A couture is an item of clothing that’s been handcrafted to be tailored for each individual model. This means the intricacy of each garment was carefully crafted to fit each model — this was evident as brands Mitosis by Byron Alexander, SKYE|AIRE, World to Fear, La Adorna and InspireD’Signs kicked off day one of Denver Fashion Week.
Hosted by Alice 105.9’s Amber Wilkerson, night one of DFW was filled with shopping, photos, eating, immersive art and of course — fashion.
Designer Faye Ashwood Opening the show was a collection filled with pastels, intricate patterns, and other dreamy elements. Titled “A Midsummer’s Wet Dream,” Models walked the runway in a dewy look, displaying a wet and chic appearance. The rich colors and details, as well as the dreamy walk of models made this a stunning collection. As a winner of the Denver Fashion Week’s (DFW) Designer Emerging Challenge, Ashwood showed why she was the judge’s pick. Layering reflective and sheer fabric over patterns was the key to bringing this collection alive. Needless to say, InspireD’Signs had the most gorgeous debut collection.
Make his debut designer Angelo Rivera Combining streetwear and couture is the most effective way to create a look. Between the models walking the runway barefoot to wearing letterman jackets with “Fear” written in the Toyota Ford font, World to Fear combined the classiness of couture with the grunginess of streetwear perfectly. Models wore phrases like “I can never pop champagne in peace,” while holding a champagne glass and “Ain’t nobody afraid of you,” truly creating an immersive experience. The show progressed from detailed shirts and letterman jackets to structured avante guard pieces like a matching set and long trains that read “Watch your step, watch your mouth.” World to Fear is a collection that has certainly made a mark.
Her avant-garde clothing is well known. Designer Skye Baker Ma Her new collection was a more tamed version of previous collections. Though still grand and full of color, her collection strayed away from over-the-top, “What is going on?” designs. Combining large, bright and wild hair with shiny and sheer fabrics brought out the creative thinking behind this collection. Baker Ma once again used the boldest patterns and the most beautiful fabrics, reminding her audience that she is indeed the queen of fashion. The epitome in grand couture is SKY|AIRE will always be the epitome of grand couture.
As the audience winner of DFW’s Designer Emerging Challenge, designer Brittany Schall Wearable Art brought to Night One. Her DFW debut collection was colorful, structured and created with a layering of paper over solids. Her clothes came to life with unique textures, shapes and accessories, as well as bold makeup and hair. The neon pinks, greens and reds all carefully intertwined together showed just how much time and thought went into the collection — each detail was prevalent and extremely notable. She wore her creation, a neon helmet and 3D flower-covered jacket at the end of the collection. This was an amazing way to kick off the second half DFW.
Night one was a great way to finish DFW. Designer Byron Alexander Mitosis was brought to life by a collection that is all-black and has impeccable detail. Blackened makeup was worn by models to enhance the mysterious, dark effect. One model wore black wings that gave off a feeling of a dark, angelic vibe. Another model finished the collection with claw-shoes paired up with black football padding. From sheer shirts to pants with giant silver holes and well-thought-out accessories — Mitosis was the perfect dark and mythical dream.
Photos by: Michael Hameister
Natasha Mae Brown. Shoshanna Murphy. Rheonna Carr. Gabriella Martizna. Mae Jones. Darrell Dewitt.
Makeup: Deven Collins, Halely Salzar, Christal Gadria, Mae Jones, Siena Guerrero
Models: Kiyasha Banks, Mallory High, Syneeda, Sharnae Burton, Maya Otoum, Ryant T. Parker, Ayana Whitaker, Akinda Johnson, Jasper Farrington, Tacha Richardson, McKenzie McDaniel, Michelle Holmes, Elijah Uribes, Emmamuella Msavali and Olivia St. Aubin.