On May 13th, the raw, rebellious spirit of punk inspired streetwear will take center stage at Denver Fashion Week’s Streetwear Night. This spirit will be brought to life by the creative force behind Flash + Rose artist, Elisabeth Strunk. Known for her bold aesthetic and commitment to sustainability, Strunk is redefining fashion as a form of wearable art.
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The momentum continues on May 24th, when Strunk hosts a follow up event at Scavenged Goods. There, fans can shop the same collection featured on the Denver Fashion Week runway, featuring a fresh drop of hand painted, upcycled garments and limited edition tattoo style prints, all drawn on paper and crafted from recycled cotton T-shirts. It’s more than a collection, it’s a statement.
For Strunk, clothing isn’t just a trend, it’s a canvas for self expression. “It’s like wearing a painting on your body,” she said. “I’m not mass producing anything. Everything is original, one of a kind. I really view myself as more of an artist as opposed to a designer because I am not sewing the clothes; I am upcycling them, and I am treating the clothes like canvases.”
A Creative Journey Rooted in Grit
Strunk’s journey into wearable art was anything but conventional. Starting as a photojournalism major at Ball State University, she quickly realized the writing side of her major wasn’t her thing.
“Four weeks in, I was like ‘this is not for me,’” she recalls. “I remember painting a shirt at home, a rose, on my parent’s laundry room floor.” That small act of rebellion marked the beginning of something bigger.
Encouraged by her mom, she switched to art education, a pivot that eventually led her to where she is now: an art teacher by day and a rising star in Denver’s sustainable and streetwear fashion scene by night.
Initially, Strunk didn’t create with the intention to sell. “I wanted to take a break from making art to sell and just make something for myself,” she shared. That moment of personal expression turned into a white pair of coveralls, covered in her illustrations, snakes, bugs and bold tattoo inspired linework.
The reaction when she wore them to a local market was instant, with Strunk constantly bombarded by people asking her where she got these coveralls, and, upon finding out she made them, asking her if she sells them.
“In a way, I fell into it by accident.” Strunk admits.
But it was the kind of accident that changed everything. In January of last year, Flash + Rose was born and she hasn’t looked back since.
Now, she describes the ethos behind her brand as “tattoos but you can put them on clothes and take them on and off your body whenever you want.” Flash + Rose is based in impermanence, individuality and art you can wear.
For the Grrrls: A New Kind of Streetwear
This season, Elisabeth Strunk’s Denver Fashion Week collection, For the Grrrls, channels the fierce energy of the ’90s Riot Grrrl movement and the punk iconography of Kathleen Hanna. Hanna, frontwoman of Bikini Kill, famously declared “Girls to the front!” at concerts to create safe spaces for women in the mosh pit, a rallying cry that Strunk reimagines through fashion as a bold declaration of feminist punk and queer resistance.
Strunk’s vision comes to life on May 13th at Denver Fashion Week’s Streetwear Night, where her models will embody the movement’s spirit. One standout moment: a model who co-founded Girls Skate Denver will skate down the runway wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Girls to the Front.”
“The whole collection is about people marching to the beat of their own drums and embracing their uniqueness,” Strunk explains, “especially in a time when many voices aren’t being heard.”
In her previous DFW show, Strunk showcased black and white upcycled garments, leather jackets, oversized coveralls and denim, all adorned with her signature tattoo style illustrations. This approach not only celebrates individuality but also promotes genderless fashion. “I’m not sewing the clothes, I’m upcycling them and treating them like canvases,” she noted.
For this collection, Strunk drew inspiration from Hanna’s music and activism. “In one of the songs I’m using, Hanna lists names of influential women and LGBTQ+ individuals, repeating ‘we won’t stop’ over and over”, Strunk shares.
“That storytelling of empowerment is the foundation of this collection,” she shared. “The show is called ‘For the Grrrls’ because it’s based on the Riot Girl era, a feminist punk movement from the ‘90s. Kathleen Hanna was instrumental in making sure women and the LGBTQ+ community had a voice and were protected.”
