectic Mix of Vintage and Current Home Decor with a Touch of Artisan Flair! Opening every Third Thursday of the month for 10 days:
• March 16-25 • April 20-29 • May 18-27
PINEAPPLE
6709W. 75th Street Overland Park, KS 66204 (near 75th & Metcalf) Mon-Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-5 • Sun 12-5
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 7
community ^ dining
HAPPY GILLIS CAFÉ & HANGOUT 549 Gillis St. Kansas City, MO 64106
Hours: Tue-Sat, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 816-471-3663
Happy Gillis Café & Hangout
salt-and-pepper shakers serve as centerpieces. Plaster and brick walls are painted pistachio, floorboards are varnished wood, and pipes are exposed overhead. Cacti sun in window boxes. One wall showcases 50 mismatched plates, saucers and platters, from vintage to crafted to a child’s whimsical drawing. A bar with stools offers additional seating for four and a coveted, southern window view. In warmer weather, a sidewalk patio allows diners to sit in front of the building’s red brick exterior with its vintage Coca Cola signage. In such a place, one expects to find comfort foods and lots of hot coffee. Happy Gillis, which serves breakfast and lunch, doesn’t disappoint. The menu, printed on white-framed blackboards, lists old-time favorites and trendier entrees, many using local sources. Choices include traditional biscuits and Broadway Butcher sausage gravy (a whole order will feed two unless you’re starving); breakfast burrito using Lo- cal Pig chorizo; grits and red eye gravy us- ing local heirloom grits and Ozark country ham shank; lunch specials such as bacon-
Experiencing the simple joy of ‘kitchen sitting’ by Rhiannon Ross
F rom the solo perch of the high chair as a youngin, we grow and descend to the lowlands of the communal kitchen table. Sounds play on the memory during that transition, including the scrape of kitchen chair legs scooching across a linoleum or hardwood floor. The first kitchen table of my memory was oblong, topped with silvery Formica, and boasted six metal legs. Consuming the center of the room in my parent’s flamingo pink kitchen, it was surrounded by six tur- quoise vinyl chairs. Here, I ate breakfasts of oatmeal and brown sugar or buttermilk bis-
cuits and gravy. Here, I also would beg my mother for a bite of her buttered toast with dollops of marmalade and a sip of her sug- ary, hot tea. When my father arrived home, the family – all six of us – would share our day’s activities while gathered around this table. We were a family of “kitchen sitters”. Pleasant thoughts of being a kitchen sitter came to me when I entered Happy Gillis Café & Hangout in the Columbus Park neigh- borhood. It was deja vu when I spied five vintage kitchen tables – some wooden, others laminated with metal legs – flanked with vinyl or wrought iron patio chairs. Kitschy
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Left: Vintage tables at Happy Gillis. Center: A Happy Gillis gentle reminder. Right: Mugs by potter Paul Mallory.
hood proud of its heritage. A sense of yesteryear permeates Happy Gillis like the quiet of morning fog that sometimes rises from the Missouri River to the south. The only thing missing in this cozy café is a screen door where intimate conversations can filter out into the sur- rounding environs from kitchen sitters gathered around its tables. ^ Rhiannon Ross “kitchen sits” at a vintage drop- leaf table where she sips Constant Comment Tea and eats buttered toast slathered in marmalade.
Owners are chef Josh Eans and his wife, Abbey-Jo, who live with their three children in the upstairs quarters above the café, located just east of the City Market. (The couple also run the Ramen Shop in the former garage attached to the café.) This historic northeast neighborhood is home to Kansas City’s first Italian immigrants, and now also home to Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Burmese and Somalis. It features tradi- tional Italianate homes with wrought iron balconies intermixed with newer split-level homes and apartments. This is a neighbor-
date melt and other tasty accoutrements on farm bread, and the “Line Cook’s Lunch” of pork terrine, chicken liver mousse, frisee, mustard and cornichons on ciabatta. And coffee, from the Broadway Roast- ing Co., is available all day. For $2.50 plus tax, you can drink as much as your bladder will hold and, upon request, you can grab a complimentary to-go cup. Local potter Paul Mallory designed the stack of mugs that bear the café’s name. Libations include beer from Boulevard Brewing Company, Mimosas, and Bloody Marys.
