This weekend, Dairy Block, along with The Conscious Merchant and FREE MARKET, kick off Sustainable Fashion Weekend. Starting May 13 and running through May 16, visitors can shop from a curated collection of sustainable designers and brands along with the opportunity to purchase tickets to exclusive events and a discussion panel about slow fashion and sustainability in Denver.
The packed agenda kicks off Thursday, May 13, with Sustaining Small: an Anti-Networking Event. The open event, hosted by women’s leadership network TARRA will take place from 5-7 p.m. and includes opportunities to mingle with the weekend’s featured designers and discounted food and drinks by BRUTO. Sustaining Small kicks off Tarra’s first in a series of “anti-networking” networking events.
On Friday, May 14, Cherry Creek Fashion Magazine editor-in-chief and fashion expert, Esther Lee Leach will lead a panel discussion around slow fashion and the movement toward sustainable fashion in Denver. Joining Leach will be a diverse panel, with a wealth of knowledge on the subject. One such panelist is Dr. Erika Dalya Massaquoi, former Assistant Dean of the School of Art & Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology and founder of The Oula Company – a local, sustainable clothing brand that sources all of their textiles responsibly. Also on the panel is Mecla Soyer, founder of her eponymous clothing brand Mecla; Dante Perozzi, of Dante Perozzi Jewelry; Alicia Moore, founder of women’s outerwear brand, Tenth & Spruce and style curator, Koya Nyangi.
Guests must purchase a ticket to the panel portion of the evening, but purchases include more than just great conversation. With the ticket purchase, attendees will receive a gift bag that includes a multi-use, custom piece of jewelry by Dante Perozzi, a $20 PACT gift card, a beer or glass of wine from Poka Lola Social Club, La Colombe cold brew and other assorted sustainable living gifts.
Throughout the weekend, FREE MARKET visitors can shop from a curated collection of designers, Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Among this VIP selection is the weekend’s co-host and FREE MARKET mainstay, The Conscious Merchant. As an early proponent of sustainable fashion, refillable products and non-toxic items, The Conscious Merchant’s owner, Kara Armstrong, is the perfect person to lead the event.
“Eighty billion pieces of clothing are consumed globally every year with very little being worn more than few times and ending up in landfills, “Armstrong explained. “As designers, retailers and consumers, we can collectively make an impact in fashion waste by taking a closer look at ways to embrace and elevate slow fashion.” She went on to say, “this event is a place to continue the conversation and connect our greater community to Denver’s slow fashion movement.”
With events like Sustainable Fashion Weekend, Denver takes a conscious step forward on the path toward combatting fashion waste. The team that put together Sustainable Fashion Week has created a way to make sustainability cooler, and more approachable.
Tickets for the panel can be purchased here. For more information visit the Dairy Block website.