Overview:
If you've been looking to upgrade your wardrobe, we've got you covered with the five best places to shop in Denver's fashion scene.
My name is PJ Guidry and I’m a senior at Metro State. For my Bucket List Top 5 Guide I explored the intricacies of clothing shopping in Denver’s fashion scene. The city has a growing community of collectors, sneakerheads, and fashion experts, which has created a space for both newcomers and “old heads” who want to revitalize the Mile High fashion world. I, myself, am a cultural outsider, so it seemed plausible to diversify my preferences, surrounding clothes.
I grew up with Adidas “Shell Toes” and oversized ECKO UNLTD shirts that my father would buy me from Ross. I would often pair those with cargo shorts or a snapback hat. There are specific memories of me going to my fifth-grade class and people asking me why I didn’t wear the same brands as them.
Eventually, I started to request certain clothes based on my own preferences, and my sneaker collection became more than Adidas and sandals. As a reformed Coloradoan, I had to adjust to the heavy concentration of hiking apparel, flannels and skate shoes.
I’ve learned that inner city Denver is more of a melting pot but still has a large focus on practicality and lifestyle. My guide focused on five stops that showcase the most prominent genres of style around Denver’s fashion scene: Lifestyle Fashion, Hypebeast Apparel, Streetwear, Fast Fashion and Runway Fashion.
Lifestyle Fashion: DVSN West
Denver fashion is heavily influenced by lifestyle. The biggest outlets in the city are places such as REI, and many Denverites have been seen in Patagonia puffer coats as they piece together an ensemble that makes sense for the volatile weather. The owner of DVSN West, John Rehnstrom, says that the key to his lifestyle is shoes. As a sneakerhead myself, I found it easy to relate to his sentiments.
Rehnstrom has been able to consult on Japanese footwear for artists such as Lil Yachty. He’s organized an exclusive release for the Jae Tips Saucony sneaker. He’s also run clothing and shoe drives for the community.
DVSN West sits at the heart of Colfax, which Rehnstrom has been able to call home for nearly five years. The store is characterized by what Rehnstrom calls a “sterile” ambiance. The store has a wide variety of sneakers and outdoor-centric streetwear brands, all in line with Denver’s lifestyle affinity with fashion.
From one glance, I noticed a pair of oversized jeans, a “Billionaire Boys Club” shirt and hat, and a pair of New Balance 2002Rs that would have made a perfect Denver Streetwear outfit. DVSN has displays of campfires, lanterns and Aspen trees that are familiar to the average Denverite. Rehnstrom describes Denver’s fashion scene as “comfortable and lived in.”
The natural, outdoorsy feel of DVSN strikes a difficult balance between streetwear and fashion-forward branding. Rehnstrom appears less as a fashion expert and more as a guide for the average consumer looking for the ideal fit for their lifestyle, making shopping here a breeze.
DVSN West, 2033 East Colfax Avenue, Denver. Hours: Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Learn more at dvsnwest.com.
Hypebeast Apparel: Culture Street
I have a personal love for Culture Street. In my first year of college, I had recently moved to downtown Denver and within months ran low on money. I had no job and no time to go get one. The only thing of value that I owned was a slew of sneakers. I had to make the hard choice of giving up a pair of Off-White Jordan 4’s, which at the time were worth thousands of dollars. I traded them for four different pairs of sneakers and then sold and traded them each, individually, to Culture Street.
Culture Street makes its living off of reselling Hypebeast apparel from the streets of Denver. Andy V (pronounced “Andy the Fifth”) buys, sells and trades to grow his extensive collection of sneakers, clothes and branded memorabilia. At one point, Culture Street was my saving grace for instant cash payouts and trades for store credit that allowed me to flip Hypebeast brands into my groceries for the week.
When I walked into the store to interview Andy V, he was wearing multiple Supreme streetwear pieces and pointed out the silhouette of my Nike’s in about five minutes of conversation. His store has top-selling Jordans, rare pieces of Billionaire Boys Club, Supreme, KAWS and nearly any niche streetwear brand you can think of. Andy V describes his store as a Streetwear Plato’s Closet, “but we’re going to be a lot pickier than they are.”
The store provides a great selection of high-value pieces but also has hundreds of thrift-able streetwear pieces that are more affordable and might pair well with a new pair of Jordans. I saw a fitted NFL-branded hat, a Cactus Plant Flea Market shirt and a pair of Cool Grey Jordan 4’s that form a perfect Hypebeast ensemble.
The store has had its ups and downs over the years due to the volatility of the apparel industry as well as the availability of fashionable pieces among the Denver population. What struck me as profound was Andy V’s cautionary advice to anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps and start a business like his. He discusses the challenges he faced to become the “OG” of Denver style, but his determination to succeed has been fueled by his desire to create a community of stylish Denverites.
Culture Street is essentially the brainchild and extension of Andy V’s presence in Denver’s fashion scene. As a self-proclaimed member of Denver’s style-seeking community, Culture Street is my first stop when looking for new pieces to add to my wardrobe.
Culture Street, 1550 South Colorado Boulevard, Unit 50, Denver. Hours: Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more at culturestreet.shop.
