DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Tree Huggers.

Her eyes were bright and mouth quick to smile. Her dark hair was tied up loosely and her outfit simultaneously relaxed and refined. Her fingers worked precisely and nimbly as she did a final press of a garment. It was a joy to quietly observe designer Margie Hogue prepare her latest capsule collection for a shoot, which resulted in the ’70s-inspired photographs you see in this spread.

A cool, collected, and thoughtful person by nature, so, too, is Margie’s brand. She loves making clean-lined clothes that make women of all shapes and sizes “feel empowered as well as at ease.” The fabrics she curates are natural and organic as much as possible, and if her garments are not made by her, then they are made by someone she has met. In fact, Margie is a thoughtleader in our community regarding sustainable fashion design. Through her research, she has gained a renewed optimism in the Margie Hogue

The Maserati of SUVs

Levante GranLusso. Yours. From $81,300*

Maserati of Kansas City

9400 W 65th Street, Merriam, KS 913.677.3300 | maseratiofkansascity.com

*MSRP excludes taxes, title and registration fees. Starting price refers to the base model, optional equipment not included. A more expensive model may be shown. Pricing and offers may change at any time without notification. To get full pricing details, see your dealer. ©2018 Maserati North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Maserati and the Trident logo are registered trademarks of Maserati SpA. Maserati urges you to obey all posted speed limits.

fashion industry as a whole regarding environmental accountability and responsibility.

“Industry leaders across all product categories are redefining success to include sustainability and reducing their environmental impact,” shared Margie. “There are now over 2,000 B-Corpcertified brands across the globe, and consumer spending has evolved in a way that indicates they are seeking brands that align with their values. The connectivity of social media and being informed on where to buy local and, as a designer, how to source local, facilitate being a conscientious consumer and maker.”

Hogue loves Los Angeles-based designer Raquel Allegra and Polishborn, New York-based Mona Kowalska who founded A Détacher (ah day-tahshay). Both brands focus on fabrics that are sustainably sourced, feature fine craftsmanship, and firmly ignore trends to ensure their garments’ longevity of ownership. Margie also admires how these founders remain so hands-on in the development and product stages and maintain meaningful relationships with consumers and retailers.

Why do these things matter? They might be well-known facts by now that the fashion industry is the secondlargest polluter after the oil industry. That Burberry recently confirmed they destroyed $40 million of unsold clothes, accessories, and perfume to protect their exclusivity and value. That H&M had $4.3 BILLION of unsold clothes last year. That environmental and labor manufacturing standards are sub-par in developing countries.

Margie’s vision for her brand is in line with those of international groups such as European Parliament, Greenpeace, Fashion Revolution, and more: develop sustainable fabrics and recycle used clothing, reduce the number of garments produced but increase their

APPRAISALS

JEWELRY, DIAMONDS, WATCHES, PEARLS, STERLING HOLLOWARE, FLATWARE, RARE COINS, & PAPER MONEY 5 GRADUATE GEMOLOGISTS ON STAFF

IN-HOUSE WATCH REPAIR

PERFORMED BY EXPERIENCED WATCHMAKERS CERTIFIED BY ROLEX, BREITLING, OMEGA AND MANY MORE

MIDWEST’S LARGEST COIN BUYER & WHOLESALER

SPECIALIZING IN LARGE QUANTITIES BANKS, ESTATES & COLLECTIONS BUYING ALL COINS, CURRENCY & BULLION

TUE-WED 10AM-6PM · THU 10AM-8PM FRI 10AM-6PM · SAT 10AM-5PM CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY IN-HOUSE JEWELRY REPAIR

FINE CUSTOM WORK, STONE SETTING, RING SIZING & REPAIR, CHAIN REPAIR, & ANY AND ALL JEWELRY REPAIR. MANY REPAIRS DONE WHILE YOU WAIT.

TAG HEUER OMEGA ROLEX

VINTAGE WATCHES

LARGE INVENTORY OF VINTAGE WATCHES

SILVER SALES, REPAIR & POLISHING

100s OF PATTERNS IN-STOCK OF STERLING SILVER & SILVERPLATE FLATWARE & HOLLOWARE

WE REPAIR & POLISH ALL SILVER FLATWARE & HOLLOWARE, INCLUDING CANDELABRAS, MIRROR & BRUSH SETS AND MUCH MORE

I-35 & ARMOUR RD 1900 DIAMOND PARKWAY NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO 64116

quality, and produce domestically to ensure our earth and workers are cared for. Margie takes the latter point one step further, committing to not just domestic production, but local production. “Design and manufacturing can be a symbiotic relationship and that is why I’ll keep my production local. It benefits everyone involved.” She believes Kansas City has a lot to offer for emerging designers: a rich history in apparel and manufacturing, an incredibly supportive fashion community, vibrant art, and a beautiful, hardworking city. “I want to do what I can to support the industry where I live.” .

Margie is a 2018-2019 Resident Designer at Rightfully Sewn. You can schedule a time to visit her there by emailing her at info@margiehogue.com, and sign up to receive information about her upcoming events and product releases via her website, margiehogue.com.

Jennifer Lapka is involved in the Kansas City arts community and has been a promoter of the rebirth of the garment industry. She is also the executive director of Rightfully Sewn, an organization that trains at-risk women as seamstresses to the local garment industry.