303 Magazine Sustainable Fashion at DFW Night 6

Night six of Denver Fashion Week (DFW) transformed the Forney Museum of Transportation into a creative cultural assembly showcasing sustainable fashion from local vintage vendors and designers. Sustainable fashion continues to be a growing and necessary movement in the fashion industry. Its culture is thriving and a niche part of the fashion community with a mission driven to foster change and encourage the industry towards greater ecological integrity and social justice.

Saturday night’s show assembled an eager and dedicated crowd with a commitment geared towards the same mission. With an eye for detail and innovative designs, these inventive designers and vendors inspired the DFW crowd to participate in more sustainable practices and embrace their individual style.

Up first, Gulosch Garments showcased a collection replicating the urban attire and zeitgeist of the 90s. Designer Scooter James included mix print denim, puffer vests and mesh details throughout the looks. These streetwear pieces also included colorful embroidery with James’ “Gulosch logo” detailed on the bodice of a denim mini dress and on the back of his oversized denim jackets.

Hott Pink Matter took the DFW stage next with romantic silhouettes and eurocentric prints. A mixture of ready-to-wear and avant-garde pieces were beautifully showcased by models decorated with pearl embellishments throughout their hair and makeup. These modern renaissance pieces came to life with thrifted fabrics and sustainable materials showing that second-hand materials can be turned into a work of art. Designer Audra Stachnik incorporated corsets throughout her designs combining vintage with current trends. Fabrics like velvet, satin and fur perfectly paired with Stachnik’s gold, blue, pink and purple color palette seamlessly completed the romantic themes.

READ: Meet 6 Sustainable Designers Showing At Denver Fashion Week

Lost Room Collective brought the early 2000s to the DFW stage with their chic fabrics and neutral tones. These distinctive designs were brought to life with individuality in mind through unique silhouettes and structured details. Backstage, co-founder Bella Conte of Lost Room Collective shared:

“I feel like the fast fashion industry is overrun by finding the next trend rather than finding your own unique style – we want to inspire people to be bold and hone in on being unique.”

Throughout the show, their looks included asymmetrical slip dresses, preppy matching sets and rhinestone embellishments.

Next up, a consignment store of men’s and women’s boutique and designer brands, Rags took the stage with carefully curated pieces reminiscent of the 70s. Each look was brought together with plaid and structured garments like blazers or denim suits. Brown leather jackets and pants made an appearance throughout the show, setting a new trend for Spring and Summer fashion staples. Bright hues like blue and orange were also a running theme throughout each look while tastefully complementing the neutral color palette of the collection. Overall, Rags pieces proved to be classic timeless looks ready to wear on any occasion.

TAHIRA took the second half of the show with a collection of stunning cocktail hour statement pieces. Models floated down a runway in earthy-colored garments decorated with button finishes, lace details and floral motifs on sheer satin fabrics. The collection then drifted to bright pops of color like hot pink and deep blue making these pieces perfect for Spring.

February Jones Presents: The Common Collective captured the audience with their fun and pop culture-focused designs. Throughout the show, these bright looks and use of patchwork and mixed prints turned everyday essentials into individualistic looks. To capture the fun and flair of Spring and Summer, models walked the runway with lollipops as an accessory to their edgy outfits. The Common Collective brought a 70s Malibu Barbie feel to center stage with a gorgeous array of bright colors and unique prints, and inspired a few key takeaways and trends: quilt pants are in and polka dots are back.

Our final artist, Killionaire dedicated this collection to his South African roots and the beauty of “turning nothing into something.” Backstage, we found designer Moses Kisale with a table of upcycled denim and a sewing machine hand perfecting each look before they hit the stage. Throughout the show, Kisale included graffiti print denim, bold color and a militant fitted structure for these edgy street style looks. With all upcycled fabrics, Killionaire’s grunge handmade pieces were the perfect ending to Sustainability Night at Denver Fashion Week.

All photography by Roxanna Carrasco. Video by David Rossa. 

Stay tuned here for full galleries including runway looks, street style and step and repeat photos.