Mark your calendar for Kansas City's first Local Runway show! Guests will line the runway, viewing pieces made exclusively for them! After the show, guests will have the opportunity to meet the designers and boutique owners to purchase affordable runway looks!
food vendors, junque, veggies, crafts, repurposed pieces, live music & cider donuts! * vendor space still available * May 13 •* June 10 •* July 8 * August 12 8am-1pm ~ Rain or Shine
Ticket proceeds benefitting:
Stay connected and be on the lookout for early bird tickets! vintagekcmag.com vintagekcfashion vintagekcw
14730 KS-68 Louisburg, KS 66053 louisburgcidermill.com 913-837-5202
http://healinghousekc.org
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 9
10 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
OPEN TUESDAY-SUNDAY 249 E. BROADWAY EXCELSIOR SPRINGS 816-630-SHOP (7467)
PURVEYORS OF HANDCRAFTED CULINARY DELIGHTS AND MISSOURI WINE, SPIRITS AND CRAFT BEER
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 11
^ 815 gallery
815 Gallery
A historical place for up and coming artists by Melissa Cowan
I f you didn’t know of Columbus Park — nestled between the Heart of America Bridge, I-29 and the Missouri River — you’d likely never stumble upon the quiet and quaint neighborhood, one of Kansas City’s oldest. After World War I, Italian immigrants cultivated the area, building everything they needed in a few-block radius: restaurants, drug stores, bakeries, breweries, barber shops and the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the heart of this close-knit community. In addition to baptisms, weddings and funerals, residents gathered there for dinner and con- versation, sports, and annual carnivals. Though the neighborhood is now home to diverse populations, the Italian history remains. The church bells still ring on the hour; you can see the Italian pride in the red, white and green-painted fire hydrants and in the 100-year-old buildings that, on the outside, have not been updated. One such building stands at 815 East 5th Street. Now a private residence, the building once served the community as J. Vaccaro Bottling Works Co., the name still carved above the windows; a dance hall and speak-
easy, where even police indulged in an illegal beverage during Prohibi- tion; and, for nearly 90 years, LaRocca Grocery. Joe Mike Mesh, a lifelong Colum- bus Park resident, still remembers the smell of the grocery. “[Owner Frank LaRocca] had everything from the old coun- try — every kind of salami and cheese.” Joe Mike and his mother would shop there, and then walk down the street for a fresh loaf of Italian bread with olive oil. Shon and Carol Hall, the building’s cur- rent owners, were looking for an historic firehouse or church to renovate when they found this “secret gem” in Columbus Park, or aka the North End, if you grew up in this little city within a city. When they first opened its doors, the Halls found many of the building’s original elements remained: The pulleys to raise the orange, grape, strawberry and cream soda
hung from the ceil- ing; the decorative blue stenciling
up the staircase to the speakeasy was un- touched; and the dance hall’s pristine maple wood floors hid beneath years of debris. “They were so worn down, you couldn’t tell what they looked like,” said Louis Pisser, project manager for Jamie Jeffries Construction, the Hall’s contractors. Once uncovered, it was “one of the most beautiful floors [he’s] ever seen.” To preserve the integrity of the build- ing as much as possible, the construction team repurposed materials — not only from the space, but also from other buildings throughout Kansas City. “Every day, we would have to make a new
12 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
Top left: To preserve the integrity of the building, the construction team repurposed its materials, includ- ing this old freight door to the Hall’s master bedroom. Top right: A 1920s scaffolding ladder was transformed into a pub table, its wheels original to the building. Bottom left: The neighborhood’s Italian history and pride remain in the red, white and green-painted fire hydrants and North End restaurant. Bottom center: One of the building’s original floor grates is now a chandelier adorned with wine bottles. Bottom right: The dance hall’s pristine maple wood floors once hid beneath years of debris. Bottom right: The building once served the community as J. Vaccaro Bottling Works Co., the name still carved above the windows.
decision: how can we make this work with what we have available, while making sure it’s structurally sound,” Pisser said. They used a floor grate for a chandelier adorned with wine bottles, an old steel beam for the downstairs bar’s footrest and the speakeasy’s porcelain sinks for the master bathroom. They also built closet shelves from a local high school’s bleacher seats — after scrap- ing off the chewed gum — and a staircase to the new rooftop patio from wood from the original Boulevard Brewery warehouse. “The space is really a combination of three or four different buildings structured around the same time period.” Almost every piece of the Hall’s home tells a story, dating as far back as 1919, when Joe Vaccaro began construction for J. Vaccaro Bottling Works Co. He quickly outgrew the space, and in 1921, construction began on the Joe Vaccaro Soda Water Manufacturing Company Building at 922 East 5th Street, one block east (now the Soda Lofts). Back then, everyone knew each other and took care of each other. Mary Argento,
But, Shon and Carol are writing a new chapter for the building. Every Third Friday, April–October, their home becomes 815 Gal- lery, a space for local artists to display their talents. “I used to show my work in malls, and it tore away at my soul,” Shon said. “We wanted to give local artists a better opportunity.” ^ Following the inclusive spirit of the neighbor- hood, all artists and styles are welcomed. If you would like to be featured at 815 Gallery, contact Jody Flaherty at jody.flaherty@gmail.com.
