A Conversation on Fast Fashion with Kayte Demont

Denver has become a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, as it has provided queer folks with growth, and opportunity within their ability to self express.

One person in particular came to Denver to change how the world views fashion ensuring that it is inclusive to all.

I got to sit down with business woman, and friend to OFM, Kayte Demont, who is the owner of WCKD COLLECTIVE, a vintage shop here in Denver!

Demont grew up in Maine, and went to college in Pennsylvania. From there on, she pursued educating the community on our current society’s issues, one of those being the treatment of the queer community.

An outstanding issue that we as a society are experiencing is the lack of inclusivity from huge clothing brands, as many are not size inclusive, and tend to be gender conforming.

Demont came up with WCKD after moving back to Maine during the covid-19 pandemic, deriving the name from the New England saying “wicked.” Demont’s goal as a business owner in the industry is to fight against massive clothing brands that practice fast fashion seeing how much waste they produce. The clothing that is overall a much lower quality is not only harmful to the environment, but also raises issues with many labor laws seeing that child labor known concern within fast fashion. “Fast fashion has taken away the ability to be unique as it doesn’t feel personal nor is it of quality” says Demont. She emphasized that huge retail companies such as Shein, cater only to a very specific audience, and in return get a very absorbent amount of money

As former retail workers, Demont and I bonded over the culture of retail, and why the industry can be harmful to its employees overall mental health. “Size disparity is real” says Demont, “in one shop you can be a small size, but be a much bigger size at another.”

Because of this, Demont brought us the gift of WCKD to Colorado saying they “wanted to bring a taste of Maine to Colorado”. She explained that having lived in Denver previously, it just felt natural to bring WCKD to Denver.

WCKD serves the queer community, and many others in ways that big corporations have ignored for several years. They offer a variety of clothing that ranges from classy vintage to more modern styles. You name it, they probably have it, and it’s all for a fraction of the price that most retailers sell their clothing for. Additionally, the clothing is not gender specific, nor is there a size limit on clothing which is something that many big companies have continued to ignore over the years.

Demont feels like she thrives as a smaller businesses owner saying that she is able to connect with customers on a more personal level, allowing her to find styles that are more tailored to their persona. In bigger retail chains, there is not as much ability for workers to connect with customers, and the idea of forming a friendship with your clients is foreign. Demont says that “I truly feel that people who work in retail have a sense of fashion.” 

WCKD is open to the public on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm at Mae Salon and wellness located at 2425 Broadway in Denver.