Kenzie Kapp: FACES of Louisville
Meet the woman behind her eponymous brand of hats you are bound to see at Oaks and Derby.
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By
Heidi Potter
Look around the track this season and you will meet Kenzie Kapp. Not in person, but you will see her creations perched upon the heads of the fashion-forward. Kenzie Kapp is a milliner and owner of The Mill, which is on Main Street downtown. Awash in feathers and flowers, Kenzie is living her dream of designing beautiful fashion.
What do you do for a living?
I am a designer who specializes in headpieces. I also am a personal stylist and shopper. My job is to make my clients look and feel their best. I put pep in their step and make fashion easier for them.When did you discover your talent?
Since I was a small child, fashion, design and creating things have always sparked my interest. My desire to have a greater understanding of fashion led me to the University of Cincinnati, where I received a bachelor of design, specializing in fashion in the Design, Architecture, Art & Planning Program. My career is a culmination and extension of everything I have retained and learned in the past 30 years. I was born to do this.What is your favorite look for this year with hats and fascinators?
For 2014, my personal favorite is a monochromatic mix in a variety of textures, a simple color palette with intricate detailing. Creams, ivories and neutral colors have me excited for this year.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From just being present, people-watching, traveling, researching … from living!How do you balance your job and your personal life?
Let’s just say I am a work in progress.What is the biggest life lesson you have learned?
To enjoy the ride!Who is your mentor?
Margie Voelker-Ferrier. Margie was my professor at the University of Cincinnati. As Tina Turner would say, “She’s simply the best.”
What is the best advice you have received in business?
Three words: Just do you.If you were not in your current job, what would you love to do?
I would love to be an astrologist. It’s physics, math, stars, planets and people all wrapped into one. I am obsessed.What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I retain a lot of useless sports information. It’s not the normal stuff like stats or anything that will help you in Vegas. I learn a person’s back story, where they are from, how they got from point A to B, where they went to college, their career path, age, the E True Hollywood Story type stuff.
What is your favorite place to eat?
LIFEbar, because I eat in motion. Maybe I should say my favorite place to drink.Where do you like to shop?
I will shop any and everywhere. I move fast and trust my instincts. It’s like a sport! I do a walk-through and glance at everything. If something catches my eye, I stop. If not, I move on. I know within three to five minutes if there is something I want.What is a treat or a luxury you do for yourself?
I have my hair done every eight weeks by Lauren Horne at Jazz Salon. It’s like having a fresh lease on life.What is your weakness?
Chocolate almond milk. I gave up caffeine, and this is my new thing. It’s a serious problem. I. Can’t. Stop.
What is your favorite thing to do in Louisville?
Walking the Second Street bridge. Not the new bridge, the old bridge by the KFC Yum! Center. I love it. The cars are whizzing by, and no one really knows you are there. It’s really loud but very quiet at the same time. You can zone out. If it’s dusk and you squint hard enough, the Ohio River starts to look like the Pacific Ocean.What are three things you cannot live without, besides faith, family and friends?
- Crunchy almond butter – I eat it every day. It’s a staple in my life.
- Airplanes – They’re the only way to see my friends.
- Large bodies of water – They soothe the soul.
What are you reading?
Right now, I am knee-deep in feathers. However, I typically read online; I’m nonstop with random articles, sites, stats, studies — just about anything, really. I also go on book benders; I’ll read 10 books in a row and then take a break.
What are three of your favorite things right now?
- My No. 1 favorite thing is the color black, always. Black clothes, black car, black everything; black is my go-to.
- My Wet Brush. My hair has a life of its own. This brush is a miracle worker.
- The camera in my car that shows me where I am going when I put the car in reverse. I don’t think I will ever be able to drive without one again.
- Select boutiques
- The Mill at 400 Main St. (across from Slugger Field)
- Online at www.kenziekapp.com
