Sour candy, cotton balls, and Castlebajac inspire Kansas City’s Peggy Noland. To read about a day in the life of this fashion doyenne, download a PDF of XLR8R 120.

XLR8R: Were you born and raised in Kansas City? If not, why did you move there?

Peggy Noland: I was raised on a farm not far from Kansas City, Missouri and I moved here my senior year of high school for LOVE! (Ewww! lame, I know) I met Cody Cricheloe from SSION in a chat room at my library (hahah, Do you remember chat rooms?!) Ask me what it’s like to have your boyfriend be the gay king of Kansas City–that’s a whole ‘nother story!

When did you open your Peggy Noland store?

A little over a year ago, and only after I was rejected from the Peace Corps. My major in college was Religious Studies, so this was never really on my radar.

Who are some of the people you’ve outfitted?

Lovefoxxx and I’s love affair started with that sequin bodysuit… since then we’ve been in collaboration heaven. SSION is a group whose look goes beyond their clothing. Their visual/aesthetic history (music videos, movies, graphics, collaborations) is as important to keep in mind as any newness factor. Kianna from Tilly and the Wall and I have worked together for sometime now, too. That is such an outlet for me! Can’t you just imagine them riding about in a tour bus making friendship bracelets for each other? I CAN! (p.s. Good Gossip Alert! Tilly and the Wall are playing on the debut episode of the new 90210 and Sesame Street!) And the craziest, dangerously fun turn of events–CSS, Tilly and the Wall, and SSION will be touring together in September! OMG! Peggy Noland Tour!

What is your favorite thing that you do every day?

I love Donkey, the weird cat (my muse!), and my daily guilty pleasures definitely revolve around candy and soda. NO PARENTS, NO RULES!

What are some current obsessions of yours?

CUTE! And the idea–dare I say, philosophy–behind it. “Cute,” and its marketability and commercialism, have a history that I have been obsessed with researching. There are some strange things, specifically in American culture (that are rather pedomorphic) that are very attractive to a large portion of our society. All kinds steaming from the idea of “cute.” I’ve taught classes on the subject, and it’s sinking in to my designs! Help me! (There is a good critical inquiry piece on “cute.” Also, Stephen Jay Gould made some wonderful observations on the idea. I’ll stop now or I’ll go on forever).

What is Kansas City like? Why is it a perfect place to do what you do? Do you ever think about moving?

Kansas City is a wonderful weird place to be. I’ll be honest, depending what I’m wearing, I have been treated like I was some sort of neutered beast–but I ask for it, I suppose. I get mad when people stare, and even more mad if they don’t stare! In KC I stay focused. And there is a community here that supports its artists–that is hard to find, and harder to leave. I try and travel extensively, and used to live in New Delhi, but something here peaks my interest; there is this smaller community of larger things happening. If you can get here, and if you can tap into this energy once you are here, you are looking for something unusual, and you will see an incredible ambition–perhaps spiraling from an angry, even jealous, boredom that attracts and demands attention. My peers here are jumping leaps and bounds at a time, and it is my opinion that we inspire each other. When you find yourself in a city who’s planned energy isn’t particularly invested in its youth culture, you find your source of creativity is completely unique and, perhaps more importantly, unaffected.

Buddhist universities, clean tap water from nearby glaciers, people riding their bikes to work, smiling folks walking the streets, happy dogs flanked by their proud owners, fresh air filling your lungs, and the sound of techno pumping hard at a downtown park. When locals say, “Boulder is 25 square miles surrounded by reality,” they’ve pretty much nailed it.

The idyllic Colorado town was the setting of this year’s first Communikey Festival (abbreviated CMKY), held April 18-20. Hosted by an enthusiastic crew of DJs, producers, promoters, and multimedia artists from Boulder and Denver, Communikey takes cue from famed techno festivals like Mutek, DEMF, and Decibel, but gives its own special spin to the proceedings.

“Communikey was born out of a history of electronic music culture in Colorado,” explains Kate Lesta, one of the creative directors of the event. “It started with renegade mountain parties, where we would haul our soundsystem into the woods and dance around a bonfire under the full moon. The community bond is very strong. We know we’re taking our local scene to the next level, but everyone here is quite seasoned for it, and we know the community was ready for this.”

And ready they were. Showcases from locals–Denver’s Rope Swing Cities label, CacheFlowe, Brandon Brown, Ivy, Multicast, Dave Fodel, and Beatport’s Tom Hoch–were on par with stellar performances by international techno and experimental artists Pole, Kalabrese, Bruno Pronsato, Skoltz_Kolgen, and Vincent Lemieux.

Aside from partying, Communikey’s other agenda was to explore ways to offset the effects of a festival of this magnitude on the environment. “If the dancefloor builds the strongest community we know, I feel the issue of sustainability needs to be breathed into the industry,” says Lesta. “I believe the people who make up our industry have the capacity to take these problems and create some truly excellent working solutions for electronic music and digital art culture.”

Some fashion faves from R&B futurists Jack Davey and Brooke D’Leau of J*Davey. To read more on this future soul duo’s style sense, head to our magazine section and download a PDF of XLR8R 120.

Super mini-dresses and frocks with crazy prints
My faves right now are courtesy of Rojas and a line called Fresh Karma. I have super long legs, so the shorter the dress the better. Bright colors give my summer tan more jouge. Jack Davey

Feather hair clips
My fave hair accessory: two feathers with beaded leather straps connected to a gold clip that attaches easily to my long mohawk mane. I usually pick these up at Urban Outfitters–that store is great for fun accessories. Jack Davey

High-waisted denim bell skirts
I just got a light blue denim bell with big buttons down the front. I throw it on with either an American Apparel tube top or halter. I have a small waist so the high-waist cut and bell give me a little curve. Jack Davey

Classic lingerie pieces (i.e. long floral silk robes, 1-piece lace bodices)
Classic lingerie says, “I’m a classy lady with a wild side.” They are sultry and sophisticated sexy. There’s nothing like waking up on a Sunday morning in a lacy black one-piece , then throwing on the floor length silk robe when it’s time to hit the kitchen and make breakfast. Generally, I find the robes at vintage stores and I get the one-piece lacys at small lingerie boutiques like Faire Frou Frou in LA. Jack Davey

Boxing Kitten printed shorts
Boxing Kitten is a line by a friend of mine. The cut is high-waisted and the prints are different African kinte-like designs. Très adorable! Jack Davey

Ruffle blouses
I love to cross the Victorian style with bohemian, so I have ruffle blouses in a few different styles. Plus, ruffle shirts are perfect for tucking in to high-waisted things. Jack Davey

Gold gladiator flats
Gold is a great summer color and my ankle-high gladiator sandals are comfy to throw on with my mini-dresses. Today’s fave pair are from Zara. Jack Davey

Mixing silver and gold jewelry
I used to be only be a fan of silver, but I started finding lovely gold pieces and the contrast against the silver seems to make the gold pop a lot more. Brooke D’Leau

Fashion/art blogs
I’m constantly online peeping fashion and art blogs. They keep me up to date on older and newer trends. I use them as forms of inspiration not only for my style, but also for my music. Brooke D’Leau