“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!
How one fashion entrepreneur is getting through COVID.
COVID 19 has uprooted the life of normality we all used to live in, in unimaginable ways. Every single person has had to learn how to navigate a “new normal” of life from working at home to having to wear masks to the grocery store. Each individual has had to make changes to their everyday lifestyle, but how is COVID affecting our local mobile fashion boutiques?
In terms of business in general, COVID has switched many supply and demand chains, making some irrelevant and others prominent, usually the opposite of the business models that kept small business alive before the pandemic. Suddenly jobs are lost and the consumer economy moved from purchasing items for enjoyment, such as clothes, to boxes of masks to protect families. Boutiques are one of the most affected business models in terms of the switch in supply and demand.
Boutiques sell goods that can be classified as “luxuries” over “necessities”. When there is a major loss in jobs, luxury business suffers the most. We spoke to Electric Dream Boutique owner Adrienne Scott-Trask, a Denver based boutique that runs out of their fashion truck, on the issues they have … Read more!
My process in fashion comes out of doing. I don’t really have a solid idea before I start on a piece. I just start and refine and refine until something cool comes out.– Alex Restivo
I met Alex Restivo last year at DLite’s Emerging Artists Fashion Showcase that featured young up and coming talent. Alex played music while he showcased his line of clothing and I was immediately hooked. I absolutely love when people are multi-passioned and combine their passions together like this! Especially ambitious and driven young individuals.
Let’s learn more about Alex!
My earliest memories stemming around fashion had to be light up sneakers and superhero underwear. Loved that stuff as a kid it made me feel cool, I was always excited to show off stuff like that.
I remember having a Spiderman costume as kid and loving it so much. I don’t think I put very much thought into fashion when I was a kid though, it was pretty much just t-shirts and cool sneakers. An image that comes to mind off the top of my head is the 50s modern house I grew up in with its flat room, two floors, and floating staircase, stained … Read more!
Do you want to be fashion-forward and eco friendly? The shops on South Broadway have got you covered! The fashion industry produces thirteen million tons of textile waste every year. 95% of that waste could be reused or recycled. You can help support your local fashion industry by shopping at equally eco-friendly and fashionable shops such as La Lovely Vintage, Sewn, Decade and more all located on South Broadway in Denver.
(please note all images are taken from the companies websites).
La Lovely Vintage follows the premise of adorable clothes that are also kind to the earth. Fashion trends historically have a tendency to recycle themselves, so vintage is a great way to stay fashionable. The owner of La Lovely Vintage, Tara Lavato, travels all over the United States finding cute vintage pieces for her boutique. So not only can you find hand picked trendy clothing, you are helping reuse and recycle by purchasing something vintage.
Sewn is another adorable boutique that gives you a variety of eco friendly and trendy options. Sewn consists of three main clothing divisions, hand made, upcycled, and vintage. Each of these sections helps reduce waste and support mother nature. Sewn also sells vintage … Read more!
Mona Lucero’s earliest memory was asking for a pair of red patent leather shoes. Years later she is still pursuing color and vibrance through her unique fashion designs. Mona is a local Denver fashion designer who has built her own brand around a prominent guiding principle; change. Mona constantly evolves, experimenting not only with color, but texture and prints to capture the attention of her customers. “Customers are aware of what is happening in the world and they want change. You have to evolve and follow the trends,” says Mona.
Culture is among one of the ever changing aspects of the modern world , especially in fashion. As observed by the emergence of fashion trends, one day something is in the next day it is out pushing fashion designers, like Mona, to always be aware of fashion trends. When asked what she pulls inspiration from for her designs Mona remarked, “Cultural trends are very important to pull inspiration from.” Mona observes cultural trends in order to morph her brand, “ I pull inspiration by thinking about the world culturally and what my customers are looking for, then I tailor to … Read more!
Supporting Colorado designers since 2004 through production of fashion markets, fashion shows, and business development
