Meet Our Top Designer: Gimmicks by BKE

We asked. You voted, and now, the results are in. The championship title for your favorite spring look goes to… boho! Your votes have us fired up for spring boho trends. So much so, that we wanted to share with you some boho insight from an extremely talented individual, the designer of our premier brand, Gimmicks. 

Meet the brilliant mind behind the design, Kelli. Our favorite part – her designs are all Buckle exclusive! She agreed to sit down with us to answer a few questions and let us invade her afternoons to snap some photos of her creativity in action. 

I always loved to create and be creative in many different ways. My interest in fashion derived through my participation in 4-H as a young girl with my mom who taught me all I know about sewing and construction. Then, I’d say my interest moved to sports while in high school and then back to fashion when I started working for Buckle.

A Gimmicks piece through its stages: Sketch, tech-pac, and final product

Where do you find your inspiration?  

I honestly am inspired by so many things – shopping other retailers, magazines, celebrity styles, home goods, and my unavoidable gut feelings! But my main inspiration is color because it can make or break a style.

How does your style influence your work?  

For Gimmicks in particular, it really is the style and label that is closest to my own personal style. I love the freedom, eclectic mix, and silent statements the pieces embody. They (Gimmicks pieces) say so much all on their own that they require less of a need to marry with a large number of other pieces.

Boy, I have been so many amazing places, but I would say in regards to design, my favorite so far has been London. Although the fashion wasn’t as different from the US, the different culture and people there made that trip amazing to me.

Kelli and Kelsey at MAGIC. Photo cred: ameliegmag.com

Doing something different EVERY single day. I also love the blend of being creative, being analytic, and being organized – all traits of a Virgo!Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion design/buying majors?
I’d say, find your niche and build it with confidence!

Thanks for chatting with us, Kelli! Let us know, who do you want to meet next?