Behind the Runway: How This Denver Show Centers DEI On and Off the Stage

Backstage at a fashion show can be chaotic. Often filled with swarms of models, as hair and makeup artists work diligently to create high-fashion looks under a tight deadline. The efforts backstage are all about showcasing a full look in all its glory to the audience. 

To an outsider, a fashion model is a dream job. In reality, some models have experienced mistreatment, disrespect and being ignored while on the job. They may leave a show with damaged hair after a hairstylist went to great lengths to accomplish an avant-garde look. They probably weren’t fed, are likely underpaid and are certainly underappreciated. 

While our current administration cannot grasp the fruitfulness of diversity and inclusion, the Color of Fashion team proves why diversity, equity and inclusion are important behind the scenes and on the runway.

Color of Fashion‘s Lead Makeup Artist Kyle Hamilton works collaboratively with fellow hair and makeup artists to bring each runway look to life. He strives to have the best products, knowledge and guidance to ensure his team of eleven artists is set up for success.

In a makeup workshop in preparation for the show, Hamilton demoed a look on me (The Curio Cabinet got to be models for the day!), and his team proceeded to practice their version. 

Hamilton encourages each artist to embrace their expertise and bring their model’s face to life in their own way. As professionals, Color of Fashion makeup artists can determine what colors will suit a certain skin color best, how a model’s eye shape may define their eyeshadow and even how the shape of their tear ducts impacts the look of their eye makeup. This level of expertise sets Color of Fashion apart from other runway producers and contributes to the elevated looks that hit the runway each year.

“Color of Fashion does everything different. It’s a collaborative safe space where I get to push limits and feel supported every step of the way,” said Hamilton. “From compliments to criticism, we’re all out here trying to do something that people in this city haven’t seen before. To be a part of that kind of innovation and forward thinking is something I treasure, getting to be a lead on this team.”

Hair leads Keva Morris and James Mucker invest in their models and team in the same way. This season, the hair team is tasked with coloring, cutting, styling and even creating wigs. To ensure the wigs fit each model combined with the makeup look, the end result is cohesive, and extreme attention to detail is necessary. The team of stylists are experts, focusing on the necessary skills to help bring bold couture looks to life on the runway.

Part of this expertise is treating the models right. It’s properly preparing their faces prior to putting on makeup. It’s ensuring that their natural hair is intact and taken care of, no matter how outlandish the hairstyle for the show may be. It’s respecting the models and giving them a space to speak up if their false eyelashes are bothersome, if their wig cap is too tight, or if they don’t feel like themselves in the look. 

Color of Fashion makes their models feel safe. At the same time, they inspire creating a space where professional hair and makeup artists can push boundaries, experiment with techniques and hone in on their creativity.  

That’s why Color of Fashion Season V: Be Scene is a celebration of art and also beauty — the artistry of hair and makeup that’s not an everyday look but a bold, extravagant, runway-ready form of art. You have to be there to see the expression for yourself and feel the safety net that Color of Fashion has created around the Denver fashion community. 

As for what to expect from the hair and makeup at this year’s show, “think bold colors, fearless prints and hair looks that match the energy. It’s about to be a whole moment,” added Morris

Buy your tickets now for Color of Fashion Season V: Be Scene on Saturday, September 6 at the NOVEL Uptown.