The south Denver suburbs are notorious for many things, but until this year fashion was never really one of them. Luckily, the forward-thinking owner and operator of West Main Taproom & Grill, Pamela Briere, truly ‘tapped’ into something extraordinary! Pamela's vision, passion, and desire to give to our community propelled her to create Parker’s first-ever Fashion Week. The event took the town by storm and truly left a mark on our community.
During the first weekend in June, Parker Fashion Week rallied 500 people around the theme of “Hope + Humanity." The event celebrated the love of local arts, style, and fashion. Traditionally, many fashion shows will take the form of installations. In this form, models are static which means they stand or sit in a constructed environment. Instead, Parker Fashion Week took a modern direction. The event featured an elevated, engaging ‘step and repeat’ show on West Main’s 10,000 square-foot patio-turned runway.
A dynamic cast of designers and boutiques strut their creations across the length of the grand stage and around the fireplace in the center. Award-winning designers Dan Ritchers, Borris Powell, and Duane Topping shared the stage with fan-favorite local shops such as Petit Parker, Parker Panache, and Twisted Wardrobe. In addition, students at The Stacey James Institute did the model’s hair and makeup.
Even as the pandemic lingered on, extraordinary people still came together to safely produce the 4th Largest Fashion Show Week in the nation! Collaboration between local businesses, boutiques, schools, photographers, models, and designers allowed everyone to leverage each other’s strengths. The teamwork and variety also democratized the fashion industry. Attendees didn’t need to have model looks or a ton of money to spend on a shopping spree in order to feel like the fashion show had something to offer them.
Throughout the fashion show, the crowd was flushed with ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ over the stunning designs. There was excitable chatter with acknowledgments like “I know them!”, “they’re in my class!” or “I’ve seen them around town.” Resident Sarah Moore affirmed, “This show really marks how important and loved our community is. I couldn’t be prouder to be here and witness this.”
She wasn’t the only one. The scene would surely evoke pride in any local. Elementary-aged children ran around quickly with no time to talk because they had to get ready for their part in the show, parents beamed with pride, and crowd members became starstruck as they chatted with a certain designer or artist they admired. Business owners, elected officials, and residents came together under the summer stars, and strangers met over crisp signature cocktails and local cuisine. Everyone who came out to Parker Fashion Week was part of something special, and all the more so considering the isolation of last summer. It was such a great time that our recommendation is to go ahead and secure your ticket now for next year’s show!
