This fall, Denver Fashion Week (DFW) will bring upcoming and established local designers to the runway for Day 6: Society.
Audiences will witness renowned local talent on the runway, including Qi Zhou Design Studio, MENEZ and Emerging Designer Challenge winner, J. Lin Snider. The event will take place at York Street Yards on Thursday, November 16 from 6 – 10 p.m.
We spoke to the designers to get insight into how they’re preparing and what they’re bringing to the runway.
Purchase your Society DFW tickets here
Qi Zhou Design Studio
Photo by Dana Rogers
Qi Zhou Design Studio was inspired by Qi Zhou’s childhood dream of becoming a full-time fashion designer. After her 30-year engineering career, she now creates handmade couture pieces and often incorporates styles from her Chinese heritage into her one-of-a-kind designs. Her collections have been featured in New York Fashion Week, the RAW Artists Showcase in Denver and more.
Zhou, a Shanghai native, revealed that her DFW fall ‘23 collection will draw inspiration from Chinoiserie, the traditional blue and white ceramics of the Tang Dynasty.
“My collection will showcase the beauty of color, patterns and styles of chinoiserie in designs that were inspired by my heritage,” Zhou said.
READ: Designer Qi Zhou Combines Modern Style with Chinese Tradition
MadVan Design
Photo courtesy of MadVan Designs
Madison Van Der Lingen is a designer from New Mexico who focuses on sustainability, sewing pieces from recycled or reused textiles. Through her brand, MadVan Design, she crafts luxury couture items and loungewear.
Using imaginative storytelling, playful silhouettes and maximalist designs, she often leans into the whimsical and ethereal with her collections. Her “The Invisible Land” collection will showcase her strengths as a designer.
“The style is whimsical with creepy undertones,” Lingen said. “The clothing itself is loungewear, ready-to-wear and a few avant-garde evening gowns.”
Savaneli
Photo courtesy of Savaneli (placed right)
Téa Savaneli is a local designer from Tbilisi, Georgia. Along with being the creative force behind Beauty Salon by Tea, her artistic endeavors also include avant-garde fashion. Her designs were most recently featured on the Colorado Springs Fashion Week ‘23 runway, and she’s looking forward to her DFW debut.
“Embracing the fashion industry’s rich diversity fuels my excitement for this event,” Savaneli said.
Her bold, show-stopping style will be highlighted in her DFW fall ‘23 collection.
“Expect a luminous parade of avant-garde pieces, each radiating confidence and handcrafted love,” Savaneli said. “This encapsulates my very essence and the vibrant energy I infuse into my work.”
GEO in Style
Photo courtesy of GEO in Style
The GEO in Style brand originated in 2020 with a mission to become the bridge between the fashion communities of Georgie (E.U.) and the United States. GEO in Style has presented new designers at DFW in the past, and this year Salle De Mode was handpicked to be introduced to the Denver fashion scene.
“The designer Salome’s inspiration comes from her love for leather and a mixture of delicate fabrics,” a GEO in Style brand representative said.
The collection will combine refined elegance with an inexplicable edge, all while maintaining a level of comfortability.
Jenn Burback
Photo by Roxanna Carrasco
Jenn Burback is an innovative designer who focuses on creating stories through her fashion collections. She works with organizations and foundations to give back to the community, including Mental Health Colorado, whom she partnered with for her Genesis Fashion Show event earlier this year.
READ: Genesis Fashion Show Debuts Mental Health-Focused Collection
For her first ever DFW fall ‘23 collection, she will center around the topic of mental health. Through her designs, Burback will capture the darkness of mental health, as well as the hope that light will be shed where darkness is felt.
“This collection feels more like home and where my brand will be headed in the future,” Burback said.
MENEZ to Society
Photo courtesy of MENEZ.
MENEZ is a fashion design company founded by brothers Vincent and Saul Jimenez. The brand creates couture pieces and ready-to-wear collections to inspire people to be bold, brave and true to themselves. Known for asymmetrical tailoring and audacious designs, MENEZ has made its mark as one of Denver’s leading fashion houses.
The MENEZ NEBULA Collection will add glittering cosmic energy to the DFW Fall ‘23 runway.
“The collection consists of lace and sequins, with a touch of denim, leather and studs,” The Jimenez brothers said. “The dresses and gowns are inspired by everything that glitters in space, crafted from brilliant fabrics like the cosmos and stars.”
Kit’s Boutique
Photo courtesy of Kit’s Boutique
A newcomer to DFW, Kit’s Boutique is a high-end consignment business that unifies designer fashion with sustainability. The boutique is located in Greenwood Village and has been embraced by the local fashion community. Kit Demko, founder of Kit’s Boutique and a New York native, is looking forward to bringing the passion of the NYC fashion scene to the Denver runway.
“Kit’s will showcase exceptional pieces ranging from the fashion-forward house of Gucci to the understated elegance of Brunello Cucinelli,” Demko said.
Demko will also bring some of her clients to work the runway and show off designer pieces they purchased at the boutique.
READ: Kit’s Boutique Extends the Life of Luxury At Greenwood Village
Marginal
Photo by David Langlois
Matilda Marginal is the local designer behind the avant-garde sustainable fashion brand Marginal. She is known for deconstructing beauty standards and reflecting on social problems with her inventive fashion design.
“Denver Fashion Week is especially exciting because I feel we’re all together doing a very important mission for our city. We are the beauty warriors,” Marginal said.
Marginal’s collections have a reputation for conjuring up strong emotions from audiences and her upcoming DFW fall ‘23 collection will be no different.
“It will wake your hearts and emotions up,” Marginal said.
Mitosis
Photo by Michael Hameister
Byron Alexander is a local fashion designer who isn’t afraid to embrace dark and mysterious elements in his brand Mitosis.
If his DFW spring ‘23 collection is any indication of the edge he’ll bring to the fall runway, audiences are in for a presentation of abstract shapes, monochromatic shades and leather textures.
J. Lin Snider
Photo by Annie Pants
Jamie Lin Snider is the creator of J. Lin Snider, the house label at the vintage store Wild Vine. Snider is known for her retro style, vintage picks and upcycled designs. She also features clothing items on VanlifeVintageUSA, her Etsy shop.
READ: Denver Fashion Week Presents Third Annual Emerging Designers Challenge
Snider took home first place during the DFW fall ‘23 Emerging Designers Challenge. Her designs featured mesmerizing textures and glamorous sparkles. Audiences can look forward to seeing the full collection on the DFW Fall ‘23 runway.
