Paper Is The New Black at The One Club For Creativity Denver’s Paper Fashion Show™

In its 14th year, The ONE Paper Fashion Show™ shined light on Denver talent and is the largest of its kind presenting wearable art in motion to over 800 attendees. A staple in the art and fashion scene, Denver artists came together from stylists and makeup artists, modeling talent, photographers, videographers, DJs, performers and of course graphic & fashion designers to showcase the raw beauty of paper—and to raise money for Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA).

The idea for The Paper Fashion Show™ began when founder and past Art Directors Club Denver (now The One Club For Creativity Denver) president, Jimmy Diffee, went to a body art show. There he witnessed artists live-paint models who later walked the runway. “My mom always told me you can do anything you put your mind to,” explains Diffee. “14 years later, the legacy continues, and we’ve raised more than $58,000 for Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA).”

In the heart of downtown Aurora Colorado, a stone’s throw away from East Colfax, sits what was once a community church, now home to DAVA: A safe, creative space providing after-school arts and job training courses for at-risk youth, ages 3 to 18.

Since the Paper Fashion Show’s™ conception, DAVA has integrated the Paper Fashion Show™ into their curriculum teaching students a comprehensive design process—starting with the creation of cohesive concepts, figure drawing, color scheme and material selection, then moving on to construction and public presentation. For some DAVA students this is uncharted territory, for others, a return to to an event for which they look forward to each year, and would not have access to, if not for DAVA and The One Club For Creativity Denver.

“Through the Paper Fashion Show™, students have been able to show leadership and participate in a professional event as team leaders, interns, judges and models,” says Viviane Le Courtois, Program Manager at DAVA. “Students are excited about the project every year, it adds something to our program that is unique.”

Seven industry leaders, including Omar-Pierre Soubra, Damon McLeese, Helen Young, Edward Popovitz, Gino Velardi, Mona Lucero and Deedee Vicory, judged the teams on their technique, garment wearability and adhering to the “90% Paper Rule”. This year, The Paper Fashion Show™ joined Denver Fashion Week, Denver’s first-ever seven-day stretch dedicated to local fashion design and those who make it happen.

In addition to creating “Haute Couture in Paper Wonderland” art, Paper Fashion Show™ Event Lead, Anne Redureau also challenged teams to design garments by suggesting a “ONE Country, ONE Era” theme in celebration of the Art Directors Club of Denver becoming the first authorized chapter of the global organization The One Club For Creativity last July 2017. On the runway, designers presented their showy and out-of-this-world wearable style, often inspired by their heritage by continent and chronological order.

“For me, it was about thinking of my culture from Mexico and bringing some education more than just couture fashion,” said first place winner, Norberto Mojardin of Beto’s Hair Studio to 303 Magazine. “The story behind it explains when the Aztecs welcomed the Spaniards to their country because they believed they were gods, so that’s how the story says they were conquered. I painted everything by hand and it is 100 percent paper. Every piece was put into fire to get that texture, so it took three months.” Norberto Mojardin created his fashion from CTI Paper USA's Kromekote Gold.

Norberto Mojardin will be presenting his work of art to top New York designers and artists during The One Club For Creativity's Creative Week, a weeklong festival (May 9-13) showcasing the best creative minds in advertising and design, as part of his prize package.

All of the runway looks were a truly imaginative wellspring of ingenuity on the part of local designers. Check out all the designs below.