A guide to this year’s Denver Fashion Week

By Maddie Browning

You don’t have to jet over to New York City to attend a fashion week — there’s another chance to experience innovative designs closer to home.

Denver Fashion Week is returning from Saturday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 14, with seven runway shows featuring a variety of designs from streetwear to western styles.

How did it start and what’s new?

The showcase of local and national designers became Denver’s first official fashion week in 2018. It’s a partnership with Denver Arts & Venues and the tourism organization Visit Denver. Every year, Denver Fashion Week hosts spring and fall runway shows highlighting designers, hairstylists, makeup artists and models of all backgrounds.

This year’s events will take place at City Hall, a nightlife and events venue, at 1136 Broadway. The week’s programming will open with a Streetwear & Sneakers show and debut a joint Western & High Altitude show dedicated to Colorado’s cowboy culture and alpine fashion.

What can I expect?

Tickets start at $50 per show. Each show includes a red-carpet cocktail reception with a live DJ, pop-up shopping, and a cash bar.

VIP first- and second-row tickets also include premium runway seating, exclusive check-in, and access to a VIP lounge with complimentary hors d’observes, a cash bar, and pop-up vendor discounts.

For first-time attendees, Denver Fashion Week is a special way to experience clothing design in a city that spends much of its time on music, the outdoors and restaurants, said Rachel Hazelwood, the designer behind sustainable brand Hyacinth.

“It’s just a sprinkle of something really magical and unique in a city that likes to wear sweatpants,” she added.

Runway producer Nikki Strickler  recommended arriving with ample time to explore and keeping an open mind.

“I always tell people to give yourself at least an hour with the vendor village and the cocktail party, so you can really enjoy that,” she said. “Come wearing what you consider a fashionable outfit and mingle and be open to learning something new in the show and being exposed to areas of fashion you maybe wouldn’t see yourself typically wearing.”

What’s the schedule?

Streetwear & Sneakers

Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.

Denver Fashion Week will open with a show exhibiting bold streetwear designs. Guests are encouraged to wear their best sneakers and expressive accessories. Streetwear & Sneakers will feature designs by Equillibrium , Idiot Cult , Offside Apparel , Modem , Duré , SIC and MOSS D .

Family Day: Youth + Mommy & Me

Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m.

At this afternoon runway show, children and caregivers can check out plenty of mommy-and-me looks. Adults and kids will don outfits from Monkey’s Aspen, Petit Parker + Co, and Denver-based boutique and brand LittleGrey.

Western & High Altitude

Monday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m.

Models will strut the runway in après-ski ensembles and Western-inspired looks at this show dedicated to Colorado. The show will feature designs by Rockmount Ranch Wear, Leatherneck Designs, Millie Moonshine, Aspen-based brand Outpst, and Denver activewear and dancewear company Dragonwing.

Sustainability

Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m.

This runway show highlights stylistic creativity paired with lower environmental impacts. Hyacinth, Emo Mermaid, Kanchiko, Broadway Bazaar Vintage, and Korkina N will showcase their vintage-inspired and upcycled pieces.

Maximalism

Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m.

If you think there’s no such thing as too many accessories, check out the designs in the Maximalism runway show. Haus of Other, Chromatiicat Handmade, Balby, Make You Sparkle, and GDC will share vibrant looks.

Society

Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m.

The Society show includes local designers as well as creatives from across the country, including Alterra, Seintana Couture, L. E. Telfer, Giulianelli Designs, and Byasima Couture. The night’s focus is contemporary style and diverse creative visions.

Couture

Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.

Denver Fashion Week will close out with a display of high-fashion designs that features Mio Mora, Qi Zhou Design Studio, Guillermo Pharis, Rachel Marie Hurst, Tyne Hall, and Skye|Aire.

A focus on sustainability

Founded in 2000, Equillibrium is a Denver-based high-fashion street brand with bold prints supporting wildlife protection. Founder Deb Henriksen first showed her work on a Denver Fashion Week runway in 2013, when it was Denver Fashion Weekend .

Henriksen  values sustainability throughout her creative process. “I mainly sew with cotton, for example. I don’t like using polymerized textiles even down to a thread because they don’t biodegrade,” she said. “It’s all about life cycles and circularity.”

With her brand Hyacinth , Rachel Hazelwood develops one-of-a-kind garments from upcycled and thrifted materials. Her goal is to create pieces that will be treasured for generations, skipping the landfill.

“ My brand, it’s always very sparkly. I’m a glittery gal. I love anything that has fringe and shimmers and moves,” she says. “I’m big on eye-catching pieces and things that people don’t want to get rid of.”

Strickler notes that many designers at Denver Fashion Week understand the environmental impact of the fashion industry and work in different ways to reduce their footprints.

“ I think just being in Colorado in general, sustainability is really important to our community,” she says. “I’m glad that that is something that’s noticeable to the general public that maybe just because this brand isn’t placed on Sustainable night doesn’t mean that they aren’t using sustainable practices.”

Why should I attend?

Many designers and patrons return to Denver Fashion Week time and time again. Hazelwood first showcased her designs at Denver Fashion Week in the spring of 2024, and she is coming back for her fifth season.

“ There’s something fun for everybody to see. Even if you’re dragging your husband or boyfriend or partner along that doesn’t necessarily want to come, they’re going to enjoy it,” she says. “It’s just a really good night of community.”

Strickler used to live in Los Angeles and New York City, but never felt the same warmth she feels in the Denver fashion community.

“It just truly does feel like a family,” she says. “You’ll see a lot of the designers from different nights coming to support multiple nights of the show just because it’s like, ‘Oh, I have this friend in this show, and this one is helping styling with this,’ and so it’s really cool how tight-knit it is.”