licensed funeral director and owner of Seb- beto Funeral Home at 901 East 5th Street, recalled when sugar was in short supply between the world wars, the neighborhood would donate theirs to Vaccaro to help his business stay open. Because Vaccaro’s second location operated longer and received the National Register of Historic Places designation, the history of his original building is all but forgotten. There are few records and even fewer living residents in Columbus Park to pass on its memory.
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^ vintage spaces
Words CORBIN CRABLE Photos SILAS COOK Lee’s Summit woman keeps the spirit of the past alive in her home and business.
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A s a teacher, Michelle Myers knows there are a variety of ways to look at the world. Where some folks see a wooden door, weathered by rain and snow, she sees a decorative conversation piece for her dining room. Where some see rusted, old windmill blades, she envisions a focal point for her living room. The timeless adage of “Everything old is new again” is a world view that Myers has held her entire life, and it can be found on every shelf, every wall, every nook and cranny of her home in Lee’s Summit, MO, where Michelle and her husband, Chuck, have lived since 1995. “People should not throw anything away,” Michelle says, strolling through her living room and eyeing her favorite decorative pieces intently on an overcast morning in January. Her love of vintage knickknacks, trinkets and antiques has endured for just as long, too. What started out as just a hobby of collecting blossomed into a passion and a way of life in adulthood. “It really did start out as a hobby. Eventually, I had so much stuff, and I thought I would just start moving a bit of product every once in a while,” she recalls. For years, Michelle has balanced her full-time job as a special education teacher in the Lee’s Summit school district with overseeing space at antique stores (and stores themselves) throughout the Kansas The living room of Myers’ Lee’s Summit home features some of her favorite decorations. Natural light pouring through their high windows illuminate her treasures collected over her career as a dealer of vintage items.
According to Chuck Myers, “You could buy a whole mess of frames cheaply years ago, and now you have to buy them individually.”
City metro area. First was a small 5”x3” booth at the Greenwood Mer- cantile in Greenwood, MO. Afterward, Michelle moved into As Time Goes By, also located in Greenwood. Following her start in Greenwood, Michelle’s wares made their way to the West Bottoms area – first, with a location called Hickory Dickory and now with the store Good Ju Ju, a metro-area mainstay to fellow collectors. According to Good Ju Ju’s website, the shop offers finished antique and vintage furniture, architectural items, holiday decor, primitives, dining room tables, chairs, buffets, china cabinets, sporting goods, jewelry, mid-century modern stuff … retro, fun and funky items and about anything you can imagine.” Michelle’s brand recognition has taken years of shopping, collect- ing, hard work, and networking with like-minded merchants. Among her friends and peers, Michelle is known for her being selective about the items she sells and the ones that enter her home. “It seems like our circle of friends have the same business philosophy that we do,” she says. “For instance, I don’t spray paint furniture. I hand paint everything. And I will only sell solid wood products. I would rather repurpose the original item and have people love it all over again. “I’m picky, and I pay a lot of attention to detail,” she continues. “When Chuck and I set out (to open the store), we decided not to cut
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^ vintage spaces
A collection of old hose nozzles sits arranged atop a white work bench in the Myers’ kitchen.
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throw pillows in the master bedroom; a turn-of-the-century pie safe made of tin and painted white; a pair of industrial lamps made of pipe fittings, which flank the sofa in the living room; and above that, an old blue Proctor & Gamble sign, riddled with bullet holes (“On the farm, you’d shoot at things like that, just for fun,” Michelle notes). And that’s not even a fraction of the home’s carefully selected decorations. “I collect old fans, buckets – you can never have too many buckets,” Michelle laughs. “They’re great for everything. I drag all of my plants inside during the winter, and I put them all in old buckets. I also have a lot of blue jars … oh, and clocks!”
corners. We wouldn’t sell anything we wouldn’t put in our own home. And we’ve stuck to that.” Yes, Michelle’s favorite pieces will never see the light of day in Good Ju Ju – instead, they stay in her home, on display for family, friends and visitors alike. Some of the pieces that are sure to be conversation-starters when visitors cross her home’s threshold include a dark-brown wood cabinet in the entryway, constructed with square nails; a work bench painted John Deere green, atop which sits a collection of old metal nozzles for fire hoses; the metal frame of an old laundry cart, which now holds
The wire skeleton of an old laundry cart now holds throw pillows at the foot of the Myers’ bed in their master bedroom.
