“Extreme sports are common for Coloradans. Many of my neighbors run 100-mile races and don tech fabrics to ski slick slopes. I’ve never been one to hike backcountry or sleep with bears, but there is one extreme sport I will engage in,” said fashion designer, Skye Barker Maa.
She’s referring to the semi-annual eight-day race: Denver Fashion Week (DFW). However, this designer took the challenge to new extremes, bringing 116 new looks to the runway.
Extreme Sports, Runway Style: Designer’s Endurance Through Denver Fashion Week
For Barker Maa, the ultimate adrenaline rush doesn’t come from mountain peaks or cliff edges. Instead, it’s the high-stakes, heart-pounding grind of DFW that ignites her passion. She took her thrill to new extremes this season, showcasing 116 looks across four jam-packed nights. To put it into perspective, most designers typically present about 10-15 looks per show.
This designer’s marathon, however, resembled less of a traditional fashion showcase and was more like, “base-jumping in a squirrel-shaped wingsuit,” according to Barker Maa.
“Designers, models, hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and producers push their creative limits, surviving on diets of energy drinks and dead pizza,” she said.
Barker Maa is also an adjunct professor, mother of three, and owner of two businesses, avante-garde brand SKYE|AIRE and sustainable brand, Factory Fashion. Despite her extensive experience and usual meticulous preparation, Barker Maa broke all of the “runway rules” she lives by throughout the week.
“I am always early, always organized, always calm, and do not show up unprepared or sleep-deprived. I broke all of those rules, every day,” she said.
303 sat down with Barker Maa to better understand her journey through this high-intensity “extreme sport,” as she reflected on creative challenges, physical exhaustion, and the satisfaction of pushing herself to the limits of design.
Show 1: Sustainable —The Siren’s Call
Sustainable Night, set the tone for what would be an all-consuming, exhilarating series of performances. The “Siren’s Call” collection, inspired by the mythical allure of sirens, embodied mystical and ethereal feminine qualities.
READ: Denver Fashion Week Opens With Breathtaking Sustainable Collections
Although her first collection of the week was smaller in comparison—only 11 looks compared to her usual 20—it was far from easy.
“It should have been an easy show, but my design aesthetic is avant-garde; I often finish building garments because they don’t transport well,” she said.
The designer would start breaking her “runway rules” on opening night.
“It’s rare for me to show up with unfinished garments, but to this show, I did,” Barker Maa said. “I don’t stay up all night before a show, for this show I did.”
Barker Maa and her talented team spent months, leading up to the very last moment, refining every intricate detail. Hairstylists Mae Jones, Mya DiFiore, and Ivey Peacock, alongside makeup artists Jimena Guerrero, Janet Ortiz, and Jordan Montoya collaborated to bring their concept to opening night.
The designer originally planned for models Nautrelle Taylor and Alana Curtis to walk together as ethereal twins, connected by a fish-tail-like train flowing as they moved. As opening day grew closer, prototypes failed to meet her standards and she resigned to scrapping the whole idea.
The next day during rehearsals though, Barker Maa said she had an epiphany watching the models.
Barker Maa found herself sewing furiously backstage, the dim glow of a cell phone light guiding her thread. After four hours of intense hand-sewing, she completed the final pieces just moments before the models lined up.
Despite the setbacks, “Siren’s Call” was a striking fusion of ethereal beauty and sustainability. The final looks proved a testament to her perseverance and the creative energy of her team. The models flowed down the runway captivating the audience with iridescent lightweight garments and intricate pearl detailing.
“By the end, my cuticles were cracked and my fingers were purple from pin sticks. Dressing the models was chaos, but we executed,” Barker Ma said. “Everything looked amazing.”
After the show, she faced a grueling turnaround. “I hadn’t sat down in 16 hours. I was dehydrated,” she recalls. With only a few hours to spare before her next show, she calculated how much time it would take to repack, organize, and load her car.
“I knew I was going to be up all night again. I sat down at 1 a.m., drank a Red Bull, put Band-Aids on, ate a piece of toast and went back to work,” she said. “I finished packing my car at 6 a.m. and slept a half-hour.”
Show 2: Kids’ & Teens — SKYE|AIRE & Factory Fashion x Isabella Joy Foundation
8 a.m. the next day, Barker Maa was back at it, showcasing her endurance once again at the Kids and Teens Show.
Her high-energy performances featured two segments: the first, a Vogue-inspired runway walk, and the second, a Prom-inspired segment spotlighting designs from students of Factory Fashion and help funded by The Isabella Joy Foundation.
READ: Kid & Teens Night at Denver Fashion Week Elevates and Expands Childrens Wear
Despite having only a few hours of rest between shows, she was determined to push through the exhaustion. Adrenaline, stage moms’ fueling her with lattes, and her natural determination kept her going as she managed the whirlwind of activity.
“I was determined to stay jovial, despite basically being awake for 48 hours straight,” she recalled. “I wanted to make sure everyone had a good experience,” and for Barker Maa, that meant keeping the mood light and fun for the kids.
Barker Maa also used that energy to fuel the mass amount of quick changes needed backstage — 40 models across 62 looks — a curveball for even the most seasoned designers.
