Couture-Bound by Amber Mosure

A canopy of white Christmas lights and a carnival of sounds greet me as I stroll down Larimer Street on my way to the bar, Suite 200.  Nestled between 13^th and 14^th Street, the block is bustling and electrically-charged with culturally-famished nightlifers jumping out to let teenaged valet tend to their vehicles while their hungry eyes scan all the restaurants and bars looking for the perfect spot.

“Can I see your I.D.?” a bouncer inquires.  As I feverishly fish it out wondering if I also have to be on some list to get into this establishment, he takes a quick glance at it and waves me through.  Now accepted and permitted, I ascend the stairs into Suite 200 toward the strobe lights of fashion heaven awaiting me while techno beats bump and pound into the brick wall around me.  Inside, red and blue lights reflect off the sequined halter tops and liquor bottles behind the bar creating little periodic shimmers and twinkles in the dark corners.  People mingle over their cosmos, dancing to the music and stabbing the red cherry at the bottom.  The hanging orange rectangles adorning the booths sway in perfect time with the bass.  Shakespearean paintings cover one side of the bar, popping out vividly in stark contrast to the black wall.  Their velvety, oil-paint eyes seem to follow you around the room to the bar, scolding you as you purchase your drink.  Suite 200 is definitely one of those bars where a single guy on the prowl doesn’t actually approach the vixen he has his eye on to ask her if he can buy her a drink, but rather, it is one of those Sex-and-the-City-type establishments where the bartender intervenes on the budding courtship like a top-shelf, bottle-wielding matchmaker, sliding over a cocktail and saying, “compliments of the gentleman in the navy blue blazer.”

As the commencement of the fashion show draws nearer, the music becomes more upbeat and the runway glows looking more like a white cross amid a black backdrop—offering fashion salvation to the seated spectators starving for style resurrection.  The first models take the stage strutting down it with fierce confidence determined to influence up-coming fashion trends.  Zebra prints, metallic mini-skirts, and baby doll dresses with lacy frill abound among the blue, red, and black color motifs.  Some of the designers being featured in this show are:  Golden Diva, Vivian Nguyen, Kimoto Dragons, and Rae Marie.  My focus is on Rae Marie.  Rae Marie’s is the final name announced and girls take the stage in geisha-inspired attire.  Using paper fans as ninja assassin-masks, their eyes convey fashion signals like spinning whirligigs entrancing the on-lookers to pay attention to the designs.  Rae is, however, young and hip with a keen sense of style and trend so her designs should have no problem luring in the young fashionistas in rabid droves.  It’ll be as easy as attracting a starving tiger to fresh meat.  In addition to the Asian-themed digs, Rae utilizes lots of purples, pony tails, and zigzag patterns in her creations.   The girls, with their heart-shaped red and black lips and their sporty-looking halter tops, give the audience an interesting mix of style—tomboy meets Louise Brooks.

Originally from Topeka, Kansas Rae Marie (aka Rachel Hurst) has spent most of her life in Colorado.  Being (mostly) raised and reared in Denver, she garnered her drive from living in a single parent home, “sometimes it was hard but it has helped instill a great work ethic into me,” she says.  By the age of four, Rae Marie already had sights set on being a Pediatrician.  Her ambitious nature kept her very busy throughout her high school career, “I attended George Washington High School and received my International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree, as well as, my diploma. I was the high school Entertainment Editor and worked nearly full-time to help pay for my books in high school.”  But, it only took one high school art class to transform Rachel Hurst, the aspiring Pediatrician, to Rae Marie the talented fashion designer.  “[That class] changed my life!  I studied the female form and did a lot with Guerilla art concerning the female genitalia and the objectification of women.  It was seriously a vagina monologue, but that class fueled a fire for art.  I wanted to explore with other materials beside paints and markers, so I tried fabric and I loved it.”  After graduating from George Washington High School, Rae Marie attended CU Boulder, “I decided to go into business because I still didn’t have the confidence to pursue fashion.”  She didn’t get far into that program and major before she had a reality check from a close friend about what she should be doing with her hobby, “my freshman year, a great friend of mine, Jerraud Coleman, convinced me that my heart belongs in art. We decided to form the first fashion group on Campus called Avant Garde: A Fashion Group.  We did our first show in a dirty little art studio with about 75 people. That first moment walking on the runway, after my fashion presentation, was magical. From then on I knew that that was exactly what I wanted to do.”  After this first (and pivotal) fashion show,  Rae Marie realized what she really wanted to pursue and finally believed in herself for the first time, “I switched majors to Theatre with an emphasis in Costume Design since that was the closest thing that CU offered and really focused on my Fashion Group. We had no office, no following or funding really.  So, in four years, I worked hard, changed the name to the Fashion Design Student Association, got us an office, regular funding for a group of members and it is still thriving on the campus!  We created a fashion voice on the Boulder campus.  My last show was 300 people and we had to turn people away.  We went from 75 people to 300+ and from a dirty little studio to a ballroom. It was awesome!”