One of Michelle’s favorite pieces is a set of industrial lamps made of pipe fittings. The lamps were a gift from artistically-minded friends.
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^ vintage spaces
Oh, and there are the frames, too, according to Chuck. “You could buy a whole mess of frames cheaply years ago, and now you have to buy them individually,” Chuck notes. One of her most treasured pieces, however, remains the wooden table in her dining room, featured in an earlier issue of VintageKC. “It’s still one of my favorite pieces,” Michelle beams. “It’s never going to be sold.” In addition to her full-time job and managing her store locations, Michelle somehow finds the time to help produce decorative spaces for individuals and organizations using her keen eye for design. Central to those projects, of course, is matching complementary color families. A mantle behind her living room features a variety of blue- and white-colored pieces. Both are dominant colors throughout her home.
Above: It seems that these days, just about everything can be used as a planter — in- cluding this artful bust. A cowboy bathtub in the Myers’ living room also acts as a vessel for multiple houseplants.
Michelle’s carefully color-coordinated rooms reflect a love of whites and blues, such as those featured in this mantle. When she isn’t collecting and selling vintage collectibles, Michelle has been known to help friends decorate their fireplace mantles for the holidays or special occasions.
exception to the rule. “If you go to auctions, auctioneers are pretty good at making sure there isn’t anything really valuable hidden away,” he says. Michelle nods and admits that theirs was a case of pure luck. “It doesn’t happen nearly as often as you would think.” That’s not to say, of course, that it never happens, Michelle adds. “I’m finding with this generation of kids, 30s and 40s, they may have something they don’t realize is worth something. And at garage sales, some people just don’t realize what they’ve got,” she says. Both Michelle and Chuck are heartened to find that the monetary worth of an item is of little concern to younger generations of collec- tors, who embrace the aesthetics, functionality and stories behind the treasures at Good Juju. “Antiques went out of style, and now people are appreciating them, because they’re real and functional,” Michelle says. Both Chuck and Michelle say that when they built their house more than 20 years ago, it was with their expansive collection of vintage
“I like those soft blues and teals,” Michelle says. “They blend so pretty. Anything in the blue and green family blends together so well.” Michelle admits she even learned a thing or two about pairing colors from her adult daughter, Amber. “She told me, ‘Mom, you can put reds along with blues and teals, too, and I was like, ‘Really?’” Michelle laughs. The living room mantle, meanwhile, features splashes of bright color in the form of old watering buckets for children, sitting next to a seemingly innocuous blue glass bottle. At first glance, the piece can be easy to pass over, but Michelle says she and Chuck learned the small bottle held a secret. “We found out it was worth several hundred dollars,” Michelle says. “It was in a box along with other blue glass bottles. We bought the whole box for only $5.” Though programs such as “Antiques Roadshow” highlight collectors who receive a delightful surprise when told an item they bring in for appraisal is actually worth money, Chuck says such news is usually the
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items at the forefront of their minds. In fact, the house is designed around them, according to Chuck. “When the house was built, we knew we wanted cubbies,” he says, pointing to one next to the guest room on the second floor. A metal pedal cart sits there, a grinning, cherubic-faced doll sitting at the wheel. “We asked for them, and shelves, too, because Michelle likes to decorate so much.” Some of the house’s décor changes depending on the season, or just what items have caught Michelle’s eye lately. As a place whose look changes and evolves constantly, Michelle says there are still big proj- ects lined up for the future, including reorganizing her home’s base- ment, which she describes as “a mess with all the shelves of antiques!” “We want to make the front porch bigger,” she says. “We’ve talked about that, and have debated painting our (kitchen) cabinets white
Bottom left: More planters intermingle with a variety of items in the Myers’ living room. Bottom right: The first piece of furniture to greet visitors to the Myers’ home is this bookcase, atop which sits just a couple of the many clocks to be found in Michelle’s collection of timepieces. Middle right: White is a dominant color in the Myers’ living room, and most of the living room’s decorations hearken back to life on a rustic farmstead. T op right: Not every- thing in Michelle’s home is vintage. This blanket given to her by a former student has a cozy place in her dining room. Top left: In addition to the natural light to be found in the Myers’ living room, candles sprinkled throughout the house add an extra bit of warmth to every room.
