Denver Fashion Weekend: NIGHT ONE: Saturday // November 9 // 8 PM // City Hall Amphitheater

Denver Fashion Weekend. Oh yes, it is a weekend that all of us fashionable Denverlites look forward to all year.  I was particularly excited for this event after getting a sneak peak into 303 Magazine’s DFW Fall Print Issue that had a Lady Gaga-esque appeal.  For me, an overly dramatic editorial photo is the epitome of LUXE – so from that picture on, I was impatiently waiting to see what 303 Magazine had in store for us eager attendees.

We arrived around 8 PM knowing that fashion shows typically start fashionably late. Both the VIP and General Admission Line ran down the entire street, making me thankful that my outfit choice was spot on for the situation – a warm faux fur vest, paired with leather pants and closed toe stilettos.

Once we arrived inside City Hall Amphitheater we snapped a few pictures at the 303 Magazine Photo Booth, grabbed a couple cocktails, mingled with Denver’s fashion elite, and then made our way to our prime seats in the overly packed venue.  The fashion show didn’t start until after 10:00 pm due to the unpredicted amount of people wanting to buy tickets at the door.  DFW seemed to be oversold, as all three stories of the amphitheatre were packed with attendees hoping to catch glimpses of the catwalk, making for a lively and wild crowd.

Chris Parente from Fox 31 was the emcee for DFW, and he kicked off the show by taking his own panorama video of the energetic audience to show later on Fox 31 News.

 

//LOCAL DESIGNERS//

The first half of the show was dedicated to local designers and started with a personal favorite of Fashion Denver:

Mona Lucero.  Mona’s collection had an animal theme with models wearing fur headpieces, fur scarves and/or fur jackets that collaborated with her collection of intricately designed dresses.

Next followed Kitty Mae Millinery and her collection of elaborate hats & headpieces that did a good job at leveraging my current obsession of experimenting with winter hats.

Equillibrium and its well-known sustainable designs came out full force to a blaring Queens of the Stone Age song and brought their anticipated edge.  The first model set the tone for the collection by ripping off her jacket while sporting a wolf face mask and booty shorts.  They are the definition of edgy street fashion.

For me the stand out of the night came next from jewelry designer, Andrea Li. Andrea Li’s collection served as a change of pace from the dark pieces that I am usually drawn to. The models wore all white, angelic outfits in order to emphasize the lavish jewelry. I would use the jewelry and headpieces to compliment my wardrobe in a heart beat – an absolute stand out for me.

Live Worldly started with Tribal inspired dresses and skirts and ended with two short club dresses, one in black and one in hot pink, paired with colored leggings. TREND ALERT: colored leggings.

Kotomi Yoshida ended the local designer bit with a collection of Japan inspired fashion for men in the form of blazers and vests with button detailing and fine trim.

After a brief intermission, local boutiques took the catwalk by storm featuring Blush, A Tsagas, Donna Baldwin Men and Garbarini.

//LOCAL BOUTIQUES//

Blush boutique kicked off the second half of the fashion show by showcasing various black staple pieces.  With me being an advocate for the fact that black will always be the new black: per usual, they had my full attention.

Maybe it was because of my outfit choice for the night, but I was drawn to A Tsagas Furs for the Local Boutique half of the show that preceded Blush Boutique.  I mean, the white fur vest with an oversized hood? It is a perfect addition to any Coloradan’s winter closet.  And the dramatic red fur coat?  I can already picture myself strolling up to this years Red Ball in it.

The Donna Baldwin Men weren’t exactly showcasing top fashion, but they were nice to look at and silenced the ladies, and some men, in the audience for a couple minutes.

Garbarini concluded DFW with little black dresses, leather jackets, uniquely patterned and skintight sleeveless dresses, and ended the show with my favorite dress from the boutique segment: a full length, black dress with see through fabric that allowed just a glimpse of leg.

The energy was magnetic, and as promised, 303 Magazine threw an awesome party.

With DJ Lindsay Luv (the exclusive Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show DJ) spinning beats the entire night and into the after party – the night was destined to be one that stood out. Denver Fashion Week: NIGHT ONE exceeded all of my expectations, was a raging success, and served as a wave of inspiration for my wardrobe that is getting a makeover during the changing seasons.

 

For more pictures check out 303 Magazine’s DFW Night One: Gallery 1 & Gallery 2.