Fall at Denver Fashion Week has a particular energy that feels hard to pin down. DFW wrapped up about a month ago now, and as the first snow has finally fallen and winter starts to set in, it feels appropriate to take a look back at Denver’s latest fashion showing. The scene is not quite industry polish and not quite DIY chaos, but something beautiful and unique has started to flourish in between. This past season leaned into that tension in a way that felt honest to the city itself. Denver is still figuring out what it wants to look like when it grows up, and Fall DFW reflected that sense of searching with clarity, rough edges, and moments of real connection.
This year, Ephemeral Concrete stood out not by trying to dominate the room, but by feeling deeply rooted in it. Designer Olivia McCann brought a collection that felt lived in, worked on, argued with, and ultimately trusted. The result was a runway moment that made sense for Denver right now, a balancing grit, humor, queerness, thrift, and ambition all at once. The collection felt personal without becoming precious. The clothes looked like they belonged to the people wearing them, and there was a sense that the models were not simply cast for the sake of aesthetic alignment, but were part of a small ecosystem built around the brand. Watching them move down the runway felt less like a presentation and more like a shared exhale, a collective recognition that everything looked right.
McCann’s work has always been grounded in upcycling, but this season sharpened that focus into something more intentional and cohesive. As described in the designer’s own words, “This 12-look collection redefines streetwear through the lens of upcycling and artistic transformation. Blending maximalism and minimalism, it plays with the contrast between structure and surprise, oversized layering and bare skin, and reveals the tension between them. Every piece is secondhand-sourced and reworked by hand with bleach treatments and hand-carved block prints, giving new life to discarded garments. These prints aren’t just confined to fabric, they expand to the skin, echoing motifs found on the clothing itself, turning the body into an extension of the canvas. The result is true wearable art. Styling choices like shorts and skirts layered over pants and T-shirts over long sleeves nod to early 2000s streetwear and DIY indie culture, while also exploring the desire to be both clothed and exposed, warm and free, covered and expressive, channeling and challenging the duality of masculine and feminine motifs and the layered complexity of self-expression.”
That description played out clearly on the runway. The layering felt intentional rather than chaotic, playful without becoming a costume. There was an ease to the silhouettes that suggested genuine experimentation thought through over time, not rushed for trend relevance. The bleach treatments and block prints carried a handmade honesty grounded in the core aesthetic of the collection, giving the audience key motifs that helped tie all the pieces together without making each piece look identical. What made Ephemeral Concrete’s presence especially compelling within the larger context of Denver Fashion Week was how well it mirrored the city’s own personality. Denver fashion can feel goofy and gritty at the same time, unafraid of humor but deeply serious about craft. This collection embraced that duality rather than smoothing it out. It was streetwear that did not try to apologize for being conventionally strange or unfinished, rather relishing in the intentionality of those choices, and that confidence resonated.
Looking back on Fall DFW as a whole, there was a noticeable shift toward designers who are less interested in chasing coastal approval and more invested in building something local and sustainable. That shift still feels fragile and new, but it is there, and it is important. Denver does not yet have the infrastructure or reputation of Los Angeles or New York, and pretending otherwise does no one any favors. What Denver does have is time, space, and a growing pool of artists who are willing to experiment publicly while the scene matures. As we look toward 2026, the most pressing need for Denver fashion is connection. Local artists need stronger relationships with local vendors, shops, and platforms that can help translate runway moments into lasting businesses. The talent is already here. What is missing is the connective tissue that allows that talent to circulate, be seen, and be supported by the people who live here. Scenes do not become iconic overnight. They grow through trial, failure, and repetition, much like New York’s uncertain but electric pop art phase in the 1980s.
Designers like McCann play an important role in that process because they are willing to show a clear perspective and stay rooted in their communities. Ephemeral Concrete feels invested in Denver rather than positioned above it, and that matters. When designers see their work as part of a larger ecosystem, resources can grow, experimentation can deepen, and audiences can learn to trust local fashion as something worth investing in. McCann’s outlook on the future reflects that balance of ambition and groundedness. “I’m looking forward to reinvigorating my creative practice and incorporating more experimentalism in terms of trying new mediums both on and off of clothing and increasing the amount of time I take to play and create just to create. I’m also really excited to expand into new shops and cities. Ephemeral Concrete garments are sold out of shops in Boulder, Denver, and Miami and I can’t wait to bring my pieces to new cities and storefronts. In terms of the fashion scene in Denver and Denver Fashion Week: I think we have a growing fashion scene here with a lot of incredible talent from emerging and established designers and artists as well as models that are passionate and work hard to hone their craft. I’m really excited to see what designers and creations Denver Fashion Week brings together to the Spring Season in 2026 and I hope to see the process of upcycling garments in creative ways continue to grow in the fashion scene in Denver and all over the world! I feel grateful to be designing in a time where upcycled fashion is valued and on trend and I’d love to see it become a much bigger subset of the fashion industry to help combat global mass production of fast fashion and textile waste.”
That perspective feels aligned with where Denver fashion needs to go. Not bigger for the sake of visibility, but deeper in terms of values and process. Upcycling is not a novelty here. It is a necessity, an ethic, and a creative challenge that many local designers are embracing with sincerity. Ephemeral Concrete’s Fall showing reminded audiences that sustainability does not have to look sterile or minimalist. It can be punk, layered, and joyful.
As the dust settles on Fall Denver Fashion Week, Ephemeral Concrete stands as a useful lens through which to view both what worked and what is still unfolding. The brand’s Streetwear Night appearance was strong because it felt honest, communal, and reflective of a city still defining itself. If Denver fashion is searching, that search can be its strength, provided designers, vendors, and audiences commit to growing together rather than waiting for external validation.
Photos courtesy of Ephemeral Concrete