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 19
^ vintage spaces
Michelle and Chuck’s granddaughter, Charlotte, has her very own place where she can play and create, right off of the kitchen.
have an elf collection,” she says. “We have tons of elves, and I put them out at Christmas time. She came over one day and she said, ‘Mawmaw, more elves!’ She got my old trucks out and put elves in the trucks and started driving them around. And I thought, ‘Man, these kids don’t need much!’” Charlotte, it seems, shares her grandmother’s worldview of appre- ciating the artistic potential of items that are discarded or otherwise taken for granted by others. After Michelle retires from teaching this year, she will be able to turn her focus completely to Good Ju Ju and ensuring such items go to a good home. And eventually, Michelle says, she knows those collect- ibles will be in good hands – the hands of someone who loves them just as much as she does. “You give kids this old stuff, and they love it like it’s new stuff,” Mi- chelle smiles. “And everything here will be Charlotte’s one day.” ^ Corbin Crable, an adjunct associate professor of journalism at Johnson County Community College, doesn’t have Michelle’s same knack for home decoration, but he knows what he likes. One of two tailor mannequins in the master bedroom doubles as a jewelry rack of sorts. Michelle says tailor mannequins — especially those in good repair — are becoming increasingly difficult to find in vintage stores.
and to make other things whiter. I’m always working on something.” And speaking of the future, Michelle doesn’t have to worry about her legacy of collecting being lost anytime soon – it’s something she has passed down to her two-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte, whom she calls “an old soul.” On this day, Charlotte has shown up at Grandma’s house (“Where the word we always say is ‘yes’.”) for a brief visit and to have her pic- ture taken. Charlotte, too, has her own decorative space in a corner of the kitchen – a wooden, child-sized table with matching chairs. Atop the table sits a canister full of brightly colored pencils, and on a shelf across from the table sits an abacus with brightly colored beads. “I told them you like to decorate,” Michelle coos to the shy, blonde- haired youngster, who heads for her little table when she arrives. “Do you want to check out your table and see if it’s OK? Mawmaw decorated it for you.” Michelle laughs heartily as she discusses some of Charlotte’s favorite collectibles throughout the house. “Charlotte plays with the old toy trucks, with the old clocks … and I
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Greenwood Antique District a
g
As Time Goes by 816-366-0545
greenwood mercantile 816-537-7033
big creek mall 816-623-5358
March 17-19 Vintage Market Days March 25-26 Spring Open House April 22 Veranda Garden Show May 20 Handmade Market
millett & co. 816-537-7129
greenwood antiques 816-537-7172
country tea room 816-537-8434
vintage, repurposed, americana, country, mid Century, Primitive
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 21
^ vintage fashion
This Collection: Château de la M’lle design was based off of historical Victorian costume, embodying various genres of popular vintage fashion trends such as Neo-Victorian, shabby chic, and Japanese Lolita. Make your vintage looks modern this spring by adding a touch of your own shabby chic-Victorian style to your favorite modern cardigan, pants or shoes.
Featuring soft, innocent floral print on a modern style baby doll dress — with fitted princess seams and ruffle accents — this look encompasses shapes of Victorian era children’s clothing. This look drifts between everyday wear and alternative, vintage fashion trends.
VENUE VAILE MANSION, INDEPENDENCE, MO DESIGNS/STYLING BETHANY WICKER PHOTOS NICOLE BISSEY PHOTOGRAPHY MODELS NINA MONZON; EXPOSURE MODEL AND TALENT AGENCY, LEXY COVENSKY; CAREER IMAGES MODEL AND TALENT AGENCY INC., CHRISTEN MAZURAK-FIKE, DANA LARSON HAIR ANNA ELISABETH MAKEUP ASHLEY HAZELWOOD CONCEPT CALLI GREEN
22 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
Inspired by the rigid structure of Victorian era menswear, made with modern day comfort in mind, this peplum blouse includes a fitted, comfortable knit fabric, matching stretch leggings and modern ascot scarf.
