On a chilly night in January, 303 Magazine joined Denver’s fashion lovers, cocktail enthusiast and creatives of every kind for a night of style and culture — and to see local hat-maker Justin Great bring his creative expertise to life.
The fashion world knows Justin Great for his namesake streetwear brand, his personalized western hats and his insightful fashion blog, The Upper Echelon. However, the term “fashion designer” doesn’t quite do him justice.
After all, outside of his fashion prowess, Great has also founded a multidisciplinary branding and advertising agency called Luxpiration and a multimedia creative studio called edaM. His philanthropic organization Great Deeds empowers youth, minorities and marginalized individuals by providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help them pursue their dreams. Through initiatives like the DreamSpark Challenge – along with workshops, networking and strategic partnerships – Great Deeds fosters creativity, entrepreneurship and personal growth, turning potential into action and sparking lasting change.
So, no, Justin Great isn’t just a fashion designer: he’s a visionary on a mission to make the world a better place. And through his relentless pursuit of excellence, he just can’t stop sharing his expertise with the Denver community – and beyond.
In January, Great partnered with the Culinary Creative Group (CCG) for a night of creative collaboration at Ay Papi and Aviano Coffee. At this “Hats-A-Blazin” event, Great created and gifted (10) custom VIP hats for guests, thanks to the sponsors Kulinary Sutra, m2fusion and Elijah Craig. Together with the event’s attendees, the group of creatives embraced the opportunity to network and share their love for artfully crafted food, wine, music and art.
From Blogger To Hatter: Justin Great’s Journey Through Fashion Design
Though Great began his style and fashion blog in college, The Upper Echelon wasn’t your average student-led publication. Instead, The Upper Echelon quickly gained national attention, with accolades from GQ, Forbes and The New York Times.
Given this widespread attention, Great’s readers wanted more from him than just style advice and fashion insights. Instead, they encouraged Great to start a line of his own. Thus, his ready-to-wear streetwear brand – aptly named “Justin Great” – came to life.
The brand embodies the philosophy that while ethically good is essential, true success comes from pushing beyond comfort. The only way to achieve true personal greatness is to reject the status quo and embrace the fear that may hold us back our deepest dreams and untapped potential.
In other words, Great’s mantra: “good is the enemy of great,” translates to a collection of high-quality ready-to-wear pieces, intentionally designed to make a statement and pull wearers out of their comfort zone.
Nevertheless, Great wasn’t satisfied pigeon-holed into the streetwear genre. No, Great’s personal style is more versatile than that, taking regular inspiration from the heritage of his found home, Colorado.
“When I got to Colorado, I was a traveler,” shared Great. “I’ve always been a hat guy, and I’ve always loved that cowboy lifestyle.”
Wanting to pay tribute to the often-misunderstood roots of the western rancher, OUT WEST was born, Great’s line of custom-made wide-brimmed hats.
Hats-A-Blazin Brings Traditional Western Hats To A Modern-Day Venue
At Hats-A-Blazin, Great worked behind a full-service pop-up booth stocked with all the supplies guests could hope for when designing their dream wide-brimmed hat: bandanas, playing card accents, gems, ribbons, custom symbols for branding.
As we watched each hat come to life, Great shared with us the tradition behind the process and how his brand OUT WEST honors the western history of the wide-brimmed hat.
OUT WEST reinterprets classic western workwear with a modern edge, all while embodying the true rugged spirit of western Americana. With this custom hat collection, Great sought out to honor the heritage of the region: the ranchers, natives and blue-collar workers who shaped its legacy.
“The concept is based on real-life experience, based on people who wore these hats back in the day, like Buffalo Bill,” said Great. “You traditionally wear this stuff for a purpose – hats like this are necessary or you’re going to die burning out there.”
As such, Great knew he had to keep tradition at the forefront of his mind. In a move that spoke to his craftsmanship and pure-hearted determination, Great learned third century hat-making skills from the Mile High City’s experts.
Using his finely honed skills, Great’s OUT WEST line is designed with durability and purpose at its heart, recognizing the history behind the aesthetic. This purpose even extends beyond the wearability of these hats, as OUT WEST recently partnered with local Denver brand Be A Good Person to auction off custom pieces, donating 100 per cent of proceeds to the LAFD Wildfire Emergency Funding Relief and helping those affected by the recent fires.
Set against the modern backdrop of stylish cocktail bar Ay Papi and surrounded by local creatives, stylish hors d’oeuvres and a champagne ceremony or two courtesy of Kulinary Sutra, Great’s traditional-style hats could have seemed out of place. Somehow, however, Great’s ability to capture his guest’s aura in their custom hats — combined with his ever-positive, down-to-earth attitude — brought the modern mission behind his brand to the surface in real time.
Plus, Great’s cutting-edge personal aesthetic didn’t hurt, either. As for Great’s personal hat preferences? The wide pencil brim is something of a trademark for this era of his life. This design is lovingly called “The Denver,” coined for Great’s long-time presence representing Denver in the larger western art and fashion community.
Hats-A-Blazin was no exception to his recent tastes, and Great sported the Denver silhouette throughout the night, customized with black and white accents and a King of Spades playing card.
“I’ve always been a spade kind of guy,” Great winkingly shared. “Now, I’m just working toward the whole kingdom.”
Hats-A-Blazin Shows The Culinary Creative Group’s Larger Mission
Events like Hats-A-Blazin give Denver’s creative community the opportunity to share art and joyfully connect. And though the event’s high energy and good conversation was wholly organic (and perhaps wine-induced), this opportunity for positive connection was by design.
In fact, moments like these are written into the mission of The Culinary Creative Group, who work to intentionally elevate all-star entrepreneurs like Great while highlighting the exceptional service and innovation of local restaurants.
“As Entertainment Director at the Culinary Creative Group, collectively we are committed to supporting local entrepreneurs like Justin Great, who is known for his iconic custom designer hats which have been seen and worn by many influential people within Denver and beyond,” shared Peter Paul Scott, a fashion industry icon and serial entrepreneur who also added the musical vibes while Dj-ing the Hats-A-Blazin event.
READ: 303 Magazine Exclusive: Fashion Icon Peter Paul Talks Denver, Tommy Hilfiger, and What’s Next
“Through our collaborative industry events held at the CCG venues such as the Latin-infused Ay Papi space within Cherry Creek and the luxurious lounge in the sky known as Sorry Gorgeous in RiNo, we will continue to help highlight Denver’s thriving creative scene – bringing together community, art, fashion and music alongside our amazing, curated food and drinks menus led by CCG partner and cocktail specialist Nicole Lebedevitch.”
Events like Hats-A-Blazin aren’t just celebrations; they’re catalysts for creativity, collaboration and community growth. By uniting Denver’s tastemakers across fashion, food and art, The Culinary Creative Group continues to create spaces where local talent like Justin Great can thrive. With a commitment to innovation and connection, these events not only highlight the city’s dynamic creative scene but also reinforce the power of collaboration in shaping Denver’s cultural landscape.
All photography by Elliott Clark.