Four times a year, the McNichols Civic Center Building in downtown Denver is transformed into the city’s center of fashion as models make their way down the runway in conjunction with some of the current artwork being exhibited within the building’s halls. The first iteration for 2022 featured the Japanese concept of mottainai, encompassing the idea of respecting resources rather than excessive waste. Local designer Rachael Levine’s studio ARAE exemplifies this practice through her design development. Levine is a textile artist with a focus on shibori and fabric dyeing techniques that she uses for her signature, one-of-a-kind art-to-wear collection. This sustainable fashion runway show will also showcase vintage kimonos from the Nikkei Treasures collection. The show ran in conjunction with two art exhibits, Zen Gardens from Kyoto to Denver: The Photography of William Corey and Scott Dressel-Martin as well as Tomorrow is a New Day: The Artwork of Lauren Iida and Morn Chear
The evening included, food, drink, a wabi-sabi vendor marketplace featuring local Colorado artists and a Taiko drumming performance but the real star was of course the fashion…