The collection struck a delicate balance between youthful energy and sophisticated design. Models ages five-17, color-coordinated, flooded the runway in an elongated style to Madonna’s Vogue. The collection featured bold, geometric couture tops paired with elegant tulle and satin skirts, embracing an elegant but youthful spirit.
“The teens and older tween models are looking to stretch and there’s not a lot of opportunity to explore and feel like you’re evolving but still be age-appropriate,” Barker Maa said in a previous interview with 303.
Her second segment featured work from a group of student designers, providing yet another opportunity for young local talent to express their creativity. The collection was loosely based on her looks but ultimately allowed each student to express their unique vision.
By the end of the show, Barker Maa was physically drained but emotionally fulfilled.
“It was a wonderful show, I fell asleep sitting up that night,” she said.
Show 3: Couture — SKYE|AIRE
By the time Couture rolled around, the multi-faceted designer was running on fumes, but her mind, a never-ending creative engine, never stopped working.
READ: A Night of Elegance: Denver Fashion Week’s Couture Stuns the Audience
“I was flattered when offered the opportunity to show in the Couture show,” she said, mentioning her indecision around her collection. “I knew it was about visibility and prestige. I was nervous about getting it right.”
With models flying in from across the country fittings were happening non-stop leading up to the show. Of the 16 looks in Barker Maa’s collection, six were avant-garde and required on-site construction, which meant constant adjustments after every fitting.
“They changed every time I moved them, and I had to recreate them after each fitting and alteration,” she said.
Makeup artists Deven Collins and Jimena Saucedo spent months creating handmade stunning jewels for the models’ faces, but with each change to the looks and show order, they were required to revise their designs as well.
As time went on, the biggest challenge again came down to the final look.
“The finale looked stunning on the mannequin, but not so much on the model. I knew I would be sewing backstage again,” she said.
After completing the other looks, including any avante-garde construction still needed, the designer was left with 12 minutes before the show and faced an impossible decision — send an incomplete finale look down the runway or make a last-minute change? The designer once again trusted her instincts and scraped her original design.
“I revised another look as the finale and created a new opening look in six minutes. I draped the garment on the model and was sewing it on her as she lined up,” she said.
Backstage, with the pressure mounting, she worked in a flurry, draping the garment on the model and sewing it into place just moments before she hit the runway.
“It was a stunner,” she said proudly.
Despite the frantic pace backstage, the show went off without a hitch. Maa’s collection, marked by daring metallic tones, intricate embellishments, and dramatic silhouettes, cemented her reputation as a designer who could turn chaos into creativity.
Maa got home after midnight and had been awake for almost 72 hours straight. Instead of sleeping though, she stayed up all night to organize her last show of the week.
Show 4: Western- SKYE|AIRE x Stratton Robe Co.
Barker Maa’s final DFW showing of the week, the first-ever Western Wear, delivered the most unexpected twists of the entire week. Barker Maa originally planned to assist backstage for another designer but was once again thrust into the spotlight when he fell ill just hours before the show.
READ: Denver Fashion Week Wraps With First Ever Western Show
With little time to prepare, she took over the segment and seamlessly paired pieces from her label, SKYE|AIRE, with pieces from Stratton Robe Co. to create a stunning, bohemian-inspired Western collection.
“I had a concept in mind,” she explained, “But I had to pull the looks together into a cohesive show.”
Despite the rushed timeline, her creativity and versatility were still on full display. The result was a striking fusion of rugged cowboy aesthetics and softer details, such as fur pelts, crochet, lace, and leather. The mix came naturally as Barker Maa is comfortable with pairing unorthodox textiles.
As always, Barker Maa’s presentation was as much about spectacle as it was about fashion. The grand finale featured Barker Maa walking a life-size plastic horse, named Stallion, down the runway.
This playful touch was the perfect contrast to the fierce collection it preceded, capping off a week filled with physical and creative challenges. This unexpected twist was another reminder of her ability to rise to any challenge.
The Endurance Artist
“Before this week, I thought my adrenaline-filled neighbors were crazy,” she admitted, laughing. “I get it now. I’m an endurance artist. I understand the desire and emotional satisfaction that comes from testing your limits and pushing to the full capacity of your capability.”
For Barker Maa, this chaotic, sleepless, and exhilarating journey through DFW was more than just a showcase of fashion it was a testament to her drive, artistry, and unyielding passion.
“Runway is the ultimate endurance sport for thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. Fingers bleed, lashes suffer glue and heavy liner, and ankles throb under the pressure of spiky heels,” she continues. “We do it to test our artistic prowess, to collaborate, but mostly because we love runway.”
As the adrenaline fades, she’s already thinking ahead to the next challenge. For Skye Barker Maa, Denver Fashion Week wasn’t just about showcasing collections, it was about proving to herself she could endure the unthinkable and come out stronger on the other side.
“These immersive environments inspire innovation, increase technical skill, and demand exploration outside of our comfort zone,” Barker Maa said. “They force us to face our fears, to accept failure, evolve, and revel in success.”
Photos by Weston Mosburg