Kjrsten Kay Showcases Her Fashion Collection at HighBall Halloween

By Michelle Gibson, Communications & Outreach Coordinator for Short North Alliance

On Saturday, Oct. 27, HighBall Halloween will celebrate 11 years of costumes and creativity for HB: High Fashion. Designer Kjrsten Kay looks forward to showing her collection for the Battelle Costume Couture Fashion Show, after local favorites Effee, Funk Worthy, MojoFlo, and Nina West & Friends perform. HighBall Halloween starts on Friday, Oct. 26 for HB: On The Rocks Totally 90s, as local musical acts pay tribute to music and style icons and the decade they defined. Kay talks design inspiration and working on her second HighBall Halloween collection.

Michelle: You’ll be presenting your costume collection at HB: High Fashion on Saturday, Oct. 27 for the Battelle Costume Couture Fashion Show. What excites you the most about this competition?
Kjrsten: I’m most excited about getting to show my designs to a large audience; I’ve never done anything like this before so it’s all new and exciting!

Michelle: From where are you drawing inspiration for your HighBall Halloween collection costume designs?
Kjrsten: Most of my inspiration is coming from vintage lingerie and film-noir. Everything is in a grayscale monochrome color palette and all the fabrics are lush and soft.

Michelle: What artists inspire your work?
Kjrsten: I’m inspired a lot by ballet; the costumes, the movement, the music. The work that choreographers, designers, dancers and musicians put into the art is amazing and always inspiring.

Michelle: How do you approach the creation of your designs?
Kjrsten: I design things to work with fabric. I know some designers work the other way around and create a look and find fabric that fits it, but I always like letting the fabric tell its own story.

Michelle: You attended classes at Columbus College of Art & Design. How did you start working on couture projects?
Kjrsten: I have always been interested in costuming and the more avant-garde side of fashion. My real passion for couture started when I studied abroad in London; being surrounded by such a large high-art culture was really amazing.

Michelle: What do you love about the creative community in Columbus?
Kjrsten: I love how down-to-earth everyone is. Even the higher-ups on the creative hierarchy still feel like real people who are willing to help out new members of the community.

Michelle: Without giving too much away, what can we expect when your models stomp the runway during the Battelle Costume Couture Fashion Show?
Kjrsten: You can expect something classic, refined and just a bit fluffy!

Catch Kay’s work in the Battelle Costume Couture Fashion Show during HighBall Halloween’s HB: High Fashion on Saturday, Oct. 27. That night also includes performances by Effee, Funk Worthy, MojoFlo, and Nina West & Friends. Both nights feature over-the-top public costume contests and hosts Nina West and NBC4’s Monica Day and Matt Barnes. Tickets are available online until Oct. 25, or at any entry gate at the event; early bird pricing ends Oct. 12. For more information visit highballcolumbus.org.