Sherissa Gibson’s Fashion Line Exemplifies Overall Boost in Denver’s Fashion Community

Sherissa Gibson is one of many designers who are opening up shop in Denver this year. Gibson, who designs for her own company, known as Skye Gibson Designs, believes — like many do — that an increased national interest in Denver has helped to push the city’s fashion community forward in recent years.

“The fashion community seems to be on the rise in Denver right now, with things like Fashion Design Center opening, the Art Institute reintroducing the fashion program, and events like the Paper Fashion Show, which I participated in this year,” explains Gibson.

Tourism is helping to drive many of the different fashion programs and shows available in the mile-high city. In 2013, the city experienced a record high of $17.3 billion in tourism revenue, and the money train shows no signs of slowing down. Although many like to attribute this to the state’s marijuana legalization, in truth, it’s part of a much larger traveling trend, and thanks in no small part to smart marketing on the part of the Colorado Tourism Office.

Gibson attended the Art Institute in Denver and received a degree in Graphic Design several years ago, and worked in everything from graphic web design to fashion, illustrating that the career path of a graphic design graduate can follow many directions. Although Gibson has lived in other cities over the past several years — including Seattle, Melbourne, and Los Angeles — she says she was drawn to Denver thanks to its individuality. “I was always impressed and inspired by the bold, edgy style that I saw on people here,” she said in an interview with Westword.