Sustainable, Story Driven Style
Flash + Rose is deeply rooted in the ethos of slow fashion. Strunk sources most of her clothing from second hard stores like Scavenged Goods, Strawberry Mountain and Apocalypse in Boulder.
“I love wondering whose grandma’s jacket I’m painting on,” she mused. “How can I give this a new life?”
Additionally, many pieces from her previous season have been reimagined for this collection. “Some clothes I had last season I repurposed for this season,” she said. “Buy less. Use what you have. Share what you have.”
READ: Mile High Conversations: DFW Sustainable Designer Sydney Lenox Talks Upcoming Show
She is trying to make a conscious effort to reduce her impact on the planet. “I can only control what’s in my realm and I try to focus on that and what I can do. Obviously all the pieces that were painted in the collection, I got from thrift stores and a lot of them from Scavenged Goods but a lot of the accent pieces to style the outfits are from my closet.”
This slow fashion mission (and her relationship with Scavenged Goods and its owner Chip) has helped to strengthen Strunk’s presence in her community, connecting her to like-minded people in the Denver fashion scene who follow her on Instagram or will come meet her at pop ups.
“I am always just so stocked because who I envision wearing it is really aligning with who is actually wearing it and it’s all really nice, good, cool people,” she shared.
Building Community Through Art
As a full time art teacher and workshop leader at Fleur, a South Broadway studio focused on offering workshops and art classes led by local teaching artists and makers.
“The Denver art and fashion scene is unmatched,” she said. “It’s one of the best communities I’ve ever been a part of. Nobody gatekeeps, and everyone’s excited to help each other out.”
This open-armed energy is reflected in her audience and who she hopes to inspire with her collections.
“I design clothes for people who want to wear art and make a statement,” Strunk explains. “Bikers, tattoo artists, hairstylists, lots of women and people in the LGBTQ+ community — they’re the people buying and wearing my work.”
Whether it’s through her hand-painted leather jackets or her workshops that empower others to create, Strunk’s goal is clear: encourage people to be their most authentic selves.
“I always say I like to make clothes for cool and kind people,” she laughed. “So far, that’s who’s buying them.”
Inside Flash + Strunk’s Creative Process
Elisabeth Strunk’s creative process for the For the Grrrls collection was deeply rooted in intentionality and personal expression. Drawing inspirations from the Riot Grrrl movement and punk icon Kathleen Hanna, Strunk envisioned a collection that celebrated individuality and empowerment.
“I had such a clear vision for the concept. I was constantly coming up with all these fun design ideas based on the riot grrrl movement and song lyrics,” she shared.
Thanks to this clear concept in mind, Strunk could effortlessly translate ideas into wearable art. Utilizing a dedicated note in her phone, she meticulously cataloged design concepts, quotes and outfit combinations, ensuring each piece resonated with the collection’s theme.
Once the garments were sourced (all secondhand) she approached each item as a canvas, painting bold tattoo-inspired designs that embodied the spirit of rebellion and self expression.
Strunk’s goal was to create pieces that made individuals feel confident, cool and comfortable in their own skin, emphasizing that self expression through fashion is a powerful form of art.
“I really just want people to feel good about who they are,” Strunk shared. “Sometimes that can start with just a cool staple jacket and then you go from there.”
Don’t Miss It
With commitment to unapologetic self-expression more urgent now than ever, Flash + Rose’s collection latest DFW collection is a must-see: for the cool style, of course, but also for the reminder to celebrate individuality and uplift marginalized voices.
See Strunk’s new and powerful collection hit the runway May 13 at Streetwear & Sneakers for Denver Fashion Week Spring 2025.
Denver Fashion Week Spring 2025 takes place May 10-18, 2025 at The Brighton at 3403 Brighton Boulevard Denver, CO 80216. Tickets can be purchased here.