Streetwear: 2nd STREET South Broadway
The modern wave and most prominent trends are circling around streetwear fashion. My own style is more acceptable in the streetwear catalogs. Denver is heavily influenced by skate fashion and casual brands, which has funneled younger crowds into the streetwear trends. 2nd STREET South Broadway landed itself on the edge of downtown, hoping to bolster its new franchise amongst a line of South Broadway businesses.
I like seeing unfamiliar businesses give a fresh breath of air to the city, so I hope 2nd STREET pulls a longer haul than most of the short-lived boutiques stretching their lifespan on Broadway. 2nd STREET is a franchise stemming from its original 700 locations throughout Japan.
It is an environmentally conscious business that provides sustainable shopping options in Denver’s fashion scene. As the name suggests, it’s a secondhand store that allows people to come in with clothes to get assessed for their value in the hope of cold, hard cash.
2nd STREET, like Culture Street, is committed to selling designer, Hypebeast and vintage pieces that will pair fashionable ensembles. However, unlike Culture Street, 2nd STREET has a heavy focus on clothing and apparel more than footwear. They have a large rotation of Bape tees, designer bags and trendy pieces like Supreme graphics and North Face coats.
I would personally use 2nd STREET as an outlet for graphic tees that I would never be able to find at a department store. They also have unique second-hand clothes that can round out an outfit for any occasion.
As a more practical styler, I find it appealing to acquire my vintage brands at a lower price so I can wear quality clothing that fits my day-to-day. I have never had the desire to spend hundreds of dollars on items that will see little more than a runway, and more often, a grocery store, on an off day.
2nd STREET South Broadway, 99 South Broadway, Denver. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Learn more at 2ndstreetusa.com.
Fast Fashion: Hills Clothing
Henock Kebede talked to me about the recent launch of his online store, which he described as a pursuit of current streetwear trends. Hills Clothing is much like Zara and Shein, but his store puts a unique branding on the here-and-now of streetwear trends.
As a local Denverite, Henock simply wanted an outlet to provide stylish pieces with the added convenience of online shopping. He currently has multiple pieces on his website, and my personal favorite is his “Baggy Sweat Pants” line with the embroidered “Hills” logo by the waist and a screenprinted design of the Hill of Golgotha near the foot of the pants legs. It is a thick, heavy variation of Terry Cotton and has button-ups on the bottom of both pant legs to allow for a flared look over your sneakers or boots.
Hills also sells a cropped tee shirt in a heavyweight material with the “Do not Die Wondering” design across the front. I am currently a big fan of cropped tees because they fit perfectly across the belt and make my shoulders appear wider, which makes for a better shape when piecing together outfits. The shirt is of the same high quality as the pants, and if you want to put them together, they complement each other well. The style is unisex and allows for a wide variety of pairings. I wore the black Hills sweatpants with burgundy Timberlands and a red and black Nike golf-style zip-up.
Kebede wants his brand to be trend-driven while still conveying a message with a personal touch in each piece. There are many aspects of Hills Clothing that allow him to grow, but I appreciate the grounded nature of having local designers like Kebede who are willing to plant their roots in Denver. When I see others promoting the Hills brand around the city without realizing it, it gives me a sense of pride in Denver’s fashion scene.
Learn more at hillsclothing.store.
Runway Fashion: Zeinab Camara/Denver Fashion Week
I was able to interview Zeinab Camara, a runway model who has walked for four different seasons of Denver Fashion Week (DFW). Personally, my style is more practical and frequently limited by the size of my paychecks, but high fashion is never too far out of reach if you have the right connections. Zeinab Camara has had the opportunity to model for editorials and runways throughout the Denver Metro Area, which has given her a thorough understanding of the intricacies of runway fashion in the city.
Camara was the first of my five sources to point out the Denver fashion scene’s diversity. Its hyperlocal availability and access to small niches of acceptable looks in larger markets such as New York and Los Angeles has become increasingly important. Many of the models that Camara meets around Denver have been unlike the others, which makes runway pieces more applicable to the everyday wearer.
DFW is the city’s most visible fashion event of the year, attracting millions of impressions and contributing to the growth and aspirations of Denver style. Camara, now a seasoned veteran at DFW, understands that almost any interested Denverite can access high fashion in the city.
Designers will hold pop-up shops after major runway events to allow people to purchase their new pieces, and seeing them up close will allow you to grab them while they are still on sale. Camara was able to walk for an event called “Color of Fashion,” and two days later people were able to purchase everything worn by the models.
Camara says that her main source for these events is social media. Although she has a management team that helps her book events, she still keeps her ear close to the ground by scrolling on Instagram. Many models are discovered this way, and designers frequently share their content on social media.
I hope that this guide will help style seekers recognize the high accessibility in Denver’s fashion scene. Numerous unmentioned outlets offer the best pieces to add to your closet, but these are five places that I can guarantee are worth your time.
The key is to connect with others and form communities because a source can literally feed you for years to come, as it has for me. If you visit these places on a regular basis, you will undoubtedly develop your own Denver-specific style over time.
