Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Robbins.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. As a child, I filled sketchbooks, painted ceramics, and lost track of time in anything that involved color or imagination. But it wasn’t until high school when college recruiters walked into my art classroom that the idea clicked: creativity could be my future.
In 2009, I enrolled in the Graphic Design program at the Art Institutes International Kansas City. That campus became my artistic universe. I met filmmakers, photographers, fashion designers people who stretched the boundaries of what I believed creativity could be. They pulled me into their worlds, casting me in student films, inviting me onto sets, and handing me small responsibilities that quietly shaped my confidence.
One invitation changed everything: a friend asked me to help photograph local bands. I didn’t know it then, but that single night became the start of a thriving freelance photography career.
I graduated magna cum laude in 2011, but my education didn’t stop there. I launched my career as a Production Artist while still in school, and in the years that followed, I moved into roles that blended design, marketing, and storytelling first as a Multimedia Designer and Marketing Assistant at InnovaPrep, and later at Midland Radio, where I grew from Marketing Coordinator to Web Producer and now Visual Asset Manager in 2025.
Along the way, I felt called to deepen my marketing expertise. In 2018, I returned to school to pursue a Master of Science in Digital Marketing and Advertising, graduating summa cum laude. That experience refined how I think about audiences, messaging, and the power of visual narrative skills I lean on every day.
But another unexpected chapter began in 2017, when I stepped into the world of modeling as a fit model for Essense of Australia. Traveling for bridal markets introduced me to a new side of the fashion industry, and it was fellow models who pushed me to audition for Kansas City Fashion Week (KCFW). I’ve been part of it in nearly every role imaginable model, designer, photographer, volunteer, even helping as part of the planning team.
Then came 2020.
COVID brought everything to a standstill, and in that quiet, I noticed something loud: plus-size models and plus-size fashion were painfully underrepresented in Kansas City. I was tired of competing for one or two spots on a runway and even more tired of seeing the same plus-size models cast repeatedly.
So I went back to where it all started: my childhood sketchbooks. During lockdown, I taught myself to sew through YouTube tutorials, determined to create the designs I never saw represented. My first collection debuted virtually with KCFW at White Iron Ridge. My next two collections walked the runway at Union Station. Since then, I’ve shown at Heartland International Fashion Week, Fashion Honors Autism, Omaha Fashion Week, Runway Review, and other regional stages. Each show reinforced my mission: to champion curve-forward fashion and make space for bodies that deserve to be seen.
In the midst of all this, I also recognized a need for accessible creative services for models and small businesses. So in 2019, I opened my graphic design and photography studio in the Crossroads, offering affordable comp cards, branding, and imagery tools that help others take their own creative paths further.
Most recently, my Spring/Summer 2025 KCFW collection earned me a coveted slot to return in Fall 2026, awarded for the highest ticket sales of the season a full-circle moment that still feels surreal.
My story isn’t a straight line. It’s a collection of moments some planned, some unexpected that shaped me into the designer, photographer, marketer, and creative advocate I am today. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: creativity doesn’t just find you. Sometimes you have to follow it, trust it, chase it and let it reinvent you along the way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My path has been shaped as much by obstacles as by opportunities. Breaking into creative industries is rarely easy, but doing so as a plus-size woman, a self-taught designer, and a multi-discipline creative brought its own set of challenges. Early in my modeling journey, I often fought for one of the few plus-size spots available, and I struggled with designers’ hesitance to cast bodies outside the sample-size norm. When I began designing, I had no formal fashion training just determination, childhood sketches, and YouTube tutorials. Every collection came with trial and error, late nights, and learning curves that sometimes felt impossible. Financially, balancing freelance work, schooling, and building a studio from the ground up was overwhelming. And like many creatives, I’ve navigated imposter syndrome, shifting industries, and moments where I questioned whether my vision had space in this city. But each challenge became a push forward. Those struggles ultimately shaped my mission: to carve out space where there wasn’t any and to create opportunities for others who have been overlooked, underestimated, or unseen.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At my core, I am a visual storyteller who bridges creative vision with strategic marketing. My freelance work spans digital marketing, photography, brand development, and content strategy all with a focus on helping businesses communicate clearly and authentically.
At Midland Radio, I lead and direct photoshoots, manage large-scale digital asset libraries, and ensure every visual aligns with our brand voice and product positioning. I work cross-functionally with marketing, product, and creative teams to produce imagery that is not only visually compelling but also purposeful supporting our ecommerce goals, dealer network, and national retail strategy. My role requires balancing creativity with consistency, making sure every image, graphic, and asset meets brand standards and serves a strategic need.
On the photography side, I’ve become known in Kansas City for creating accessible, high-quality imagery for models and small businesses. Through my studio in the Crossroads, I provide affordable comp cards, lifestyle sessions, branding shoots, and product photography. I love offering a space where emerging talent and entrepreneurs can get the visuals they need to elevate their careers without financial barriers. Seeing clients I’ve photographed sign with agencies or grow their businesses is one of my proudest accomplishments.
What sets me apart is my ability to blend artistry with marketing strategy. I don’t just shoot photos or design graphics, I build visual assets with intention, thinking about how they will perform, who they are speaking to, and how they support a brand’s broader goals. My multidisciplinary background allows me to operate as a photographer, marketer, designer, and creative director simultaneously. Everything I create carries one constant: a commitment to helping people and brands stand out through strong, strategic visual storytelling.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My journey has never been a solo one, and I owe so much of my success to the people who believed in me long before I fully believed in myself. Latoya of 79Roze Dress Boutique was one of the first to consistently trust my creative eye utilizing me as both a model and photographer and giving me space to grow in both roles. Clarissa Knighten of Rissa’s Artistic Design has been another constant supporter, inviting me to contribute as a model, photographer, and graphic designer. Her belief in my abilities across multiple mediums helped shape the multi-hyphenate creative I am today.
I always credit Mallory Hord for the night that changed everything when she asked me to photograph that local band. That simple invitation ignited my photography career and opened doors I never imagined.
My family has been my foundation since the beginning. My parents, grandparents, aunt, and brother supported every creative pursuit from cheering me on in art classes to helping me get through college emotionally and financially. And I’ll always be grateful to my high school art teacher, who gave me the freedom to create whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. That level of trust planted seeds that still guide my work today.
I’m deeply thankful for every designer who has welcomed me into their world whether as a model, photographer, or collaborator. They allowed me to be part of their art and gave me opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute. The fashion shows that showcased my collections gave me a platform to share my voice as a designer, and that visibility has been invaluable.
And finally, my model friends the ones who like, share, recommend, and champion my work have played a huge role in the growth of my business. Every word-of-mouth referral, every repost, every moment of encouragement has mattered more than they know.
I am where I am today because I’ve been surrounded by people who supported my creativity, trusted my talent, and helped me build a community around my work. Their belief is woven into every project I create.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://creativehousebyjennrobbins.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: jenn.a.robbins or CreativeHousebyJennRobbins
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenn.robbins.52
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-robbins-902aa3205/
Image Credits
Headshot -@dawn_higgins_official.
Second on yellow my photography with model @heatherbcurvy. Third my latest design @KCFW, photographer @Elistackphoto, model @cambrekc. Fourth my design @kcfw, model @royallllshurn, photographer @elistackphoto. Fifth Red dress @kcfw, designer @hannahcarolinecouture, photographer @laynewhitehouse. Sixth taken by me for @midlandusa. Seventh me modeling for @79roze. Eighth photographer myself, model @michelleneely.
