303 Style Profile is an ongoing series highlighting unique locals and they’re incredible style and stories. Go here to see past profiles.
Ivy Lindstrom is taking Denver’s fashion scene by storm with her unique and unconventional looks. Using dramatic makeup and clothing to portray different personas and new looks, Lindstrom is able to express her one-of-a-kind style and love for fashion. Her involvement in the fashion community by expression through clothing does not stop at her personal style, however. Creating her own clothing line inspired by her own art and graphic designs — in addition to designing a hoodie for singer Billie Eilish — has given her opportunities to gain a following and inspire Denver’s fashion community.
We sat down with Ivy to get her thoughts about Denver’s fashion scene, designing her clothing line and her expression through fashion with her bold style.
303 Magazine: What caused your interest in fashion in the first place?
Ivy Lindstrom: So, in high school, I was very concerned with fitting in so I didn’t really express myself that much during that time. When I went to college I saw people dressing the way they wanted to and fully expressing themselves, being totally unapologetic about it. Then, I started going to drag shows and I thought that was really influential. I’ve also always drawn and always loved drawing so I think doing that and applying my art to real life really helped.
303: How would you describe your style?
IL: I find it hard to describe my style. I want to say it’s a graphic drawing come to life. Or I could even describe it as doll-like both with the makeup and clothing I wear. I like to go thrifting a bunch and find pieces that normally I feel people would normally think are weird or unappealing and just try to make them work. I also started working at Buffalo Exchange and it’s really a place where they accept you dressing out of the norm so that has helped a lot to support the style that I have.
303: Who are your main influences and inspiration when it comes to how you dress?
IL: What influences me the most is Japanese style and Asian styles overall. For example, Harajuku girls would wear so many layers, patterns, and textures so, I think that really inspired my own style now, because I love that style so much. Also just looking at what other people wear and what’s on the runways. I wanted to incorporate runway fashion into my style, but make it more wearable. Somedays I just want to wear jeans and a t-shirt and other days I like to do something cooler and more different because it makes me feel good especially if it helps other people realize it’s okay to dress in whatever you like.
303: How did you gain the confidence to dress the way you do and create your very own clothing line?
IL: Drag shows motivated me in a way because I would ask the queens if they dressed up and went out in public like that every day. They told me that sometimes they just want to dress however they want in public and not care what people think and I think that inspired me a lot. Drag queens that I follow — like Violet Chachki and Milk —have helped me feel confident in what I’m doing and inspire me to keep doing it. I started to do drag makeup on myself then after that. For my clothing line though, I’ve always loved art and I’ve always kind of wanted to make clothes where I could create something unique.
303: Tell me about the hoodie you designed for Billie Eilish.
IL: My friend Max suggested that we make a hoodie and one of my other friends knows Billie and told us we could make one for her. So I went to Max and proposed we make a hoodie with one of my designs on it and we did it. Max did the construction of it, while I made the design that’s on the front of the hoodie and then we just sent it out. I saw her wearing it in a photo at an event and I didn’t know it was going to happen and I nearly had a heart attack.
303: What do you think about Denver’s fashion scene?
IL: When I was little here, not a lot of people looked different from one another. I think now though it’s different. It’s cool to see the meshing of so many styles in Denver now. The average person on the street could be wearing something super crazy but it’s just put into their everyday outfit and it’s cool to see. It’s nice seeing see everyone accepting other people’s styles and supporting each other. I love seeing people getting out of their comfort zone and truly accepting how they want to dress.
303: Do you have any future plans for both your personal style and your clothing designs and line?
IL: My big plan is making a graphic design studio and doing screenprinting out of it as well. Also having a clothing line that is wearable runway stuff.
All photography by Bridget Burnett
