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. It was a dreamy collection that combined rich colors with impeccable details. As a winner of the Denver Fashion Week’s (DFW) Designer Emerging Challenge, Ashwood showed why she was the judge’s pick. This collection was brought to life by the layering of sheer and reflective fabrics on top of patterned material. 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. Skye Baker Designer 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. The collection was a real success because the combination of the wild, colorful and large hairs with the sheer and shiny fabrics highlighted the thought behind it. Baker Ma, the king of couture as she’s known to be, used her usual stunning fabrics with bold prints and texturized textures. AIRE collection will forever be the pinnacle of haute couture.|AIRE will always be the epitome of grand couture.
As the audience winner of DFW’s Designer Emerging Challenge, designer Brittany Schall Truly brought wearable arts to the first night. Her DFW debut collection was colorful, structured and layered with sheer papers over solids. To bring her clothes to life, she used textures, bold hair, and make-up, along with shapes that were unique. 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. The second half of DFW was kicked off in a spectacular way.
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. The most notable model was the one who donned a pair black wings, giving off an air of darkness. A second model, wearing black football pads and claw-shoes to finish up her collection showed that clothing can truly be art. 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 Murphrey, Rheonna Car, Gabriella Martizna. Mae Jones. Darrell Dewitt.
Makeup: Deven Collins, Halely Salzar, Christal Garca, Mae Jones and 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.