Maria Behnen Kansas City
- 1. Maria Behnen is a fashion designer who celebrates the creative fusion of color and luxury. Her goal is to create apparel that makes every woman look and feel extraordinary. She draws inspiration from a wide variety of influences - 1940’s Hollywood to Georgia O’Keefe paintings. With a Fine Arts background from Washington University, St. Louis, Maria acquired a strong aesthetic. Her tech- nique and expertise is a result of her experience from coast to coast. She learned from entrepreneurs Suzie and Doug Thompkins of the revolutionary ESPRIT brand while developing their children’s line in San Francisco. She refined her passion for elegant fabrics designing various Jonathan Martin women’s lines in Los Angeles. I.B. Diffusion brought her talents to Chicago and her attention to the importance of embellished design in women’s knitwear. In New York, Maria perfected her 3-dimensional fashion statement – the handbag. Designing handbags for Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line and fashion icon Nanette Lepore, from runway to 5th Avenue. Maria pays tribute to the vibrant woman who deserves and appreciates sophisticated design. She personally designs her garments, with a spectrum of the most luxurious fabrics from New York to Japan. Her line is proudly made in America to her fine standards of workmanship, evident in every single stitch. Maria wants every woman wearing her apparel to create her own unforgettable story. She relates to the woman she designs for. Confident, yet feminine. Timeless, yet unique.