Designers return to the catwalk for Denver Fashion Week 2022

Part of what makes Denver Fashion Week so unique is seeing the incredible raw talent the city has to offer. While many designers who take the stage do so for the first time, some return to bring audiences a fresh look at what their brand has created for the new season. This year, participants can look forward to seeing the brands Adobe Darko, efta., Idiot Cult and Gulosch Garments.

Adobe Darko by Chaim Bellinsky

At Chaim Bellinsky’s the designs have a signature look unlike any other. Using his graphic design skills, he alters the logos of popular and well-known brands, such as Dole, 7-Eleven and Mountain Dew, and turns them into bold and eccentric looks designed for the track. His approach to design is very playful, which can also be seen in the way he styles his outfits, usually with Crocs and bright makeup.

Bellinsky’s first Denver Fashion Week was in the spring of 2022, and since then he’s showcased looks on both the Hott Pink Planet and INHERENT/Not From Here runways.

For the November show, audiences can definitely count on similar upbeat and bright looks on stage.

EFTA. by Teagan Glass

Making waves in Denver’s streetwear and fashion community is efta. by Teagan Glass, which returns to the catwalks, a year after its first show.

Glass’ fashion debut was unintentional, as he was going in a completely different direction in his life before he stumbled upon his passion. In college, Glass studied biochemistry and after graduation moved to Denver to pursue his master’s degree. Between school and working in university research labs, he enjoyed graphic design as a creative outlet. Out of curiosity, he tried screen printing his work onto Hanes t-shirts and immediately fell in love with the process.

Soon Glass started screen printing more seriously and made her first pop-up at the Raw Artist Showcase in February 2020 with the brand name, efta. The pandemic quickly hit soon after, so Glass used that time to put together more designs and refine her aesthetic.

In the summer of 2021, Glass moved to a studio on Capitol Hill, just as the Black Lives Matter protests were at their peak in Denver. He was very sensitive to what was going on, so he produced a clothing capsule called Unity Capsule, with all proceeds going to BLM and PSL. (Party for Socialism and Liberation). This collection elevated the brand’s message of being “unity-based wear”.

After dropping the Unity capsule, Glass was invited to appear at Denver Fashion Week. Although he took the call in the middle of a science experiment at work, he didn’t hesitate to say yes. He paraded in November 2021 with a new collection of streetwear styles.

With the evolution of its brand, Glass has stopped using Gildan t-shirts and now only uses organic, ethically sourced, high quality parts to print.

For this year’s show, Glass is planning a conceptual collection of its interpretation of the changing seasons. Moving away from his bright and colorful summer clothes, he wants to keep his clean aesthetic, while exploring new colorways.

“I definitely play around with a lot of different concepts and ideas just because I have a lot of very eclectic interests,” Glass said. “I really tried to focus on a very clean aesthetic.”

When he’s not designing, Glass hosts his own pop-up, Made by uswith local vendors and designers, food trucks, DJs and more.

“The energy behind the brand is definitely collaborating with our other local creatives, whether it’s modeling or filming for me, but definitely fostering an inclusive creative community is a very strong part of the energy I create the Mark.”

silly worship by Morgan Febrey

After three years, streetwear designer Morgan Febrey is back on the catwalks and he has big plans for the showcase of his new collection.

Febrey has been a graphic designer for years, but quickly decided that rather than designing for others, he should do it for himself.

In 2008, Barack Obama came to Denver with the Democratic National Committee convention. Febrey took the opportunity to create his own Obama design, turn it into irons, transfer them to t-shirts and sell them at the 16th Street Mall. By the end of the day, he had made $800 and found a new passion.

Prior to her debut at Denver Fashion Week in 2019, Febrey appeared on punk and indie shows to promote the apparel, while having her brand carried by major distributors such as Dolls Kill. While he’s dabbled in designing hoodies, sweatpants, and swimwear, the majority of his work is in t-shirts, with many unique sayings.

“I tend to be a provocateur,” Febrey said. “I like things to be a little bit offensive, a little smart and a little funny. Those are three words that are my guiding principles when designing things.

Febrey’s primary focus with her clothing is simply to design for her own pleasure. Regarding the outfits he composes, he is a fan of contrast. Many of her looks will have a common theme of something tight and something loose, like a bikini top with baggy sweatpants.

“That juxtaposition, I think, is always fun, whether it’s the color or the shape,” Febrey said.

While Febrey supports and loves that his brand is, as he puts it, “a terrible joke that’s a bit offensive”, his line for this year’s show has a more serious undertone, as it relates to the political state. current in the United States. The title of the collection, La Mouche, is French for “fly”. The idea revolves around how, after 2020, it’s clear that society is struggling and we may not be as strained as we thought.

“The fabric that binds us is pulled from many angles. And wherever society unravels, La Mouche is there,” Febrey said. “Wherever there’s trash or anything nasty, La Mouche is there.”

Gulosch Clothing by James Donovan

Scooter James, creator of Gulosch Garments, is another must-have designer who showed up last year. After years of being involved in Denver Fashion Week as a model, he was finally able to showcase his own work and is back with a brand new collection.

As a child, James went to a charter school where uniforms were required. Because of this, he didn’t really start dressing up until his freshman year of high school, when he mostly wore Vans and cargo shorts. His style slowly began to evolve as he saw the diversity in what people wore in high school. He began to realize his artistic side, with an interest in fashion and modeling.

Realizing that he could take many paths after graduation, he and his mother made a deal: James would only try one year of college. Without previous experience or even a desire to make clothes, he decided to attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins for Design and Merchandising, where he learned pattern making, textile design, and sewing.

“Getting out of my comfort zone was definitely a big step in terms of my fashion design and my individuality,” James said.

The name Gulosch Garments was inspired by food goulash, a stew with a bit of everything. James felt that his view of clothing was the same.

“I see my brand as a bunch of nothing turned into something,” James said. “Where other people see a bunch of random stuff or just miscellaneous materials, I can see the potential when it comes to creating something.”

James credits his style to his upbringing, drawing inspiration from the clothes his brothers wore, as well as styles he wished he could create growing up.

For the past three years, James’ involvement with Denver Fashion Week has focused solely on modeling for his brothers, creators of Overseer and Killionaire. His first show as a designer took place during a streetwear party in the spring of 2022.

“I finally got to show off my pieces, which I was very excited to do,” James said. “To have my name and people talking about me.”

Although James’ new collection for Denver Fashion Week is being showcased at the streetwear party, he thinks audiences will be surprised to see, as he describes it, a look “from streetwear to business casual.” As his previous styles will tell, he’s sure to bring a strong and stylish lead given his skills and talent.

“At the end of the day, I do what I do for love and just try to show kids who are younger than me that there are other things to do in life,” James said.

With fresh new looks for the scene, these four returning designers are sure to put on a show that fully represents the creativity and potential of the Denver fashion scene. Be sure to get your Denver Fashion Week tickets starting November 12.