"…on a Mission TO BUILD AN ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE & RESPECTED FASHION INDUSTRY FOR COLORADO™…”

COLORADO FASHION WEEK™

• is a digital-first Business of Fashion Venture Studio founded in 2011 by Justice Kwesi Kwarteng, BFA, MFA to elevate Colorado’s presence in the global economy.

MISSION

• To build an economically sustainable and respected fashion industry for Colorado.

VISION
• To Position the Colorado and the City of Denver as the emerging Fashion Capital of the Rocky Mountain West Region.

OUR INTENT and PURPOSE
• To positively improve the Quality of Life of every Fashion Designer and/or Brand we come into with as an organization.


Our GOAL

• To Recruit, Guide, and Launch the careers of the most promising emerging Global Fashion Talent and Brands.

The CFW’S ORIGIN STORY

• Justice Kwesi Kwarteng was invited by Fern Mallis, the Creator of New York Fashion Week, to attend a NYFW Dennis Basso Fashion Show at Lincoln Center.

• Informed and inspired by his direct experience at NYFW and Fern’s gesture, Justice returned to Colorado determined to emulate Fern’s footsteps by doing for Colorado what she had successfully done for City of New York.

On Monday, September 26, 2011, COLORADO FASHION WEEK debuted in the lobby of the Buell Theater at Denver Center for the Performing Arts with the support of local government entities, local fashion organizations, key players in the local Fashion, Beauty and Media Communities.

The Inaugural 2011 Season Staff consisted of Justice and a small band of passionate college interns, volunteers, and sponsors.

NUMBER OF DESIGNERS FOR CFW SEASON 1: SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 - OCTOBER 2, 2011

• During our inaugural 2011 Season, we presented 8 Fashion Designers and 1 Boutique that saw over 225 garments going down the CFW Runway.

NUMBER OF GARMENTS WE SENT DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR CFW SEASON ONE: SEPTEMBER 2011

• We had the honor of receiving over 1,200 attendees throughout the week of SEPTEMBER 27TH-OCTOBER 3RD, 2011 at the Buelle Theater of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) in Downtown Denver, Colorado.
  

  FOR CFW SEASON 2: (OCTOBER 1-7, 2012)

• We successfully introduced our first National Brand, Mai Couture, an innovative makeup startup brand, to the Colorado Fashion and beauty market in 2012.
  
  COLORADO FASHION WEEK™ RECEIVES A PROCLAMATION FROM GOVERNOR JOHN HICKENLOOPER

• With only a year into our existence, we received an official Proclamation from the State of Colorado, designating October 1-7, 2012 as COLORADO FASHION WEEK, a recognition that positively impacted our strategic vision as an organization.
  
  [ CFW SEASON 4 | ( OCTOBER 1-7, 2014)

• After a sold-out 2014-2015 Season at the elegant Four Seasons Hotel Denver, COLORADO FASHION WEEK™ began a slow pivot from its traditional Week-Long public phasing Runway Presentations format into a digital-first Business of Fashion Venture Studio.

  
  [ CFW SEASON 5 | (OCTOBER 1-7, 2015) — THE PIVOT CONTINUES…]
  • After a full year from our last Runway Show, CFW will continue its slow move into a full-scale digital-first Business of Fashion Venture Studio focused on INVITE-ONLY Presentations for hand-picked Emerging Fashion Designers, Brands, and Clients.
  

  PAST KEY SPONSORS & UNDERWRITERS SINCE 2011

• Past Sponsors and Strategic Partners of CO FASHION WEEK™ have included Shane & Co.; American Crew; The City & County of Denver: The Buell Theater, Seawell Grand Ballroom (at the Denver Center for the Arts (DCPA); The McNichols Building; JW Marriott (Cherry Creek North); Telemundo: RoofStar Colorado; The Four Seasons Hotel Denver, to name a few.

  A SAMPLE OF PRESENTED DESIGNERS

• Hillary MacMillan (Toronto, Canada

• Shane & Co. (Denver, CO)

• Awl & Sundry (NYC)

• D'Lola Couture (Denver, CO)

• Mia Couture (Los Angeles, CA)

• JUSTICE K |™ Collections (Denver, CO)

• Nicholas Anthony (Casper, WY) to list a few.

THE CFW GOALS

1. Improve Colorado’s Presence in the Fashion Economy through Collaboration and Partnerships;

1. Elevate Denver’s Brand as a City in the Creative Economy through innovative Global Partnerships;

1. Recruit, Educate and Launch the careers of top Emerging Fashion Industry Talent

1. Educate the next gen of Fashion Industry Talent to build economically and enviromentally Sustainable Fashion Businesses they can be proud of.

COLORADO FASHION WEEK is a production THE JTA GROUP.

• Founder & Managing Partner: Justice Kwesi Kwarteng, BFA, MFA | CONTACT Info: www.LINKEDIN.com/in/collageiam |

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