Sustainability has roots everywhere. Whether you are sipping on a glass of whiskey or trying on a new garment, everything we enjoy comes from our environment.
Dry Land Distillers takes sustainability seriously by reducing carbon emissions, water usage, and waste throughout our production process. We work with local farmers to grow crops that are adapted to the drought conditions of the high desert, and circulate spent grain and resources efficiently (like reusing our distillation process water to heat & cool our building). We craft all of our products locally and we source ingredients intentionally. The result? Slow spirits that celebrate and protect the landscapes we love.
Common threads of sustainability can also be found in the fashion industry. Slow fashion focuses on upcycling textiles, diverting waste from landfills, and celebrating style in authentic and mindful ways.
This week Denver Fashion Week kicks off with the Sustainability Show. We are excited to partner with two incredible sustainability designers that are on the leading frontier of slow fashion right here in Colorado: Elisabeth Strunk (Flash + Rose) and Rachel Hazelwood (Hyacinth).
Hyacinth was founded by Rachel Hazelwood as a sustainable brand focused on upcycling. All of the materials used are sourced from thrift stores, second-hand craft stores, or harvested from vintage garments.
"I ensure that sustainability is integrated into my brand by working on a few pieces at a time, not over-sourcing, and making sure every piece of a garment that is deconstructed, I use," shares Hazelwood.
Hazelwood further shares that thrifting and upcycling materials has a positive eco-impact as it reduces the demand for new resource-intensive production. Additionally, giving a second life to a garment decreases the amount of waste sent to landfills, thus minimizing the carbon footprint associated with the fashion industry.
"We can all do our part to reduce waste, even with small adjustments to what we buy as consumers. My goal is to elevate the idea of giving materials a "second chance" and finding the beauty in creating something that can exist in a new light."
Follow HYACINTH on Instagram @hyacinth_designs_co
Flash + Rose is a slow fashion brand inspired by traditional American tattoo designs. Pieces are all vintage or secondhand and given a new life with hand painted artwork, making each piece one-of-one.
"Sustainability is always at the front of my mind when creating pieces for my brand, Flash + Rose. I consider myself an artist and upcycler with hand paint tattoo-inspired designs on used clothing,” says Strunk.
Elisabeth sources everything from thrift or buy-sell-trade stores, giving old clothing new lives. She does this intentionally to reduce the negative impact that the fashion industry can have on our environment, as she notes that we produce 92 million tons of clothing-related waste every year.
As an upcycler and sustainable artist/designer, Strunk seeks to show people that they can build a beautiful and fun wardrobe from secondhand clothing.
“Personally, 95% of my personal closet is thrifted and I love it when people ask me about where I got an item I’m wearing and I get to say, ‘I thrifted it!’”
What’s better is that as a designer Elisabeth has been able to highlight the beauty in thrifted pieces. All 16 of the looks that she’ll be showcasing at Denver Fashion week are entirely from secondhand clothing stores with Flash + Rose flare added to them.
“I’m big on “controlling the controllables” and by buying used clothing, I’m able to control a bit of my own impact on the environment. If we all did that more often, I truly believe we could put a dent in the negative impact fashion can have on our planet!”
Follow Flash + Rose on Insta @flash.and.rose
To join the Denver Fashion Week Spring 2024 Events, we invite you to use our 25% discount promo code: DRYLAND at www.denverfashionweek.com/tickets/
Join Dry Land Distillers for a chic twist on sustainability during Denver Fashion Week! Swap your pre-loved threads for new favorites in our #slowfashion clothing swap. Let's step into sustainability with style! #ClothingSwap #SlowFashion