Rae Marie has a very eclectic sense of fashion and mixes unlikely eras and genres together, which keeps the clothes fun and unique.  “I love that Hollywood glamour of the 40′s and 50′s, the high-waist skirts and the curve-clinging clothing.  I am also inspired by the Victorian era and the Edwardian era with the details, the sleeves and the jackets, they are beautiful eras.  I mix that with slightly new age concepts of sexuality.”  Her most memorable project to date?–“My Red Dragon Dress, that was one of my favorite pieces and a piece that I feel that I mastered well.  It is one of my infamous pieces that people identify me with.”  Working in the fashion industry and meeting a ton of people, I knew she had to have one person she has worked with that stood out.  “James Morales with the James Studio is an amazing photographer!  He is one of those genius photographers that make artwork magical. He inspires me to inspire him and we work amazingly together.”

Rae Marie’s day is anything but predictable.  She seems to have not stopped since high school with her stringent work ethic.  Her desire to succeed at what she loves doing keep her very occupied to say the least.  So what does a typical day entail for Rae Marie?—“Gosh, I wish I had a typical day. But the normal fashion show day would be finishing last minute details because fashion design is never finished–sew hems, zippers, details, buttons!  Communicating with hair and make-up and approving every model. Keeping track of models and where they are.  Last minute fittings, Check!  Music on CD, Check!  Get Music to DJ, Check!  Runway walks, lighting, props, clothing! Check, check, check, check! These days are just hectic and I do a lot fashion shows!”  Being over-worked in this industry is far better than being under-worked, i.e. unnoticed.  Rae Marie has her dreams and sights set on New York, one day.  “I want my own boutiques in New York, California, and Colorado to start. I think my biggest aspiration is to design gowns for the stars.  I love Blake Lively, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, and Lady Gaga to name a few.”

Rae Marie hopes to accomplish big things with her clothing designs.  And going from 75 people in a dingy, small art studio to 300 people in a ballroom, I’d say she’s onto something or, people are onto her, and that’s getting her closer to fame and fulfilling her dreams.  I’d also say that going from a dirty, small art studio to a place like Suite 200 is a pretty big leap and is a testament to her talent.  What is her biggest inspiration?–“My surroundings and desire to make women beautiful.  The feeling you get from dressing a woman and making her feel good about herself is powerful.  I make clothing for women and I want every woman to feel beautiful.”  For inspiration designer-wise, Rachel admires John Galliano, “he is so fun and flirty on the runway and always tells a story.  He makes love to women with his clothing and that is what I would like to do, I wish to seduce both men and women… my men’s line is coming soon!”  What’s that I just heard?  She is now catering to the other sex too?!  “It will be a blend of my woman’s line and the debut of my men’s collection.  It will be a play on The Battle of the Gods and will be a different Rae Marie than fans are used to, but a good change!  The men’s collection will be a little Preppy Chic but definitely a great counterpart to Rae Marie Collection.  I can’t say too much! People should check the website for more information!”  Is there anything else in-store for us fashion-hungry people this year?  “I am also working on my voluptuous collection for the plus-size market which is very exciting for me!  It will be something no one has seen before and will debut either late this year or early next year.  And lastly, I am doing a show in December, which will deal with gender roles, sadomasochism and sexuality.  It will be a show you definitely do not want to miss!”  You can check out her clothing line at www.fashionsbyraemarie.com, www.ustrendy.com, and Fashion Denver (located on Bannock Street).

*Photo courtesy of Aurelio Mireles

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