“We are not guaranteed another day, another smile, another dance, another tight hug, another I love you, and another goodbye. Cherish every moment and live it to the fullest.”- Armina Jusufagic
It’s so cool how a meeting over coffee can open doors into a whole new world that you could never imagine! I sat down with Armina a couple of weeks ago, connecting on some fashion things, but when the meeting was over, my mind was blown at all of the things that she has experienced in her life. I wanted to learn more! So, I did!
Where were you born and what was life like as a child?
I was born in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. My family and I fled to Germany in 1990 as refugees during the Yugoslavian civil war. My mother is Serbian, Orthodox and my father is Bosnian, Muslim. After the war was over we didn’t have a country to return to. We then became refugees again and came over to San Francisco in 1996. Once we settled into San Francisco I was able to pursue basketball. My focus and determination as an athlete took me to the collegiate and professional level. I played … Read more!
“I like to think I slid outta the womb creating…. “-Katie Wells designer behind Giddyup
Fashion is such a statement. Oftentimes, fashion can be taken too seriously. You must look like a professional. You must dress to impress. There can be expectations and pressure to follow fashion trends. Well, thank goodness there’s Katie Wells of GIDDYUP! Katie knows how to keep fashion fun.
I met Katie over a decade ago. The first time I fell in love with Katie’s designs was when I was in a fashion show and I got to model her dress, covered in pompoms!
I fell so head over heels in love with her fashions that I had her put together a look for me for my band performance at the Hi-Dive. She knew exactly to capture my whimsical playfulness.
Then, I became addicted to her headbands… headbands like you will NEVER find!
And then, I was lucky enough to get to carry GIDDYUP in our boutique (when we had a boutique (2008-2011).
Le sigh…. I can go on and on and on about how happy Katie’s designs make me. You can take a frown and turn it into perma-smile with her whimsical, unique and always … Read more!
I love the idea of dressing to be the person that you want to be. I love fashion because of the individual creative freedom. – Kelly Valentine
One of the most exciting and fun things about creating Fashion Denver back in 2004, is meeting the brains behind our local fashion companies! From designers and stylists to boutique owners, we get so inspired by what FUELS these minds and hearts and gives them the courage to go out and passionately pursue their dreams!
It was so much fun walking into the new Scout Dry Goods (formerly Buffalo Exchange) on S. Broadway and being greeted by Kelly Valentine, brains behind the company! I met Kelly through her identical twin sister Anna whom I had met back in 2004. I had followed Kelly’s adventure of opening up Scout Dry Goods in Omaha and when I saw she was bringing Scout to Denver, I was thrilled!
I wanted to find out where her passion for thrifting came from, what it was like to be a twin, what inspires her… and drum roll please… the official interview!
Where did you grow up and what was life like as a child?
“Everything I ever wanted truly was just on the other side of the bottle I had clung to.”
One of the most beautiful things about social media is learning other people’s stories from people who have the courage to be vulnerable and share their pain, share their struggles, and share their victories. We recently posted our interview with photographer Darryl Miller Christensen, and through Darryl, I connected his wife Aspen, and became so enamored with her courage to share the story of her journey with alcohol.
I have many friends who struggle with alcohol but it’s become normalized somehow and their addiction has become just part of who they are. On the other hand, I have friends who have made a decision to recognize their problems with alcohol and have chosen a life of sobriety. It inspires me to learn their stories!
I truly believe that our brokenness is our message that can heal others. Thank you so much Aspen for sharing you, for sharing your story, and for being so real! Your beauty shines bright!
Where were you born and what was your childhood like?
I am a proud Denver native! Ironically, I was born at St. Joseph’s … Read more!
“It wasn’t until I became a makeup artist and model that I truly began to find my niche, and I think it’s because neither of those disciplines allows for the destructive perfectionism or self doubt that have held me back most of my life.”
– Quille Palan
I sat down with Quille Palan at Denver Fashion Week, Fall of 2019. It was my first time modeling in Denver Fashion Week (not just emceeing or attending) and I was so excited for the opportunity to be a model and be on the other side of the show than I usually am. I was a little bit nervous, but when I sat down with Quille, my nerves melted away. After learning that we had met over a decade before and in a completely different lifetime ago, I knew I wanted to get to know more about this amazingly beautiful person!
One thing that I love about this interview with Quille is the honesty. It’s so hard for us to admit what we might not be cut out to do. But oh how inspiring it is to share life’s REAL journey into discovering what we ARE meant to do!
I was born in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. My family and I fled to Germany in 1990 as refugees during the Yugoslavian civil war. My mother is Serbian, Orthodox and my father is Bosnian, Muslim. After the war was over we didn’t have a country to return to. We then became refugees again and came over to San Francisco in 1996. Once we settled into San Francisco I was able to pursue basketball. My focus and determination as an athlete took me to the collegiate and professional level. I played … Read more! 