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 23
^ vintage fashion
This look features a no-waste design
reminiscent of Victorian era sewing practices indicative to a time that every scrap of fabric was precious and reused in clothing, quilts, etc. This mentality holds some relevance today, as clothing manufacturers continue to be pressured towards environmentally conscious manufacturing techniques.
24 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
This look draws inspiration from Victorian era undergarments, and is re-imagined and modernized into an intricate floral tank, and lace bloomer shorts.
“Built by Colonel and Mrs. Harvey Vaile in 1881, it was ‘the most princely house and the most comfortable home in the entire west,’ the Kansas City Times reported in 1882. Situated on North Liberty Street, a mile north of the historic Independence Square, the three-story Gothic-like structure today sits in solitary splendor, an architectural anomaly among the surrounding Midwestern homes.” www.vailemansion.org
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 25
^ vintage fashion
^ meet the designer Bethany Wicker: Crystal Arcade Clothing VKC: Why/when did you start designing? BW: My love for costume and fashion design sprouted inmiddle school, but I didn’t start sewing until 2011, when I startedmak- ingmy own cosplays for anime conventions. I’ve been an art kid all
Another look inspired by Victorian era men’s fashion,
my life, but found that I was a “jack of all trades, master of none”. I could draw, sculpt, and paint but couldn’t do any of themexceptionally well enough to establish an identity as an artist. I was also originally discouraged fromgoing to art school after graduating because the economy had col- lapsed andmy family and I had nomoney for college. Since childhood I knew that I either wanted to help people or do something creative for a career. So, since art school was off the table, I decided to pursue a career in public safety, and ended up getting a job as a police dispatcher and 911 operator at the age of 19. While dispatching was definitely personally fulfilling, it was incredibly stressful and it took quite a toll onmymental and physical health. Just as I was starting to doubt my career decision, I discovered cosplay— I couldn’t have asked for amore perfect distraction and stress reliever. At first I did it to takemy anime and video game fandom to the next level, but I quickly found that all my scattered art talents came together perfectly to helpme sew and designs costumes. My best friend showedme the ropes of sewing and from there I became obsessed with understanding garment designs and construction. It got to the point where I was bringing bits and pieces of my cosplays and projects to work, andmy co-workers started to take notice. When they andmy family started encourag- ingme to pursue it as a career, I decided to do whatever I could to go back to school. Once I started taking classes, I immediately became interested in fashion design, and I haven’t stopped sewing since. VKC: What inspires you? BW: I’d have to say my one of biggest inspiration is my fandoms, hands down. I’ve been playing video games and watching anime basically all my life, and since cosplay was the beginning of my love for sewing and fashion design, I definitely incorporate those aspects into my work. I also draw a lot of inspiration frommy friends, who are all very nerdy and creative. I often find myself designing a look with a specific person in mind, and end up designing an outfit for them based on their style and personality. VKC: Why Kansas City? BW: Kansas City is my hometown, and throughout my life I’ve lived all over the KCmetro area. While I really want to live in California or New York one day, I feel like I have a lot of work to do on myself first, establishing myself as a designer and growing personally.
Adelia includes an elegant silk ruffled blouse and corduroy panel suspender skirt. Adelia embodies the sophistication of aristocratic men, while also being a fun flirty modern day look for any occasion.
