Designer Q&A: BobbyK

Yesterday afternoon, we found 26-year-old designer BobbyK (or Bobby Kelley) fast at work amid a sea of fabric in his home, sewing up last minute pieces for tonight’s runway show at Skyy—the final show of Gainesville Fashion Week.

The collection, themed “I’m in Love with a Robot,” includes 42 pieces spread across four distinct mini-collections, each representing a different stage in a less-than-perfect relationship.

“Every woman has been in this situation, where’s she been in a relationship … and [the other person’s] blatant lack of emotion crushed them,” Bobby says, “I design my clothes with the knowledge that it will fit a girl—some girl out there will connect with it.”

From sketching designs to hand-dying fabrics to selecting runway music, Bobby has put his personal stamp on every step of the creative process for the show.

“I wanted this collection to be edgier—a little more rockstar, a little more sexy… It’s going to show people that Gainesville has another side,” he says.

Bobby promises mind-blowing surprises and unexpected twists on the runway tonight, and after catching glimpses of everything from tie-dyed sweater dresses to asymmetrical rosette-embellished evening gowns, we can’t wait to see what he delivers.

The evening begins with an art show and auction at Sharab Lounge at 8:30pm, followed by a Dahlia fashion show at 10:30pm at Skyy Nite Club before Bobby’s show at 11:30. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Go to gainesvillefashionweek.com for more.

–Ashley Spencer
Fashion Photos: Sydney Frost, Profile Photos: Sarah Hsu