Popular fashion blog Denver Darling has been present in Denver for the last few years. However, the blog’s owner and writer, Abby Miller, has made big money moves and is now headed to the Cherry Creek North neighborhood for a brick-and-mortar shop.
Before becoming a local storefront, Denver Darling was and still continues to be a fashion blog that posts everything from Miller’s style tips and recommendations for where to eat and drink in Denver, to her experiences at a plethora of hotels, lodges and fun events she attends locally. Through her blog, Miller takes us behind the scenes of her life and now, behind the scenes of her closet.
Before starting her blog, Miller had no interest in fashion content. Her interest in fashion mainly lay in shopping and sharing her clothes with some of her closest friends. It wasn’t until after a few occasions of sharing and lending her clothes that Miller realized she could share her taste in fashion with more than just her friends.
“I realized I could be on to something, so I just started taking pictures of outfits I would put together and bring a lot of those pieces with me to different locations,” she said. “Sometimes I would do outfit changes from one location to the next, all in the same day. It’s funny because people think you’re always so fashion forward and always looking stylish, but I honestly would write and post photos from my bed and in my pajamas.”
After three years of posting content in the comfort of her pajamas, Miller and her business partner, Molly Fortune, decided it was time to get serious about expanding Miller’s quest of making people look good with their outfit choices. This time it wouldn’t be out of her closet, it would be off the racks.
“Molly and I would always talk about opening a store or taking Denver Darling a step further, but we never made it happen,” said Miller. “It wasn’t until one day I got a [very serious] text from her saying ‘I think we should really do this,’ and I knew what she meant.” Shortly after their epiphany, Miller and Fortune made their way to Dallas for a buyers’ event. This trip started their journey in the boutique industry. “We absolutely fell in love with the clothes we saw in Dallas,” said Fortune. “When we shop, we like to actually physically try on the clothes to get a feel if whether or not we think our customers will like it.”
Both Miller and Fortune have similar taste. The two describe their style as “classic chic.” They like to keep their outfit choices simple and something that you can wear at any point in time, during any era, no matter what the current fashion trend is. Being that their favorite place to get their products from is in Dallas, a lot of their pieces are inspired by the southern girl aesthetic.
The boutique’s collection consists of everything from tweed jackets to the perfect brunch outfits. The pieces are a particular reminder of Reese Witherspoon — whose clothing line, Draper James, we are expected to see carried in Denver Darling.
A sorority girl herself, Fortune wants Denver Darling to feel as if it were its own sorority. Wishing she could have had the sorority life experience herself, Miller is completely there for her business partner’s vision of Denver Darling. Therefore, not only are the pieces you’ll find in their store girly and preppy, but that’s the kind of ambiance and shopping experience the store has as well.
“We found this location and thought it was perfect because it reminded us of a little sorority house,” said Fortune. “A part of our vision was to have a place where we could host events for group sizes like sororities.” The two also revealed that the little blue house made them feel like they were at a home away from home, with its cozy and intimate feel, and heavily stocked canisters of blue jelly beans.
Miller and Fortune also want to give back to the community. “We both love to do volunteer work and just be philanthropic,” said Miller. “That’s how we actually met, it was at a volunteer event.” In addition to hosting shopping events for larger parties, Miller and Fortune want to be able to share their newly found space with those who want to impact a change.
Denver Darling will be hosting its first shopping and charity event this Thursday, April 19 for its Grand Opening party. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. there will be complimentary drinks and treats in celebration of Denver Darling’s transition into a boutique, as well as a chance to treat yourself to something new, to which 20 percent of sales will be donated to the Kathy Fortune Memorial Scholarship and National Jewish Health.
Denver Darling boutique is located at 2432 E 3rd Avenue, Denver. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
All photography by Jenna Sparks.