Denver Fashion Week, presented by The Green Solution and Medicine Man, returns this year with three exciting evenings showcasing a variety of stylistic innovations. Each night features a unique array of designs.
Night two will display the collections of Tyne Hall, Gabriela Martinez and Rachel Marie Hurst. These designers all offer collections highlighting the power of femininity, though each does so in their own distinctive way.
Here at 303 Magazine, we interviewed these designers about the collections they’ll be presenting on night two of Denver Fashion Week.
Tyne Hall
Photo courtesy of Tyne Hall
The Main Themes: Hall has always embraced a mix of femininity and darker, grungier vibes. This collection continues that trend, aiming to combine the spooky with the glamorous.
Hall says her inspiration pulls heavily from grunge music and horror films.
“I have named my collection Sick Things, after a song by Alice Cooper. It’s inspired by classic Hollywood horror movies. I’ve taken iconic characters from the genre and created looks inspired by each character. My idea is to have this assembly of monsters and spooky characters translated into a really chic collection,” said Hall.
Photo courtesy of Tyne Hall
The Message: Rather than focus on communicating a conceptual idea, Hall says she aims to have a visceral impact.
“I wouldn’t say there’s so much of a message to this collection as there is a feeling,” she said.
This feeling is communicated clearly. “I like designing viscerally. I want this collection to be joy and psychopathic happiness,” said Hall.
She wants the audience to have an emotional experience. Rather than sit on the sidelines and think, she hopes her pieces will make viewers feel personally engaged with her collection.
“I’m really hoping to elicit the same childlike excitement I get every time October rolls around. I want everyone to see these pieces and have fun trying to identify the character and the movies they are portraying,” she says.
Gabriela Martinez
Photo courtesy of Gabriela Martinez
The Main Themes: Martinez’s collection leans into the glamorous and artistic luxury of prior decades. She sees this luxurious artistry as an avenue to empower women.
“The main theme of this collection is to empower women with my designs inspired by the time of the 80’s and 90’s,” says Martinez.
Much of her inspiration comes from her own firsthand experience. When asked what inspired her, she cited her own travels and exploration of the fashion world as top contributors.
Her collection reflects her own enjoyment of the finer things, featuring artistic silhouettes that flow with and highlight the wearer’s natural features.
Photo courtesy of Gabriela Martinez
The Message: For Martinez, this collection is all about empowerment. She sees the eye-catching nature of luxury as a platform upon which women can embrace their strength.
“I want to invoke the power of wearing a unique and authentic dress inspired by the fashion of the 80’s and 90’s, that when you have it on everyone will look at you and say wow I want one,” she said.
Rachel Marie Hurst
Photo courtesy of Rachel Marie Hurst
The Main Themes: Hurst’s collection seeks to embolden women to go against the grain and stand firm in their unique identities. For Hurst, femininity is both edgy and flirtatious. Her pieces reflect that perspective.
“This collection is all about being unapologetically feminine and embracing all the strength of being a woman,” she said.
This collection pulls largely from Hurst’s raw creativity. Having taken a step back from fashion design, she knew her return needed to be for her, allowing her to express herself in the truest way.
“I decided to do a collection to heal my own soul after taking a break from fashion and just wanted to create what makes me happy. I wanted something that took me back to my roots of sexy, edgy, flirty and chic,” said Hurst.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Marie Hurst
The Message: This internal exploration of her own femininity heavily influences the overall message Hurst hopes to send.
This collection encourages women to step into their femininity freely and unapologetically. The message is clear – femininity can be bold, powerful and go against the mold.
When asked what she hoped to communicate with this collection, Hurst responded, “that it is ok to be feminine and that femininity isn’t a bad thing or a demoralizing thing. It’s pretty bad ass.”
See These Collections On the Second Night of Denver Fashion Week.
All three of these powerfully feminine collections will be on display during DFW night two on November 19. The event starts at 7 pm at the McNichols Civic Center.
You can visit the official Denver Fashion Week website for tickets and more information.