When it comes to supporting local businesses and giving back to those in need, fashion has never looked so good.
High energy and enthusiasm overflowed the Boulder Theater last Thursday night as Downtown Boulder, Inc. presented their second annual Fashion Under the Flatirons event. The show featured clothing, accessories, and footwear uniquely provided by the Boulder community’s very own local merchants.
The event kicked off with a silent auction featuring many products from local businesses, including jewelry from Pennyweights, a gift basket filled to the brim from Hain-Celestial and many others.
Runway styles and models certainly embraced the Boulder community “look,” and offered a style for a wide variety of age groups.
Ali Farrel, an 18-year old elementary education major and freshman at Front Range Community College, said the show did a good job showing off both corporate and casual looks.
“My favorite merchant to shop from is Volcom,” Farrel said. “I love the borderline hipster look.”
Fashion Under the Flatirons debuted clothes for every age group, young and old. Real Baby dressed only the most adorable child models in their casual preschool wear, backpacks included, while many other merchants presented casual and formal wear for an older crowd.
“The styles represented an older and more mature age group,” said Kelly Craugh, a 21-year-old senior psychology major.
For those who fancy tennis, biking, hiking, skiing and snowboarding, or just laying by the pool, Fashion Under the Flatirons had models in the chicest apparel.
Also present at the show were hors d’oeuvre specialties of many local Boulder restaurants, like Tee and Cakes and the brand new Pizzeria Locale. Mario Nocifera, director of operations, displayed a unique and delicious twist on bruschetta prepared on site by Pizzeria Locale’s executive chef, who Nocifera said studied the culinary arts in Naples.
“We are seven weeks old and business is great,” Nocifera said.
Fashion Under the Flatirons proved successful in promoting and supporting local merchants and businesses unique to the Boulder community. Fifty percent of the net proceeds were donated to There With Care, an organization that supports families with critically ill children, or families with a parent diagnosed with a critical illness that have young children.
There With Care offers aid to families in the Denver area by creating relationships with local businesses in order to help families get products or services donated or at a reduced rate. Fashion Under the Flatirons, between ticket pricing and the silent auction, made a generous contribution on Thursday night.
Jenna Kendall, a 19-year old freshman psychology major at CU-Denver, said she appreciated the Boulder atmosphere at Fashion Under the Flatirons.
“The show definitely represented a style that was uniquely Boulder,” Kendall said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Chelsea O’Neill at Chelsea.oneill@colorado.edu.
