Denver Fashion Week presented by Mile High Luxury Real Estate is in full force. On Night Five, local designers Darkm0th Industry, Rebellelion, Electric Bubblegum, Station, A Vintage Frame of Mind and Interracial Friends came together to display the most daring streetwear looks Denver has seen to date. While Electric Bubblegum was bright, bubbly and girly, Darkm0th was dark, deep and eerie. There were street style looks everyone in the audience could relate to whether they were in the mood for dark and mysterious, flowy and free, girly and cute or ’90s cool.
Darkm0th Industry
Darkm0th kicked off the night by bringing on avant-garde, unisex, unconventional and deconstructed looks. The opener was a black flowy dress with pops of pink. Sheer fabrics created dimension and soft movement juxtaposing the pops of bright pink, red and yellow. Both men and women sported a hallowed-out post-apocalyptic eye look paired with wet-look hair and slicked back low ponytails. Feet were wrapped tightly in thick black ribbon in lieu of shoes. “This collection I did do a couple of women’s shapes because I wanted to accentuate bodies but probably 90 percent is gender-free and size-free. There’s a lot of black and neutral tones but this collection I added a pop of color. It’s a very dark aesthetic — a lot of my stuff is very modular and reversible. On the other hand, some of it is more minimal and wearable but definitely all with that dark aesthetic and sci-fi inspiration,” explained creator Shayna Ariel.
Rebellelion
Rebellelion was next on the lineup and was a 180 from the styles displayed by Darkm0th. Earthy tones were celebrated and the audience discovered bright yellow as a new neutral. Tassels and embroidery with tie details to the side brought out the Western theme throughout each style. The first look was the epitome of freedom through a breezy sunny yellow dress with ties at the sides with the model holding a red rose with a white star covering half of her face. “The stars go with the outlaw look but for my other models, I wanted that old Americana tattoo look with heavy blush and eyeliner. It’s an outlaw-slash-flapper girl look. It’s sophisticated with lace but grungy with earthy tones. The braids give a Western look like they have been riding horses all day,” said Madi Hadel.
Electric Bubblegum
Station
A Vintage Frame of Mind
Felicia Benavidez of A Vintage Frame of Mind displayed her vintage vibes throughout each look. White bell bottoms, berets, umbrellas and hoops the size of a fist brought on nostalgia. A brown leather baker hat paired with a mustard yellow suit dress and knee-length heeled cutout boots was a modern take on ’70s style. Geometric prints were a common theme throughout the looks in dresses paired with fishnet tights and mesh tops. Silhouettes took on a new norm with skirts in the front and pants in the back.
Interracial Friends
Interracial Friends closed out the night with bold colors and rhinestone-studded faces. Flannels were tied at the waist, multi-colored sweat suits and denim shirts displayed inspiration from the ’90s. One of creator Mowgli Miles’ signature statements, “Fuck Racism,” was displayed proudly on a tee. Accessories tied the looks together with scrunchies on the upper arm and industrial studded belts with fuzzy handcuffs attached. “I’m just going with the flow but it’s all pieces that have strong sentimental value. This is a tribute to artists and I’m putting the message out of peace and ‘fuck racism.’ That’s really what everything I’ve put out is always about — reminding people we need unity, we need equality, we need people getting along. I like to use bright, bold colors. Sometimes not so bright. I did my nails black for this because that’s just the vibe,” said Miles.
All photography by Rebecca Grant.