Darin McFadden - 7SEVENTEEN
What led you to pursue fashion and design?
I was drawn to fashion as a way to merge design, storytelling, and emotion into something tangible. With a background in engineering and years of 3D design experience, I naturally gravitated toward product-driven creativity. Fashion became the medium where precision meets self-expression. I created 7SEVENTEEN to design pieces that feel intentional, elevated, and personal—objects that reflect purpose, confidence, and individuality.
How has KCFW been a catalyst or milestone in your career?
KC Fashion Week has been a pivotal platform for transforming 7SEVENTEEN from a concept into a living brand. Showing at KCFW validated the vision, pushed the brand into a larger conversation, and connected me with creatives, models, and audiences who value originality. It marked a shift from designing in isolation to presenting work with conviction and clarity.
What is one thing you have learned from participating in KCFW?
I’ve learned the importance of narratives KCFW reinforced that a strong collection isn’t just about garments—it’s about cohesion, intention, and how the story is communicated from runway to audience.
What makes KCFW special to you?
KCFW is special because it genuinely champions emerging designers while maintaining a professional, high-standard environment. It represents community, growth, and opportunity—especially as a Kansas City–based designer building a luxury brand with global ambition.
Sara Cramer
What led you to pursue fashion and design?
I’ve always been drawn to creating things with meaning. Jewelry became my medium because it sits at the intersection of self-expression, memory, and identity. I didn’t come from a traditional fashion background; I built this brand by following intuition, curiosity, and a desire to create pieces people truly live in. Designing became a way to connect with others while building something that felt honest and authentic to me.
How has KCFW been a catalyst or milestone in your career?
KCFW marked a moment where my work moved from boutique and client-based spaces into a larger creative conversation. It challenged me to think beyond individual pieces and design with storytelling and cohesion in mind. Being part of KCFW validated the growth of my brand and pushed me to envision it on a broader stage.
What is one thing you have learned from participating in KCFW?
KCFW highlighted the importance of networking and listening. Through conversations with other creatives, buyers, and audiences, I gained a clearer understanding of what people genuinely want to wear—not just what works conceptually. That insight has directly influenced how I design and purchase materials, allowing me to create pieces that feel wearable, intentional, and aligned with real demand.
What makes KCFW special to you?
KCFW feels deeply community-driven. It supports designers at different stages while maintaining high standards, which is rare. It’s not just about the runway—it’s about growth, collaboration, and offering creatives a platform to be seen and taken seriously. That balance is what makes it truly special to me.
April Spring Powell
What led you to pursue fashion and design?
As a child I sat with my mom at the sewing machine. I learned you could make any outfit you dreamed of. I love beautiful things, beautiful clothes. More than loving beautiful things, I love making them. I am an artist perpetually in my fashion phase.
How has KCFW been a catalyst or milestone in your career?
I spent the last decade 100% in SAHMom mode, designing and creating everything, fashion or otherwise, for myself and my daughters. Before then, I had acquired one sewing class in college and a costume design project for a group of 20 performers worth of experience under my belt. Later, I pursued a certificate in fashion design and competed in a couple of unconventional runway design competitions. I essentially had done enough to piece together a portfolio and after a lot of debate on whether or not I was adequately skilled or prepared to take on such a glamorous adventure, I made the gamble. A year later and 3 collections deep, I was nominated for the “Designer of the Year” category for the KCFW Awards Gala. Hands down, best decision ever. Totally worth the gamble.
What is one thing you have learned from participating in KCFW?
I have learned that my community is out there. I have lived around the globe but it was here in KC that the fashion I have loved and chased from childhood became full circle.
What makes KCFW special to you?
KCFW was the first fashion production team to welcome me into the creative world I was in denial of belonging to. I am grateful to them for taking a chance on my creative visions and launching me towards a global space of recognition and invitations to other pursuits around the world.
KCFW feels deeply community-driven. It supports designers at different stages while maintaining high standards, which is rare. It’s not just about the runway—it’s about growth, collaboration, and offering creatives a platform to be seen and taken seriously. That balance is what makes it truly special to me. - Sara Cramer