This past Sunday, Denver Fashion Week hosted its Fall ’24 model auditions at The Broadway where over 500 eager and talented models of all sizes, ages and heights were in attendance. Models of all experiences had the opportunity to audition in front of Runway Producer Nikki Strickler and move on to casting where designers select who they want to walk in the show.
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One model in attendance was Allyssa Burget who wanted to audition to prove to herself that she could.
“I’ve dealt with really nasty self esteem issues and body dysmorphia for a long time and never truly saw myself as model material, although I’ve been encouraged to do so,” Burget said. “I’ve been in a rut this past year and am finally learning to put myself first and find my self worth as well as try new things to regain my independence.”
Having made it to the casting round, Burget is looking forward to learning about the process of how it works, meeting new people and making unique connections in the fashion industry.
Another model, Cammy Rahore, attended their first ever DFW show in the spring and later participated in the modeling workshop — it was then they counted down the days to auditions. As a visual artist who discovered themselves nationally touring and realizing they were trans, Rahore has learned to express their “trans femme self,” gathered attention in Miami at Art Basel, New York and even Denver.
“Fashion became part of my artistic practice, it is part of how I am spreading a visual virus of love and understanding for trans people,” Rahore said. “In this context, I went to my first DFW in the spring and I fell in love with the whole thing — the people are so amazingly sweet, the production, the event, the music, the lights, the designers, and ultimately the runway.”
For Rahore, attending the upcoming casting means meeting new people in the fashion, artistic community — that’s something she’s looks the most forward to.
“I’m a super extrovert, so I’m excited about joining this artistic community that shares my love of fashion, beauty, and being 1 of 1 (love to Garms 1 of 1),” Rahore said. “Most of all, I can’t wait to bring it to the next level on the runway and walk in my first fashion week.”
Oleksandra Yustyn is another first time model. As someone who has always been passionate about fashion and clothing, auditioning was a no brainer.
“As a first time DFW model, the most enjoyable experience was how friendly and kind the judges were,” she said. “I felt less nervous and more open to judgment and constructive criticism.”
For Yustyn, modeling is the perfect way to embrace her potential and feel confident. She’s excited to be a part of the supportive fashion community and thinks that DFW is an amazing opportunity to not only grow and love yourself as an individual but also uplift and love those around you.
Photos by Scott Norby Photography
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