Local Couture Brings One of a Kind Garments to Denver Fashion Week Opening Night

Couture are garments created by hand specifically tailored to fit each 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 opened the show with a dreamy collection full of pastels and intricate patterns. Titled "A Midsummer's Wet Dream," models graced the runway with dewy makeup showing off a chic wet look. Combining that with the rich colors, impeccable details and dreamy walks from models, it made for a perfect opening collection. As a winner of the Denver Fashion Week's (DFW) Designer Emerging Challenge, Ashwood showed why she was the judge's pick. The layering of reflective and sheer fabrics over patterned materials was what truly brought this collection to life. Needless to say, InspireD’Signs had the most gorgeous debut collection.

Making his debut, designer Angelo Rivera combined streetwear with couture in the best way possible. 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 certainly launched a notable collection.

Known for her avante guard clothing, designer Skye Baker Ma brought a tamed down version of her past collections. Though still grand and full of color, her collection strayed away from over-the-top, "What is going on?" designs. Combining the large, wild and colorful hair with the shiny and sheer fabrics really emphasized the thoughtfulness behind the collection. Per usual, Baker Ma used the most stunning texturized fabrics and bold patterns reminding the audience that she truly is the queen of couture. From a sheer yellow polka dot dress to a long skirt attached as a garter belt and finally, a colorful jumpsuit with flappy shoulders, SKY|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 art to night one. With the layering of sheer paper material over solid garments, her DFW debut was one of the most colorful and carefully structured collections yet. She used unique shapes, textures, accessories and bold hair and makeup to bring her garments to life. 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. At the end of her collection, she wore a creation of her own that was covered in neon 3D flowers and a helmet with the same details. It was a phenomenal way to start the second half of DFW.

What was one of the most darkest collections to grace the runway of DFW, proved to be the best way to conclude night one of DFW. Designer Byron Alexander brought Mitosis to life through an all black collection with impeccable detailing. Models wore blackened makeup truly adding to the dark, mysterious effect. Most notable was one model who wore a pair of black wings emitting a dark angel vibe while another model concluded the collection wearing claw shoes paired with black football pads truly showing that clothes can be art. From sheer shirts to pants with giant silver holes and well-thought-out accessories — Mitosis was the perfect dark and mythical dream.

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Photos by: Michael Hameister

Hair: Natasha Mae Brown, Shoshanna Murphy, Rheonna Carr, Gabriella Martizna, Mae Jones, Darrell Dewitt

Makeup: Deven Collins, Halely Salazar, Christal Garcia, Mae Jones, Sienna 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.

Denver Fashion WeekinspireD'signsla adornaLauren LippertLocal CoutureMitosisSKYEAIREWorld To Fear

Lauren is a Colorado native and an Arizona State graduate with a major in Journalism and a minor in fashion. She is super passionate about all things fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys listening to an obscene amount of music, finding new coffee shops, and reading. Follow her on Instagram @laurenjlippert.

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