26 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
^ kc fashion week
KANSAS CITY FASHION WEEK MARCH 26 - APRIL 1 Q & A with new KCFW designer, Meghann Wheelock of Ethel and Dean
KCFW: What is your inspiration for the new childrenswear collection you’ll be showing this season at KCFW? MW: When I first started fashion school, there was a British Vogue issue that featured plaid and the Scot- tish Highlands. It was such an inspiring issue, I’ve had this concept featuring plaid rolling around in my head ever since. When I started thinking about a fall kids line, it came back to the forefront of my mind. The main fab- rication is my family’s tartan pattern (my grandmother was a Blair). I’ve combined that with recycled denim and military uniforms to bring a bit of an edge to the line. It’s been a really fun element, taking something apart and making something new from it. The collection is named after my great grandparents (Ethel and Dean) so I’ve tried incorporating a bit of their personalities as well. The boy’s looks are adventurous and daring with an element of the outdoors. The girl’s looks are feminine, but also sassy and strong. KCFW: What are you looking forward to most about participating in KCFW? MW: I’m most looking forward to seeing the collection fully realized on the runway. I’ve seen it in my head for so long now, it will be wonder- ful to have it finally come to life. ^
KCFW: You previously worked in the LA fashion industry and recently moved back to KC. How has moving back to KC, fueled you to start your own collection? MW: Since moving back, I’ve been struck with the revitalization that is happening in Kansas City, especially with the fashion industry. I love the idea of being a part of the growth that is hap- pening. My family has been a part of this city for so long, my great-grandmother was a seamstress in the city during its heyday in the 1930s, and it almost feels like coming full circle to strike out and try and create my own piece of history here. There is a lot of support in the Kansas City fash- ion scene as well. Every other designer I have met has been encouraging and offered up their advice on how to get things started, whether its names of sample makers and fabric suppliers or where to go to get your pieces in stores. KCFW: How is your past industry experience helping you prep for this season of KCFW? MW: I learned so much about curating a collec- tion during my time in the LA fashion industry. In my most recent experience as a swimwear designer, I was responsible for completing the entire creative process for each collection, from the initial trend research and interpretation to choosing prints and colors and silhouettes. It gave me the tools and confidence I need to act as creative director for this collection. VKC: Why did you choose childrenswear after designing for women for so long? MW: I’ve alway’s loved childrenswear. I special- ized in childrenswear while I was in school, creating a 14-look collection for girls as my final project. I was offered a job at Guess Inc. by one of the owners after graduating, and I thought “this is such a great opportunity, I have to pursue it and see where it leads”. My time at Guess was amaz- ing. I learned to design for both men and women, and it opened up doors to even bigger projects. I moved on to designing swimwear for Betsey Johnson and major retailers like Nordstrom, Dil- lard’s, and Kohl’s. I also designed some children’s swimwear during that time. It’s always been my favorite, so I guess when the choice is completely mine I will always go back to it.
Meghann Wheelock
The Side of KCFW You May Not Know How many hair and makeup artists are under one roof for each season of KCFW? Approximately 460 people over 4 days. Approximately how many photos are taken by Official KCFW Photographers? A minimum of 40,000 photos per season! What time does everything begin on a typical runway day? KCFW staff arrives at 7am every day to get started and doors don’t usually open until 6:30pm! How many hours are there of model/designer rehearsals before each collection is actually shown on the runway? Over 32 hours After 10 seasons of KCFW and on average over 240 model walks per season on an 80 ft. runway, models have walked over 75 miles of KCFWrunway length! How many oz. of coffee and cans of red bull does the KCFW planning committee go through each fashion week season? On average, theKCFW committee drinks 184 oz. of coffee per day and drinks 15-20 cans of Redbull. On average, how many attendees are there during KCFW?
VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 27
^ vintage events
Taking Vows with Vintage Flair T he reality is that it only takes two people who love each other to have a wedding. Sometimes the
simple way can be the best way. These two love birds enjoy a bit of vintage flare while keeping things simple and sweet. Retro, yet elegant, hair and makeup can pay homage to the pin-up era, while pops of color add to the intimate affair. Planning a wedding? Try stepping out of the box, like this couple. Include a venue that may be “rough around the edg- es” like an old building, or a long forgotten outdoor space. Make it your own with touches of vintage elegance. ^ Contributors: www.andreakgristfloralart.com www.eventsbyellekc.com www.fossilforge.com www.sammydress.com www.tiffanymariephotography.com www.whitecarpetbride.com
Models: Kylie Christine Smith and Dylan Smith
28 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
Buy any Philly, get 2 nd 1/2 o ! (o er expires 8/30/17)
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Dalia’s Silver Lining Beautifully handcrafted and distinctive silver jewelry from Taxco, Mexico, and unique larimar stone jewelry from the Dominican Republic
400 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO 816-651-1538 400 Grand Blvd. Ste 416W Kansas City,MO 816-651-1538
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VINTAGEKCMAG.COM 29
community ^ makers
Instruments by Art W alk through the front door of Meyer Music in Overland Park, KS, and you by Deborah Young
will see Marley there on your right. He’s a massive sculpture, about 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, crafted from discarded musical instruments. His head is a violin. The locks of his hair are guitar strings and chains from bass drum pedals. His eyes are conveyor ball transfers (the steel balls used to move industrial conveyor belts). His thighs are saxophones, his legs and feet trumpets. In the spring of 2016 Marley was just a vague idea in the mind of his creator, Robert Hurl- burt, a production designer for Hallmark. One of Hurlburt’s Hallmark colleagues asked him and other coworkers to create art pieces from unplayable instruments for an annual auction hosted by Band of Angels, a non-profit partnership formed by Fox 4 News and Meyer Music. Band of Angels provides band and orchestra instruments for children in need. Last year when Hurlburt went to Meyer Music to select instruments for his sculpture he had the vague idea of making a jazz man. “I didn’t need him to be bigger than me or ac- tual size. I just thought a musical instrument character that’s standing there or running or doing something,” he said. Initially Hurlburt chose one bass guitar for Marley’s body, but he decided the body would be too flat with only one guitar. Hurlburt’s nephew donated another bass guitar, which he decided to use. Then he had to figure out how to join the two guitars to create the body. He used a snare drum to connect the two guitars. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be weird to have these bass guitars looking as though they had been rammed right on through a snare drum but the snare drum still works?’ Hurlburt said. “So then it was, ‘How do I cut everything away and deconstruct it then build it back up, recon-
struct it, and put the drum heads back on?’
