Arts & Entertainment

Mantra of Palm Harbor Fashion Designer: Reuse, Recycle, Renew

Kimberly Hendrix is one of nine designers whose fashions will be featured in tonight's runway finale of Tampa Bay Fashion Week.

There's a good chance that fabric used in the Kimberly Hendrix designs you'll see on the runway at Tampa Bay Fashion Week was actually once worn by a woman during the Victorian era; someone who lived and died before Hendrix was even born.

That's because this Palm Harbor designer has a penchant for seeking out sparkly, elegant, 100+ year-old Victorian era clothing, then cutting it up and making it into something else entirely. And hipster fashionistas are snapping it up.

The 42 year-old runs a clothing label called k.hendrix. Her designs have been worn by celebrities Zooey Deschanel, Courtney Love and Juliette Lewis.

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Hendrix sells mostly to boutiques in New York, Connecticut, and Miami and describes her customers as women who are "confident and know how to dress". She says her customers like to dress her fashions up or down, and mix her designs with their own clothing to fit their own personal style.

Hendrix does one of a kind collections with pieces ranging from $150-$800 in price. Pants made with vintage sequins are selling in retail stores for around $225, which Hendrix thinks are a good deal when compared to similar pants from stylist-turned-fashion-designer Rachel Zoe.

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"I think Rachel Zoe, the sequined pants she came out with are running about $600. But, I've been doing them for a couple seasons so I'm trying to be a more reasonable price point, but it is a luxury brand for sure," says Hendrix.

Once Hendrix finds a vintage clothing item she likes, she takes it apart and will often treat the item with organic dyes, "I like things to be less shiny, less perfect, a little bit damaged and imperfect so I do treatments to them and get it aged and feeling more interesting," she says.

She then hand-stitches a new garment, often incorporating other vintage fabrics. "I don't like to use a machine, I like to do everything by hand if it's possible, she says. Hendrix's studio is filled with a wide variety of her garments including ballerina style skirts, dresses, pants, vests, handbags and jackets.

The Palm Harbor mom is passionate about her family and fashion, working 15-20 hour days and raising two kids at the same time. What does she think is the most challenging part of her career? 

"Not having enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do and trying to do it all yourself and still trying to be really mellow," she says.

Kimberly Hendrix Facts:

  • Grew up in California and Oregon
  • Was a Season 8 Project Runway casting finalist
  • Her home was once featured in Apartment Therapy
  • She appeared on the reality show Bikini or Bust
  • Of the celebs she's worked with: "I really love Juliette Lewis, she came on the show and  we really hit it off and she actually borrowed some stuff. She's such a hippie, I just love her. It was fun to work with her"
  • Her advice to fashion industry newcomers: "You have to really love it because it's not easy and its not glamorous, it can be, if you love it, but if you don't love it, don't do it." have to have the core passion."
  • On Stylists: "My personal opinion is stylists sort of run the fashion world. I do magazine pulls every week, constantly… it's where you put your marketing, stylists are the ones you definitely lean on."


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