Colorado Fashion Week Wow

Who says that Colorado fashion has to start with a fleece and end with a hiking boot? Justice Kwesi Kwarteng, founder and executive creative director of the JTA Group, says emphatically, 'No!' Inspired by Fern Mallis' innovative vision building the fashion industry in NYC, in conjunction with the prestigious CFDA, Kwarteng created Colorado Fashion Week. Its third annual event concluded on October 6.

The whirlwind week included panel discussions with designers, beauty experts, models, photographers, and media from the North Denver Tribune and on-line hype machine, ReDouble. A session dedicated to the business of fashion, and a hair and make up show were held at the Walker Fine Arts Gallery. It culminated in the sold out catwalk presentation at The Oxford Hotel. After-parties at Mile High Spirits kept the fashionistas going into the wee hours. For those with any energy left there was a chance to touch, feel and buy the clothes at a trunk show in the newly opened EnVogue Salon. Although, not a part of the CFW events, the once North High School student, Gino Velardi, presented a fashion show that enjoyed the support of the Colorado Fashion Week participants.

According to Kwarteng, 'The vision and purpose of Colorado Fashion Week (CFW) is to build Colorado's global fashion industry presence as well as elevate Denver's brand as a city, regionally, nationally and internationally.' Within the heady mission is the underlying intent to bring 'foundational elements it needs to effectively position itself as an emerging fashion capital of the Rocky Mountain region' He dreams of establishing one professionally organized and cohesive fashion industry trade event and the ability to create jobs in the city of Denver. Kwarteng thinks that we often lose local talent to the more established fashion business markets due to the lack of sustainable career opportunities within Colorado.

The business panel discussion was a live streamed Q&A with local North Denver panelists Mona Lucero and myself; Brandi Shigley, founder of Fashion Denver; Tina Hall, a wardrobe stylist for J.Crew and Calvin Klein transplanted from NY to Denver; and model, Gary Rickard. They discussed the realities of fashion in Denver. While it has a significant foothold as the leading economic and cultural arts capital of the Rocky Mountain region, it has no real position within the $250 billion global fashion business. Questions were raised, 'Is Denver not a fashion player, because it is still called a town and not a city?' 'Why is it that a city of this size is host to multiple fashion events and organizations, such as Denver Fashion Week, Denver Fashion Weekend and Colorado Fashion Week, as well as the Fashion Group International, Fashion Denver, Denver Arts and Venues, The Red Ball, DDI, and FAD, instead of one overarching entity?'

My perspective is that it is almost laughable from an ex-New Yorker's vantage point that this town, or city, can't see the value in bringing all of these creatives together to establish a dynamic force. It is clear that Denver is a hip city with cool restaurants, intriguing architecture, and unique shops. Look at what's happened in the Highlands neighborhood from LoHi to Lowell. It is unclear why we can't come together to raise the bar on the fashion industry as a whole.

Mona Lucero has made a strong attempt to bring all of the factions together in a group that she founded called, the Fashion Association of Denver (FAD). She said, 'We have created a fashion clearing house of information where designers, photographers, modeling agencies, retailers and bloggers can share information and gain general support.' She has worked tirelessly to engage everyone from 303 Magazine (Denver Fashion Weekend) to Cameron Cowan (Denver Fashion Week) to Justice Kwarteng (Colorado Fashion Week) to actively collaborate and be 'The best of who we are and what we are.'

Brandi Shigley, self-professed 'dreamer and doer,' was lauded in Westword as 'A relentlessly positive and hardworking jack-of-all-trades. Shigley has become synonymous with Denver fashion.' She played devils advocate at the forum, understanding the desire and wisdom of creating a greater whole, but is intrinsically free-spirited and knows that is the life-blood of fashion designers. 'We need to leverage our strengths and collaborate, but also understand there is a desire to be unique.' With Shigley's 'can do' spirit, one is left feeling that anything can be done to bring a greater fashion presence to the city.

Tina Hall reflected, 'The only way it will work is if we all work together. We have to set our egos aside, think as a collective and make everyone successful.'

It is worth noting that the Denver Mart is working hard to upgrade its tired image. Stephanie Swimmer, noted for bringing the famed Fashion Coterie to NYC is the Executive Director of Trade Shows, and is igniting a revitalized interest in the center and fashion in Denver.

Is there talent here to actually create all of this synergy? The hair and makeup show and the runway collection proved that there is. Swagger Salon, EnVogue, Boston Priest, Gaila Ruppel, Tiffany O'Toole and the CFW's Masters of Makeup Artistry Team created elaborate designs for hair and faces. Spectacular hammered metal, sculptural jewelry framed faces as art by Pattie Parkhurst. She inlaid pieces of gold taken from the dome of the State Capitol building making an everlasting imprint of Colorado on her sculptural works. Mai Couture introduced a unique makeup product that is based on the concept of 'Beauty-to-Go.' Paper blush, foundations and powders take the mess out of makeup, and create a translucent sheen on the skin.

Runway fashions included local Denver designers Robbi Sayuri, The Kimono Dragons by Francis D Roces, Regal Rowe by Sinath Jerome, Jaymie Alexander, and Larimer Square boutique, The Apricot Lane. Out-of-town newcomers included Diana Lopez's Indi-Apparel of Tucson, Arizona and Anthony Heimann's collection, Nicholas Anthony, from Casper, Wyoming. The common thread amongst these creative talents is celebrating diversity, individuality of expression, well-defined consumer focus and innovative use of textiles and prints. Heimann's glorious collection was elaborately deconstructed and reconstructed eveningwear that married couture construction with a casual spirit. It was a unique view of layering, and an attitudinal style that could well define Colorado fashion.

Kwarteng, a polite, soft-spoken, hard working agent of change, says 'I couldn't have done this without the endless hours and support of my best friend, Colby Bryant, Tiffany O'Toole, Gaila Ruppel, Tina Hall, Anthony Stillitano, Michael Beckerman, and Dana De Roin.' All of these volunteer soldiers of fashion battled late nights and hard work to celebrate creativity, collaboration, community and Colorado. Kudos!

Michael Beckerman Photography captured Colorado Fashion Week beautifully. The runways were bursting with color, artful layers, fabric mixing, liquidy shimmer, draping, jumpsuits, high low hemlines and sculptural jewelry. Collections L to R: Regal Rowe by Sinath Jerome; Kimono Dragons by Francis D Roces; Apricot Lane Boutique; Robbi Sayuri Collection; Nicholas Anthony by Anthony Heimann; Mai Couture & Pattie Parkhurst; Jaymie's Touch by Jaymie Alexander; Indi-Apparel by Diana Lopez.

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