“Marley” stands just inside the door of Meyer Music in Overland Park, KS. Robert Hurlburt created the 165- to 175-pound jazz man for Band of Angels’ 2016 auction.
“Probably the hardest part was just trying to make that torso and neck area work, and once it was working I was home free,” Hurl- burt said. “Now it’s just, ‘What crazy looking head can I put on this guy? What kind of effect on his forehead?’” Once Hurlburt had made the head and attached the hair he thought it looked like dreadlocks and decided to name the sculpture Marley (after Jamaican musician Bob Marley). Marley took about 70 hours to complete, Hurlburt said. The media used for Marley included wood, bakelite, copper, brass, aluminum, and steel, epoxy, plastic and acrylic. Tammy and Rick Haddix took a simpler approach to creating their instrument art. They prefer to keep the instruments intact and highlight each instrument’s natural beauty. Like Hurlburt, Tammy works
30 VINTAGEKC SPRING 2017
Above: This snowman created by bolting three drums together sold at the 2015 Band of Angels Silent Auction. Creators Tammy and Rick Haddix constructed the clarinet arms so that they can be bent slightly into a new position. Right: Artist Bob Hurlburt stands next to the water bird he created for the 2015 Band of Angels auction. The bird took only three days to create. The frog in the bird’s mouth was a last-minute decision when Hurlburt was sweeping his workspace and discovered a small trumpet part that “looked like a frog.”
as a Keepsake artist for Hallmark. Her hus- band Rick is an electrician and likes to cre- ate wood objects in his spare time. Tammy and Rick bounce ideas back and forth, and work as a team to develop artwork for the Band of Angels auction. Tammy said that when she goes to Meyer Music to select raw materials she waits for something to speak to her. In 2015, one of the objects that spoke to her was a drum set. “When I was looking at the instruments I saw this drum set,” she said. “I had done an ornament in Keepsakes (that) was a music shop and in the window was a snowman made out of a drum set.” She decided to create a life-size version of the drum set snowman, with clarinet arms, a handmade hat of foam, and a scarf. The drums are bolted together so that the snowman will stand, and the snowman’s clarinet arms were made so that they can be bent slightly. The couple also created a bassoon lamp in 2015. They cleaned up the instrument, left it
whole, and Rick wired it. “We like to make things that are kind of functional,” said Tammy. “The snowman was not. It was more decorative. But things that are functional really seem to sell well at the auction.” Last year, Tammy and Rick took four pieces to the auction: a banjo with a wooden stand, a cornet lamp, a trumpet lamp, and a violin de- coupaged with violin sheet music and mounted on ceiling tile. Tammy chose decoupage for the violin because the instrument was badly worn. When Tammy first saw the banjo it was in pieces, or she thought it was. There was a sep- arate Bacon banjo resonator. Tammy thought Rick might use it as a base for the banjo, but Rick didn’t want to drill holes in the resona- tor. They connected the resonator to the banjo and replaced the banjo’s torn head with a new one. Rick also created a stand made of cherry wood with a walnut wood inset and put a light on the top of the stand. “The instruments are so beautiful by them-
selves,” Tammy said. “They’re like pieces of art by themselves so it’s almost our chance to show them off as an art piece.” Both Tammy and Hurlburt said that the allure of the Band of Angels auction is the uniqueness of art made from musical instru- ments and the various ways artists find to repurpose the instruments. ^ Deborah Young is a freelance writer from Overland Park, KS, who has an interest in all things musical. She also composes music and plays keyboards. She can be reached at dkayyoung@hotmail.com.
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