Nurture means to take care of someone or something that is growing or developing. For some, this is listening to music, immersing themselves in nature or tapping into their artistic side. Needless to say, everyone has a different way of nurturing themselves.
With this in mind, the designers of Glowin’ and Growin’ season two were asked to create a collection around the question, “What Nurtures You?” The answers and designs ranged from touches of music to nature to art.
Held at Nurture — fitting for the theme — the two-day event on Friday and Saturday was a celebration of community and expression where guests could explore what nurtures them. A portion of its proceeds was donated to Lincoln Hills Cares (LHC). This Denver-based nonprofit develops the next generation of young leaders through outdoor education, recreation, cultural history exploration and workforce advancement. Its programs empower youth who might not have the opportunity due to economic, social or family circumstances.
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Freaky Finds Vintage
Saturday’s show kicked off with designer Ariel Hudler of Freaking Finds Vintage. She focuses on repurposing and reselling vintage clothing, accessories, handbags, shoes and home goods. For Hudler, she finds nourishment in nature and the outdoors — this inspired her debut collection, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. “I feel the most nourished when I’m in nature or amongst the outdoors,” Hudler said.
At Freaky Finds, Hudler strives to reduce the carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same. This idea was sprinkled throughout her sustainable collection. “I have quite a collection of beautiful dresses, so I figured I could just use some things that I already had that would be perfect for a fashion show,” Hudler said.
Guests were presented with a fun yet sophisticated collection where pearls, patterns and texturized prints stood at the forefront. Paired with simple accessories like a belt or matching bandana, it was a seamless collection that truly embodied how Hudler feels nurtured.
My Generation
Inspired by her love for music and fashion, designer Ashleigh Perri fused these two passions to create her My Generation rocker-swimsuit collection. Perri’s mission is to create a brand that lets everyone be creative and be themselves within their style.
Audience members felt this tone from beginning to end. From the runway music to models carrying old records to the variations of swimwear, it felt like a celebration of music and fashion, welcome to anyone.
Known for her one-piece swimsuits with colorful music icons, her collection debuted a two-piece set with fish nets, long sleeves and matching biker shorts. Accessorized with combat boots and headphones, Perri’s collection was edgier than ever.
Mini Fridge Makes X BillBoy Clothes
The only collaboration of the night featured art from BillBoy Clothes’ Gabe Grimm and crochet from MiniFridge Makes’ Aliya Zigman.
Zigman learned how to knit when they were a mere six years old and grew up surrounded by yarn. Their art is an ode to their mother, who taught them that deep love exists in handmade clothes. Mini Fridge’s Makes’ mission is to share love through handmade clothes, and the partnership with BillBoy demonstrates versatility through other types of art.
Grimm uses his art as a form of therapy to help with Tourette Syndrome. He enjoys using art as treatment because of the unique process that creates a physical outcome — a piece of art that he can see.
Combining the talents of both Zigman and Grimm made for a Y2K, streetwear-inspired collection. Between the oversized jean shorts, mini skirts and cropped tops, each look was a perfect mixture of femininity and masculinity, truly blurring the lines between both. Though crochet often comes with the connotation of old and outdated, Grimm proved with her dress and matching leg warmers that it’s anything but.
The Denver Ginger
Designer Nicole Manning of The Denver Ginger combined her deep Southern routes with Y2K. From North Carolina and as someone that grew up in the 2000s, it’s no surprise that Manning mixed both styles of fashion. Combining cowboy boots with plaid and a corset top showed how easy it was to combine the two.
Friend and first-time model Dan Currie said that Manning has a keen eye for trends, and as a fashion curator and thrifter, she tries to find clothes that can be recycled from the past that people will want now. This was seen in the brown sunglasses, metallic boots, oversized belts and bags.
“I think Y2K compared to nurture is fascinating because there’s a strong paradox,” Currie said. “Y2K was a massive consumer age and a lot of waste. It was blingy and flashy whereas nurture was about bringing stuff up from the bottom and watching it grow, taking the time to cultivate and reuse.”
Kozy
Designer Kayla Butterfly of Kozy is a multidimensional storyteller that created her second collection inspired by the elementals and then some. They defined Earth, wind, fire and water — passion for water, intellect for mind, consciousness for fire and form for Earth. This was represented in the color white.
“It’s called Clarity,” Butterfly said. “Clarity, I feel like, is whiteness and very knowing because we all say that black is unknown, so if black is unknown, then white is the opposite of that.” Each garment was carefully structured and had its own unique twists. Though white, the sheer fabrics, crisp cutouts, high slits and loose ties showed just how much attention Butterfly put into the collection. The sparkly makeup and ribbon hair decor was the perfect addition.
“Anything that I do, I want people to pay attention to the story that I’m telling, not just what you’re seeing,” Butterfly said. “What are you feeling as you see what I’m putting out?”
As part one of their collection, Butterfly wanted the audience to leave feeling like they needed to reflect and see how beautiful life can be as they felt clarity.
Chromatiicat
Nurtured by the magic of music, festivals and self-expression, festival wear designer Kirsten Joranlien of Chromatiicat makes wearable art that she hopes brings joy to others when they see it. LED is a huge part of the electronic dance music community, so it was no surprise that Joranlien brought this to the runway. Intertwined in fuzzy hats, boas and jackets, Joranlien showed how fashion can be fun.
Her collection focused on various textures like fur, beads, tulle, satin and more, making for a spunky yet sexy collection in the best way possible. The hair extensions and sparkle truly took the audience on a journey through a music festival. Each look showed different variations of festival wear, from bold and colorful to neutral with cutouts; there was a look for everyone.
To conclude the show, designers took the runway together alongside Fashion Director Jordan McClendon and Founder Halle Madeleine. Following the runway, guests enjoyed a dance party in the courtyard of Nurture — symbolizing the importance of community.
Photos by Jackson Davis and Katt Mahn