With the walls lined with endless colorful textiles and an array of books, ceramics and shoes, Fever Dream Vintage & Modern is the ultimate curation of the past and present. Owned by best friends Veronica Desangles and Airiana Aquino, Fever Dream has been open for three months and is nestled on Fillmore Street off of Colfax.
Desangles, who grew up selling at antique shows with her parents in San Francisco, began operating her vintage brand online full time in 2020.
“I did retail for big corporations and I was getting tired of it, so I jumped into [the vintage] community. It was fun just meeting everyone—I had no idea there were so many people into it,” Desangles said.
Before opening Fever Dream, Desangles operated her resell brand Worn Raw, selling online and in store at Show Pony Vintage. When it came time to open her own store, Desangles wanted a name that would represent both vintage and modern clothing. She eventually settled on Fever Dream, after overhearing a classmate use the term to describe their day.
Desangles and Aquino met when they were both doing visual merchandising for a retail store downtown. It was Aquino who designed the shop’s 70s style logo, Desangles noting how integral she was to the process of opening Fever Dream.
“I’m more of the idea man, and she helps me stay on track. And I think the fact that we’re best friends also helps,” Desangles said.
The pair quickly signed the lease for the cozy space after Desangles found the listing for the storefront on Craig’s List. Since then, Fever Dream has received a welcoming response from the surrounding neighborhood, despite the store’s fast paced opening.
Fever Dream is mainly stocked by its owners, but also hosts one other vintage vendor, Curators of Cool. The store, which is stocked with everything from children’s clothes to cowboy boots, offers trading and selling options for customers. Desangles explained that while they do try to keep prices affordable, if something is too expensive, the trade option is a great solution.
Desangles, who has always loved the malleability of fashion, wanted her own philosophy of unrestricted self-expression to translate into the store’s selection. In Denver’s ever-growing realm of vintage stores, Fever Dream’s curation of modern designer pieces offers customers a unique opportunity to blend the new with the old.
“Even in the outfits that I style, I always combine vintage and modern. Vintage can sometimes have a negative connotation to it, and I think by mixing vintage and modern we can combat that,” Desangles said.
When sourcing pieces to sell at Fever Dream, Desangles opts for funky patterns, durable material and classic silhouettes. As a reflection of her own style, Desangles doesn’t stick to an overarching theme for the clothing she sells.
“It’s really hard to pinpoint my aesthetic because we have a little bit of everything. All of it is united, though, by high quality fabric or interesting prints. It’s kind of chaotic, but it’s a chic chaotic,” said Desangles.
Similarly, the clothing racks are not sorted like a typical clothing store.
“We blended everything to get rid of the gender normativity thing. So we encourage people to just shop by color,” Desangles said.
Since opening in May, Desangles and Aquino have been able to maintain the store’s success through its strong online presence and by building community with their in-person customer base. It is Desangles’ hope that Fever Dream will serve as more than just a place to purchase clothing, however.
“I want customers to have fun. There were a lot of shops in San Francisco that had more of a community vibe—when you walk in, it’s a party. That’s exactly what I want. I want people to come in and just be able to hang out and have fun trying on clothes, even if they don’t buy anything,” Desangles said.
Fever Dream is located at 1506 Fillmore Street in Denver. To shop online, visit their website.
All photos courtesy of Fever Dream on Instagram.