This week, as in every week passed, Kara Laricks proved that she was never a one-trick-pony. From atop her throne as Fashion Star’s winner and new queen in fashion, I hope the one who called her that now eats his words from the likes of a flimsy paper plate.

Everyone loves a home-town hero and now we have one in the women’s wear arena from the Kansas City metro.  Former teacher from Overland Park, KS, Kara Laricks is not short on true fans with her from the start.

I confess, I wasn’t even watching the show because I was so DONE with fashion reality shows.  Some little birdies I know, former contestants of other shows, confess that a lot of what you see on TV is far from reality.  But Fashion Star took the idea to a different level making designing fit with reality when their contestants had to design wearable pieces, marketable to the common customer.

I was sitting with friends watching our little guys play baseball recently when one commented that her friend, Kara, was on the show.  She described the looks Kara designed and I remember saying…”if she can pull off a feminine androgynous look, and can design menswear, she will win.  But if not (in case drama ratings were more important to the show), she will have no worries because if Saks wants you, you’re IN”.  Thanks for not making me eat my wise words, Kara 😉

The collar + tie was the very first avant-garde accessory Kara made as part of her creative accessory line (photo from www.collarsandtie.com).  The start of fabulousness.  In March Kara sent a unique tie-dress down the runway so versatile and impressive that Nicole Richie said that Kara “killed it”.

I was thrilled, and a bit goosebumpy, to see Kara basking in the lime light on this morning’s NBC Today show.  She deserves it.  She designed staying true to her visions while taking the constructive criticism, the compliments and the suggestions in order to grow and step outside her comfort zone.  The typical H&M customer is miles away on the spectrum from the Saks ones…but Kara has shown that she can design for them all and that she truly deserves her new title and the $6 million in orders she earned.

Kara mentions in her first post of her NBC designer bio that this was her chance to prove that she meant what she said when she told her students, “With hard work and determination, you CAN accomplish anything you set your mind to.”

Girl…you killed it.

Fashion Star collections can be seen at H&M, Macy’s and Saks.

Shop my favorites from Kara’s collection at:

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